THE ANATOMY OF THE HORSE 
27 
capsular and lateral binding ligaments, same as fetlock joint. 
It also has the same motion as fetlock joint, and is some- 
times the seat of what is termed a high ringbone. 
8. Coffin Joint. — This joint is situated within the hoof 
of the horse. It is formed above by the lower end of the 
small pastern bone, and below by the upper part of the foot 
bone, or os pedis. Immediately behind this joint, and artic- 
ulating with the other two bones, is the navicular, or shuttle 
bone — it gets its name from its likeness to the shuttle of a 
sewing machine. This bone when diseased is the seat of 
navicular disease, or otherwise called coffin-joint lameness. 
It is also affected with what is sometimes called a low-down 
ringbone, 
II. Joints of Hind Lsa 
9. Hip Joint. — This is a ball-and-socket joint, similar to 
shoulder joint. It has a capsular ligament and what is called 
a round ligament, in the joint, holding the head of the bone 
in the socket. This can be seen plainly by examining the 
joint. This is an important ligament, as it often becomes 
strained, being the seat of hip joint lameness. It u also held 
together by the heavy muscles of the hip. Its motion is sim- 
ilar to that of shoulder joint. 
10. Stifle Joint. — This joint is formed above by the lower 
end of the femur, or hip bone, and the upper end of the tibia, 
or thigh bone. These two bones in front form a pulley-like 
surface on which the patella, or stifle bone, is situated. This 
bone, when the joint is in motion, glides up and down over 
the pulley-like surface. It sometimes becomes displaced, and 
this is termed dislocation of the stifle bone. This is an im- 
portant point to notice about this joint It has a capsular 
and lateral, or binding ligaments; also three very imjxDrtant 
ligaments, called the straight ligaments, which hold the stifle 
bone to its place as it plays upon the pulley-like process of 
this joint The motion is badcward aiid forward, same as 
elbow joint 
11. Hock or Tarsus Joint — This joint contains six bones. 
The two upper bones, one of which is a pulley-like bone 
placed in front, and the other one placed behind, forms that 
part of the hock which is called the point of the hock to 
which the muscles of the gamb are attached. It can be easily 
seen or felt. The upper surface of these two bones articulate 
