The Mouth
See also: Equine dentistryDigestion begins in the mouth, which is also called the "oral cavity." It is made up of the teeth, the hard palate, the soft palate, the tongue and related muscles, the cheeks and the lips. Horses also have three pairs of salivary glands, the parotid (largest salivary gland and located near the poll), submaxillary (located in the jaw), and sublingual (located under the tongue). Horses select pieces of forage and pick up finer foods, such as grain, with their sensitive, prehensile lips. The front teeth of the horse, called incisors, clip forage, and food is then pushed back in the mouth by the tongue, and ground up for swallowing by the premolars and molars.
Read more about this topic: Equine Anatomy, Digestive System
Famous quotes containing the word mouth:
“Between my chin and throat
his mouth slipped over and over.
Still between my arm and shoulder,
I feel the brush of his hair.”
—Hilda Doolittle (18861961)
“The speaker in this case
is a middle-aged witch, me
tangled on my two great arms,
my face in a book
and my mouth wide,
ready to tell you a story or two.”
—Anne Sexton (19281974)