ANATOMY OF THE FOOT. 177 



support the horse's weight, the hiternal foot 

 must have slipped through the hoof, so as to 

 come clown upon the ground : but this did 

 not happen ; and the sole, as it was repro- 

 duced, assumed its proper concave form. 



As these laminae form so secure a union 

 between the crust and the internal foot, it is 

 evident that the weight of the horse is in great 

 measure supported by the crust, which there- 

 fore ought to possess considerable strength ; 

 for if it were too weak and flexible, it would 

 not be adequate to the burden which it has to 

 sustain, and must consequently bend to it. 

 In this case the hoof would lose that oblique 

 form which it had originally, and would ap- 

 proach the horizontal line. (See Fig. 1 and 2, 

 Plate 3.) At the same time, the sole would 

 lose its concave form, from receiving an un- 

 usual degree of pressure, becoming fiat, and 

 at length convex or projecting. (See Fig. 2, 

 Plate 2.) But when the crust is sufficiently 

 strong, the internal foot, and consequently the 

 whole animal, is suspended by those elastic 

 membranes, as a carriage is by its springs ; 

 iind thoudi the bottom of the internal foot is 

 ia contact with the sole, it nevertheless does 

 not press upon it considerably, except when 



I 5 



