Horse Front Leg with Scapula, articulated on Base

Function and Applications

We include the scapula, humerus, forearm (fused radius and ulna), cannon bone and foot. The foot consists of the long pastern bone (or first phalanx), the short pastern bone (or second phalanx) and the coffin bone (or third phalanx). The coffin bone is enclosed by the hoof.

The horse is an unguligrade mammal. Such mammals walk on from four to only one digit (the horse's foot is really a single digit). The equivalent of the wrist or ankle joint is high above the ground. Such adaptations result in the ability to sustain high speeds.