Horse and man : their mutual dependence and duties . the hoof nowcomes before us. In order to avoid jarring thebrain and spinal cord at each step, it is necessarythat the hoof should be elastic. As I have already mentioned, the general elasti-city of the whole frame is largely due to the modein which the joints of the limbs are made. Thepeculiar angle at which the fetlock is set has also aninfluence on the elasticity, and horsemen are wellaware that when the pastern is too upright they feeljarred at every step. ANGLE OF THE FETLOCK. I always endeavour to show how mans inven-tions, especially i
Horse and man : their mutual dependence and duties . the hoof nowcomes before us. In order to avoid jarring thebrain and spinal cord at each step, it is necessarythat the hoof should be elastic. As I have already mentioned, the general elasti-city of the whole frame is largely due to the modein which the joints of the limbs are made. Thepeculiar angle at which the fetlock is set has also aninfluence on the elasticity, and horsemen are wellaware that when the pastern is too upright they feeljarred at every step. ANGLE OF THE FETLOCK. I always endeavour to show how mans inven-tions, especially in practical mechanics, have theirprototypes in nature. If the reader will compare theaccompanying illustration with the fetlock of thehorse on page 15, he will see that the angle of theconnecting piece (marked a) is almost identical withthat of the fetlock. But something more than the mere arrangementof the bones is required. The portion of the hoofwhich comes first to the ground at each step mustbe elastic, and this requirement brings us to one of. SIDE BEARING OF RAILWAY CARRIAGE. the most important portions of the horses hoof, itbeing the chief source of elasticity. This is the frog,so called because when untouched by the knife itreally bears some resemblance to a crouching frog. It occupies the centre of the lower surface of thehoof, and, as the reader may see from the accompany-ing illustration, looks something like the letter rounded portions at the ends of the bars arecalled the glumes, or heels of the frog. When the hoof is left in its natural form, thefrog fills up a considerable portion of the hoof. It D 34 HORSE AND MAN. is not hard like the wall, which, if properly treated,becomes so hard that a knife will scarcely touch it,but is quite soft and elastic, feeling when handledmuch like vulcanised indiarubber. As the horse steps, the weight first comes on thehinder, or heel portion of the frog, then upon itscentre, and afterwards upon the wall. Two objects are fu
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Keywords: ., bookauthorwoo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjecthorses
