THE HIND EXTREMITIES. 93 



the inner maleolus. Make an effort to remember 

 this prominent bony point called the inner maleolus, 

 because it forms a prominent land-mark in describing 

 the hock. The remaining side of this bone looks 

 outwards and forwards, and is covered by powerful 

 muscles, Fig. 14, 7, which if you grasp your right 

 leg with your right hand in front, half way between 

 the knee and ankle, and then raise your toes without 

 moving your foot or leg you will feel to contract. This 

 outer surface then is covered by the bellies of the 

 muscles which lift the toes upwards, and in the horse 

 lifts his foot forward. We have spoken of an inner 

 maleolus^ implying the existence of an outer maleo- 

 lus. The outer maleolus is formed by the lower end 

 of the ' fibula' in ourselves, but in the horse the 

 ' fibula' is only rudimentary, and does not reach down 

 to the hock, or ankle, but is merely a spicula of bone 

 having no function or use whatever. 



79.— The hock* (our ankle) is a highly important 

 joint on account of the frequency of its break-downs. 

 It is placed wider, and forms an angle with the 

 large bone, the tibia, which transmits the weight of 

 the body on its upper surface, and is pku^ed over, 

 and is in a line with tiie long bone below, the meta- 

 tarsal bone, which has to meet the weight of the 

 body at this point, and form a support for it every 

 time the body has to be propelled forward. We 

 must never lose sight of the lact that the angle is at 



* Tlic student should procure the bones of ii sound hock. Any 

 horse-slaughterer's man will procui'e and prepare these for a 

 sliilling or so. 



