278 



HOOFED ANIMALS 



good leverage to the great ligament called the tendon of 

 Achilles. Then come the metatarsals of the third and 

 fourth toes fused together, those of the second and fifth 

 being represented by the splint bones, and lastly come the 

 digits, i.e., the fingers or toes, which correspond so closely 

 with those of the fore-foot that they are scarcely distinguish- 

 able from each other. It is a remarkable fact that foals are 

 sometimes born with traces of as many as four toes, some 



with one or other of the splint 

 bones enlarged into a complete 

 toe with a hoof at the end. 



So the reader will perceive that 

 the Horse walks upon the tips of 

 the third and fourth fingers of 

 the hand and the corresponding 

 toes of the foot. The hoof is 

 beautifully constructed, built up 

 by no less than six hundred layers 

 or scales of three different kinds 

 of horn, resulting in wonderful 

 elasticity to fulfil the tasks required 

 of it. 



The hoof of the Horse in a wild 

 state grows as fast as it wears, but 

 domesticated animals require an 

 iron shoe to protect the foot on 

 hard roads. Like the nails of 

 human beings, the horny sub- 

 stance of the hoof may be pared 

 without causing pain unless the 

 quick be reached ; and thus it is 



an easy matter for a blacksmith to fit and fix a horse-shoe. 

 The V-shaped formation on the under side of the hoof must 

 never be cut away, for unless the 'frog,' as it is called, 

 touches the ground, the hoof loses all its elastic qualities. 

 The teeth of the Horse will well repay inspection, if only 

 because they have largely contributed to, if not actually 

 decided, the fate of the animal as the servant of man. A 

 full set of teeth numbers forty, viz., six incisors above and 

 below ; four canines, one on each side above and below ; 



FOOT OF THE HORSE 

 WITH SHOE. 



' FROG ' OF THE HORSE'8 HOOF. 



