4 Early History and Habits 



fat, the whole length of the spine forms a kind of hollow, 

 which is said to be channeled. 



The space which is included within the ribs is called 

 the barrel (i) ; the name of stomach (j) is also given to 

 the lower part of the body which joins the os sternum and 

 the bottom of the ribs. 



Theflan&s lie at the extremity of the stomach and ex- 

 tend as far as the hip-bones. The tail is divided into two 

 parts : the stump or dock, and the hair. 



The upper part of the front leg of the horse is called 

 the shoulder (m), although it corresponds with the fore- 

 arm in a man ; ^fore-arm (n) follows it lower down. 



The joint which is below the fore-arm is called the knee 

 (o) ; it corresponds to the place of the wrist in man, and 

 forms an angle turning inwards when the leg is bent. 



The shank (p) forms the second portion of the fore- 

 leg; it commences at the knee-joint, and corresponds to 

 the metacarpus in man. 



Behind the shank is a tendon, which extends from one 

 end to the other, and is called the back-sinew. 



The fetlock-joint (q) is the articulation immediately below 

 the shank. 



The fetlock itself is a tuft of hair covering a sort of soft 

 horny excrescence, which is called the ergot. 



The pastern (r) is the portion of the leg between the 

 fetlock-joint and the foot. 



The coronet (s) is an elevation lying below the pastern, 

 and is furnished with long hair falling over the hoof, all 

 round the foot. 



The hoofs (/) form, so to speak, the nails of the horse, 

 and consist of a horny substance. 



In order to describe the parts which make up the hind 

 legs of the horse, we must go back to the haunches. Each 

 of these contains the femur, and corresponds to the thigh 

 of a man. It is, therefore, the thigh of the horse, which is 

 joined on to the body, and bears the name of buttocks. 

 It is terminated below and in front by the stifle (/), which 

 is constituted similarly to the knee-joint of man. It is 

 situated below the haunch, on a level with the flank, 

 and shifts its place when the horse walks. 



