The Glass Horse Project has opened another window to the inside of the horse — and this one will be of particular interest to farriers, equine veterinarians, students and anyone else interested in equine footcare.

“Elements Of The Equine Distal Limb” is an interactive program that takes the user inside the leg and hoof of the horse, offering computer-based anatomy lessons covering the bones, ligaments, tendons, joints, arteries, nerves and the hoof. Developed by Dr. James Moore, professor of large animal surgery at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Andrew Park and Glass Horse multimedima experts, it combines highly interactive models with narration and informative animations.

It’s the second such program developed by this team. The original Glass Horse program, first unveiled in 2001, focused on the equine gastrointestinal tract.

Interactive Capabilities

Simple manipulation with a computer mouse enables the user to change the orientation of the limb in three dimension, letting a particular model be viewed from various angles.

But the program includes more than the ability to simply manipulate hoof models. Audio narration can be played that explains the function of various structures and their interaction with other parts. Some of the models are accompanied by animated “movies.” One, for instance, illustrates how the hoof wall grows. The program uses correct anatomical terms, so it may be handy to have a veterinarian’s dictionary or some similar reference work handy.

Installation and use of the software is simple and straightforward and an orientation session walks the…