36 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



cartilage of the one before it, thus forming an indirect 

 connection of false with true ribs. The ribs not only pro- 

 tect the vital organs from injury, but are agents in ex- 

 panding and contracting the chest. 



The sternum or breast bone of the horse suggests a 

 canoe in shape, and is located between the ends of the carti- 

 lages of the true ribs. The sternum furnishes important 

 attachment for muscles. 



The shoulder blade of the horse is a long, broad, thin 

 bone, flat on the inner side, but with a ridge on the outside 

 that divides the muscles that act at the shoulder. The 

 point of the shoulder is opposite the lower ends of the first 

 and second ribs, and the blade extends back obliquely 

 upward to the seventh rib. 



The humerus is a large, heavy bone, that at its upper 

 part fits into a socket at the point of the shoulder, extend- 

 ing obliquely backward about on a line with the depth of 

 the belly. One long bone, the radius, joins the lower end 

 of the humerus to form the "front" knee joint. A smaller 

 bone, the ulna, lies just back of the radius, projecting 

 decidedly above it to form the point of the elbow. At the 

 lower end of the radius, at the knee, are two rows of small 

 hard bones, back of which is another small bone, over which 

 passes the tendons of the fore leg. Below the knee is the 

 large metacarpal or cannon bone, about nine or ten inches 

 long, one of the strongest bones in the skeleton. Back of 

 this on each side are two small bones, known as splint bones ; 

 between is a groove, through which passes a ligament. At 

 its lower end the cannon bone joins with the two sessa- 

 moids and the fetlock bone (long pastern), forming the 

 fetlock joint. The pastern extends obliquely forward and 

 downward, forming an angle of about 45 degrees. Below 

 the fetlock bone is the pastern bone, and below this the 

 coffin bone. Behind the latter is a small, rather thin bone, 

 the navicular. The sessamoid and navicular bones act as 

 pulleys for a tendon which passes over this part. 



The Hoof, which encloses the foot bones, is an appendage 



