THE HOESE AND HIS STKUCTUBE. 

 CHAPTER I. 



THE LEFT OR NEAR FOREFOOT. 



T ET us take for our study the left or " near " fore- 

 " foot of the horse. 



If the reader will look at the skeleton of a horse he 

 will see that the fore leg is the analogue of the human 

 arm. The so-called " knee " is in fact the wrist, with its 

 eight small bones. The " shank " or " cannon " bone is 

 really the "metacarpal" bone of the middle finger, i.e. 

 the bone which, in the hand, runs from the wrist to the 

 root of the finger. 



Then comes the " pastern," which is the finger itself, 

 the last or third joint being called the " coffin " or 

 " pedal " bone, which is surrounded by the marvellously 



