262 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY 



horses, whatever be their hue. But it is a known 

 fact that the skin of the silver grey Arabian horse is 

 of a bluish black ; but whether this colour is in the 

 cuticle or in the rete-mucosum I have not yet been 

 enabled to discover. 



The epidermis is everywhere perforated by minute 

 holes, corresponding in situation, size, and number 

 to those of the cutis, First, there are the pores for 

 the hairs ; secondly, the perspiratory, or exhalent 

 pores ; thirdly, the absorbent, or inhalent pores ; and 

 lastly, larger-sized pores, through which unctuous 

 secretions in various parts are emitted. The cuticle 

 is destitute of both nerves and vessels, and conse- 

 quently devoid of sensibility. 



THE CUTIS. 



This is the true skin, or that portion which is 



converted into leather, and lies immediately under 



the scarf-skin. It reaches over every part of the 



animal. It is attached to the under parts by the 



cellular membrane, and in some places fits so tensely 



that it is incapable of motion of any kind. In other 



situations it is more loose and can be pulled into 



folds ; about the forehead, the back, and near the 



hock and pasterns, it is so tightly braced that it is 



hardly possible to pinch up a part of it between the 



finger and thumb ; upon the sides of the face, neck, 



ribs, along the flanks, front of the chest, and upon 



the arms and thighs, it is more easily folded. In the 



blood-horse it is thin and highly sensitive ; while in 



the cart-horse, it is much thicker, and far less sensible ; 



and is liable to considerable variation in different breeds. 



The texture of the hair seems to depend in a great 



measure upon that of the cutis, for we find that of 



the thick-skinned black horse much coarser than in the 



