176 
THE GREAT THICK-SKINNED ANIMALS 
than the horse, or can we even imagine one which would be of greater 
value ? What would we do without horses ? How could we cultivate 
our fields, and how carry goods between places which are not connected 
by a railway? And how, without him, would be performed the many 
other duties which no animal can so well fulfil? 
It really seems as though nature had seen how useful a servant 
the horse might be to man, and, therefore, carefully modified his 
structure in order that he might be of the greatest possible use to us. 
She has given him both fleetness and strength. She has even formed 
his very back as though for the purpose of wearing the saddle, and 
his mouth as though for holding the bit, and has, moreover, gifted 
him with intelligence which shows him what he is required to do, and 
enables him to perform his work to the best of his ability. 
It is necessary to understand the way in which the leg of the horse 
is formed, for that is really the most important part of his frame. 
Without most carefully formed limbs he could never run with any 
great speed; no matter how powerful his body might be, his strength 
would be useless to him unless his legs were so formed as to enable 
him to use it; and, even more important still, perhaps, by the structure 
of his limbs alone can he be saved from the evil effects of the shock 
which would be caused at every step when he happened to be passing 
over hard and stony soil. And so, as his legs are very important to 
him, it is only natural to suppose that we shall find that they are formed 
in some peculiar manner. 
Now, the hoof of the horse is very different from the nails of our 
own hands, though made of the same material. Much larger in size, 
it actually surrounds and encases the foot with a horny covering, thus 
protecting it from the many injuries with which it would otherwise 
meet. A horse, even when he is free and untamed, travels over many 
different kinds of ground, some of which are sprinkled with sharp 
flints, and others with piercing thorns, and, if his feet were not fur¬ 
nished with some hard and strong covering, the poor animal would 
certainly be lamed before very long. 
Many people think that the hoof is only a solid mass of horn; but, 
it is not so at all. Besides possessing all the elastic springs, it is so 
formed that it is equally useful for standing and running alike upon 
