lya THB HORSB. 



The bones, ligaments, and tendons are covered by a loose connective 

 tissue, which gives a symmetry to the parts by fiUing up and rounding 

 off, and all are protected by the skin and hoof. 



Skin of the Fetlock and Ankle.. This is generally character- 

 ized by its thickness and the length of its hairs, especially around the 

 hind parts of the fetlock joint in certain breeds of horses. The 

 most important part of this envelope is that known as the coronary 

 band. 



Coronary Band. This consists of that portion of the skin which 

 secretes the horn by which the wall of the hoof is made. This horn 

 much resembles the nail which grows on the fingers and toes of man. It 

 is composed of hollow, cylindrical tubes, extending from the coronary 

 band to the lower border of the hoof, which are neld together by a tena- 

 cious opaque matter. 



Hoof. This is a box of horn, consisting of a wall, sole, and frog, and 

 contains, besides the coffin, navicular, and part of the small pastern 

 bones, the sensitive laminae, plantar cushion, and the lateral cartilages. 



The sole of the foot incloses the box on the ground surface, is shaped 

 like the circumference of the foot, except that a v shaped opening is 

 left behind for the reception of the frog, and is concave on the lower 

 surface. The sole is produced by the velvety tissue, a thin membrane 

 covering the plantar cushion and other soft tissues beneath the coffin 

 bone. The horn of the sole differs from the horn of the wall, in that 

 its tubes are not straight, and from the fact that it scales off in pieces 

 over the whole surface. 



V'rog. This is a triangular shaped body, divided into two equal parts 

 by a deep fissure, extending from its apex in front to the base. It fills 

 the triangular space in the sole to which it is intimately attached by its 

 borders. The horn of the frog is produced in the same manner as the 

 sole, but it differs from both the wall and sole, in that the horn is soft, 

 moist, and elastic to a remarkable degree. It is the function of the frog 

 to destroy shock and prevent slipping. 



Sensitive I<aniin8e. These are thin plates of soft tissue covering 

 the entire anterior surface of the coffin bone. They are present in great 

 numbers, and by fitting into corresponding grooves on the inner surface 

 of the horn of the wall the union of the soft and horny tissues is made 

 complete. 



Plantar Cushion. This is a thick pad of fibrous tissue, placed be- 

 hind and under the navicular and coffin bones, and resting on the sole 



