THE ANATOMY OF THE HORSE 



29 



are of importance for the following purposes: (a) to sup- 

 port weight; (&) to act as levers; (c) to reduce concussion. 

 The skull of the horse consists of eleven bones, and is 

 connected with the spinal column at the atlas joint. The 

 breadth of the forehead is occupied by a pair of frontal 

 bones, while just below, and extending to the nose are 

 nasal bones. "Few things," writes Youatt, 1 "more clearly 



Fig. 8. The skeleton of the horse. "It has been clearly demonstrated 

 that a close relationship exists between the internal structure and ex- 

 ternal conformation." (Courtesy Dr. S. Sisson. From Anatomy of the 

 Domestic Animals.) 



indicate the breed or blood of the horse than the form of 

 the frontal bones. Who has not remarked on the broad 

 angular forehead of the blood horse, giving him a beautiful 

 expression of intelligence and fire, the face gradually 

 tapering from the forehead to muzzle, contrasting it with 



* The Horse, 1843, p. 71. 



