THE HIND LIMBS. 19 



and so, like the humerus, it is shortened, thickened, 

 and is set at a slope, so as to avoid a direct shock 

 to it. 



Next we come to the real knee of the horse — a 

 joint which is professionally called the ' stifle,' why, 

 I cannot imagine. This joint being the knee, there 

 is a knee cap [patella], which performs the same 

 office for the horse that it does for us. Dislocation 

 of the patella is even more common with horses than 

 with man, but fortunately can be reduced more easily, 

 and does not leave such persistent weakness. 



After the thigh bone come the two bones of the 

 lower leg — the ' tibia ' and ' fibula.' Both words 

 are Latin ; the former signifying a flute, and the other 

 a buckle, or rather the tongue of a buckle. With 

 us, they are popularly known as the large and small 

 leg bones. 



Next comes the ankle {tarsus), popularly called 

 the ' hock.' As in the wrist, so in the ankle, the 

 bones are not unlike those of men. The heel-bone, 

 however, is longer, as it has to afford leverage to 

 the great heel sinew or tendon (tendo Achillis), the 

 severance of which is called ' houghing,' and lames 

 for life either man or beast. 



Just as in the fore-limb the metacarpals are 

 rudimentary, with the exception of the third and 

 fourth which are fused into a single bone, so it is 



c 2 



