NOSTRILS OF THE HORSE

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 10, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 36.

NOSTRILS OF THE HORSE.

The Nose the Only Medium of Breathing—The Soft Palate.

The large, open nostrils of the Arabian horse is a sign of endurance, as the horse can not aerate his lungs through his mouth like a dog and other animals. He can only breathe through his nose. The soft palate forms a complete partition between the mouth and throat, and can only be elevated or allow the passage of food or water backward by compression such as that which occurs in swallowing.

The passage of air through the mouth is entirely prevented by the soft palate. By plugging a horse’s nose he may be readily suffocated. It is because breathing can only be performed through the nasal organs that spacious, open nostrils are considered not only beautiful, but necessary, for they allow at times of unusual exertion for the free passage of large volumes of air into the over-tasked lungs during respiration.