244 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



horses are entrusted. In ordinary action this joint has 

 heavy work to perform, but often more severe exertion is 

 exacted from it than even its admirable construction can 

 possibly perform. Much of the lameness of the hind 

 quarters will be found, upon careful examination, to be 

 seated in the hock. If the exact locality of lameness 

 cannot be detected elsewhere, we may almost consider that 

 it is somewhere connected with the complicated structure 

 of the hock-joint, and we may particularly refer to the 

 various diseases of this joint described towards the begin- 

 ning of chapter vi., page 130 



BONES OF THE FOOT. 



PLATE VI. Fig. 3. 

 This figure represents a back view of the bones of the 

 pastern-joint and of the foot, and those connected with it. 

 The coffin-bone constitutes its osseous fabric, to which the 

 navicular bone may be regarded as an appendage. The 

 anatomy of this part should be well understood, as it is of 

 much importance in the action of a horse, as also very liable 

 to disease. 



a. The coffin-bone, with its horny laminag. It is situated withiu 

 the hoof, which it nearly resembles in form, being in its outline 

 crescent-shaped. Its form, however, varies with the natural 

 make and morbid changes in the form of the hoof. The coffin- 

 bone is ot a soft spongy texture. 



b. The navicular-bone, or shuttle-bone, which is situated at the 

 back of the coffin-joint, into whose composition it enters. It 

 is crescent-shaped. One of its extremities is directed out- 

 ward, and the other inward ; their points are obtuse, and are 

 fixed by latei-al ligaments to the coffin-bone. 



c. The lower pastern, or coronet-bone. Its situation is between 

 the pastern and the foot, and answers to the second phalanx of 

 the human foot. Its form is nearly square. 



d. The upper pastern is situated below the cannon-bone, with 



