CHAPTER IV. 



THE ANATOMY OF THE HORSE. 



The anatomy of the horse has been a fertile subject of 

 study by man, and a large amount of literature has been 

 published dealing with the structural characteristics of 

 this animal. In as much as it has been clearly demonstrated 

 that a close relationship exists between the internal struc- 

 ture and external conformation, it will be appropriate in 

 a study of form of the horse, first to direct attention to some 

 of those features of anatomy that have a special bearing 

 on his use and efficiency. The bony framework, the skele- 

 ton, supports and protects the softer body tissues, including 

 the muscles, which give beauty of form and furnish power. 

 Not only these, but intimately associated with them is a 

 nervous system that is of vital importance, which indicates 

 in no small degree the power to comprehend and perform. 



The skeleton of the horse consists of 205 bones, which 

 may be grouped in three classes. These are long, as the 

 thigh; flat, as the shoulder blade; and short or irregular, 

 as in the foot or vertebrae Bone consists of cellular tis- 

 sue, -the cells of which have become more or less filled with 

 calcareous substance. In its early stage of development 

 the bone lacks mineral matter, consisting of fibrous tissue, 

 which is a kind of cartilage. With growth and age, this 

 cartilage becomes filled with lime and changes from a soft 

 to a hard condition. The quality of the bone is largely 

 influenced by the presence of mineral matter in it, obtained 

 from food and water. Bony tissue is referred to as hard 

 and compact or soft and spongy. Horses raised on dry 

 uplands are said to have harder, better feet and bone than 

 those from the lowlands. With the living animal, the bones 



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