HORSE-TRAINING MADE EASY. 91 



HINTS UPON SHOEING. 



A glance at the skeleton of the horse will at 

 once serve to convince us that the animal is 

 formed at the same time for strength, and for 

 celerity and ease of motion. If we look at the 

 fore limbs we shall see that the scapula, No. 3, 

 recedes from the shoulder-joint, falHng back 

 obliquely; its upper part uniting with the spinous 

 processes of the anterior dorsal vertebrae, No. 14, 

 to form the withers. The shoulder-bone No. 4 

 retreats, forming an angle at the elbow-joint; the 

 fore arm consists of two pieces, No. 5, the radius 

 and ulna consolidated as one bone in the mature 

 horse; this is followed by a double row of small 

 bones, No 9. the carpus or wrist bones, seven in 

 number. These are succeeded by the metacarpus, 

 No. 10, with two slender splint bones attached 

 posteriorly to its upper part. To these succeed 

 the three phalangeal bones, Nos. 11, 12, and 13. 

 There are besides a small pair of hones situated 

 behind the fetlock joint called sessamoides, and a 

 small bone situated behind, and between Nos. 12 

 and 13, called the navicular bone. The coffin bone. 

 No. 13, is enclosed in the hoof, which consists of 

 thick, firm, rounded horn, having a certain degree 

 of expansibility ; and underneath, forming a sort 

 of sole, IS a part called the frog; it is an elastic 

 cushion, and in a healthy state prevcnls con- 

 cussion. At each step the frog yields under the 



