CALLOSITIES ON THE LIMBS. 



319 



of the hind fetlock, the easier will the eye of the observer 

 run down the hind leg. 



Shank and Fetlock. — Concerning these parts, 

 there is nothing to add to what has already been written in 

 this chapter and in the preceding one, beyond saying that 

 if the leg is of good width immediately below the hock, 

 its shape will be all right down to the fetlock. 



Pastern and Hoof. — {See pages 290 to 306.) 



Callosities on the Limbs. — The ordinary horse has 

 a callosity (horny growth) on the inside of each fore-arm, 

 nearer the knee than the elbow ; on the inside of each 

 hind leg, a little below the true hock joint and imme- 

 diately over the cuneiform bone (Goubaux and Barrier) ; 

 and on the back and lower surface of each fetlock joint, 

 in the centre of the tuft of hair which covers that part. 

 The callosities near the knee and hock are called chest- 

 nuts] and those under the fetlock, ergots. The chestnuts 

 on the fore legs are more or less oval in form, and their 

 vertical (greater) diameter is usually about two inches in 

 length. The hind chestnuts are somewhat similar in shape 

 to the fore ones, though a little smaller and narrower. 

 The ergots are less than a quarter the size of the chest- 

 nuts, and are more or less round. Goubaux and Barrier 

 state that, on extremely rare occasions, absence of chest- 

 nuts from the fore legs has been observed in horses. 

 According to Sanson, the absence of hind chestnuts is of 

 frequent occurrence among the horses and ponies of 

 Northern Africa, although they are almost always present 

 in ordinary breeds. Professor Ewart tells me that about 

 10 per cent, of the ponies in certain districts of Iceland 

 have no chestnuts on their hind legs. Ergots, though 

 generally present, are absent, according to Professor 

 Ewart, in many Connemara, Hebridean and Iceland ponies ; 

 and I have noticed their frequent absence in pure bred 

 Arab horses, and in thorough-breds. 



