Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-07
The Structure of n Horse.

His nature is eminently courageous wthou'
ieroclty generous. docile intelligent, and, If al
loWed 10 DE so, almost as affectiOnate as the
dog. In his structure, the ruling characteristic
may be said in one word 10 consist in obliquity-
all the leading bones in his frame are set OBJ
!lqueiy, or nearly so, and not at right angles
Ills mead Is set on with subtle curve of the
last few vertebrse OF the neck, which, at the
shoulders take another subtle curve before they
which end in their turn. with another curve
forming the tail. His shoulders slope back
more NOR, than those of other quadrupeds the sea
humerus, which, in its turn. Is oblidue to the
radius. OF upper part OF the foreleg. so, again
In the headquarters, the haunch is set oblique-
~ to the true thigh, the thigh, at the stihe
Joint, to the upper bone Of the hind leg, which
at the mock makes another angle. The fore
and headquarters form so large portion OF
the entire length that horse, though a
lengthy, animal from the front of the chest
TO the back OF the haunch, is comparative
~ very short in the actual back or saddle place "
Ihen his hooks are much bent and his pastern
JOINTS are rather long and again are set at an all
gle. succeeded by slightly different angle in the
1rm but expanding hoOf thus completing tha
beautiful mechanism which preserves the limbs
from jar and 1nSureS elasticity In every part OF
an animal destined TO carry weight and to NJ
dergO rapid and continued eXertiOn-a combl-
nation not existing in any other quadruped u
anything like the same degree, and lifting him
precisely Tor the purposes for which he Was
gwen 10 man. AT present we have said nothin :
ABOUT his head, every part OF which is equally
chdracuerlStlc. His Well-SIaped, delicate p1"S
are capable of being moved separately in eve,
direction, and every movement is full of mean
ing and in sympathy with the eye. The eye *
prominent, full and large, and placed lateraiiy
SO that he can see behind him without turniA :
his head, his heels being his principal weaDo
or defence; his nOStrilS are large, open and tex
1ble and his lips fieshy, though thin, and eE-
qu1Sitely mobile and sensitive. The large, opa1
nostril is essential to him, as a horse breathe,
solely and entirely through it, being physically
incapable OF breathing through his mouth, a I,
valve In the throat actually precludeS him
from SO doing; hence the mouth of horse, with
out bride In 1t, is opened only for purposes OF
eating and biting, but never from excitement
or from exhaustion, like that of most othe.
quadrupedS, except the deer species. The liDs
are perhaps even more characteristic; they are
MS hands as well as part of his mouth and the
morse and others OF his family alone use them in
TINS way. The fox, the sheep, the goat the
deer, the giraffe above all, and, in fact We
Delleve all graminivOrouS animals EXCEPT t1n
horse, either bite their food directly with the
teeth, or grasp and gather it with the tongue
which is prehenslle, and gifted with more o.
less power Of prolOngation, but the horse,
tongue has no such function, and, therefore, N
Sucn powers, as these services are ali PERFORM
IN his case by the lipS and no horSeman, who
has let favorite horse pick up small articles IF
1000 from the palm OF his hand, can have fafla
10 be struck with the extreme mobility, aud also
the sensibility and delicacy of touch with whica
TIE lips are endoWed.-[ Magazine Of Art, Inn
don.