The
Skeleton has four principle functions which apply to all
species:
Providing
protection to the soft vital organs such as the brain
which is protected by the skull.
Gives
the body rigidity and form, enabling it to move about
to find food, water & shelter. All of which are
essential for it to survive.
Allows
the animal to move about by linking bones, to each other,
with flexible joints. This creates levers which enable
movement such as bending down to graze and walking
It
enables movement such as chewing, by which it can break
down the food into a digestible pulp.
The
horses brain is about the size of a man's fist and lies between
the ears and eyes. It is protected by the bones of the skull,
the majority of which is made up of nasal chambers; air passages
thought to warm the air before it enters the lungs. The large
lower jaw with its rows of molars, make up most of the rest
of the skull and is like a large grinding bowl enabling the
horse to graze continously.
The
horses skeleton has evolved to how it looks today for a good
reason. The long lower limbs act like long levers, to allow
rapid flight from predators - the horses primary defence.
The muscles are placed high up on the limbs, their actions
being transmitted to the ends of the limbs via long tendons.
The length allows a very long stride and maximum speed over
distances.
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