348 THE FETLOCK. 



The long and slanting pastern is advantageous in the race-horse, from the spring- 

 iness of action and greater extent of stride by which it is accompanied. A less 

 degree of it is given in the hunter who is to unite continuance of exertion with 

 ease of pace. For the hackney there should be sufficient obliquity to give 

 pleasantness of going, but not enough to endanger continuance and strength. 

 Experience among horses will alone point out the most advantageous direction 

 of the pastern, for the purpose required; but the slightest observation will show 

 the necesity of considerable variety in the structure of this part. Let the 

 reader imagine the heavy dray-horse with his short and upright pasterns con- 

 tending in the race; or the race-horse with his long and weak pasterns, 

 endeavouring to dig his toe into the ground in order to move some heavy weight. 

 The concussion which attends the common action of the cart-horse is little, 

 because his movements are slow, and therefore the upright and strong pastern 

 is given to him, which he can force into the ground, and on which he can throw 

 the whole of his immense weight. The oblique pastern is given to the race- 

 horse because that alone is compatible with extent of stride and great speed. 

 Except a horse for general purposes, and particularly for riding, is very hardly 

 used, a little too much obliquity is a far less evil than a pastern too upright. 

 While the jolting of the upright pastern is an insufferable nuisance to the rider, 

 it is injurious and most unsafe to the horse, and produces many diseases 

 in the feet and legs, and particularly ringbone, ossification of the cartilages, 

 and contracted feet. 



Strains of the pastern joint are not so frequent, nor so severe as those of the 

 fetlock, but they are not uncommon, especially in horses with pasterns naturally 

 too upright. By careless observers they are not so readily detected as in the 

 fetlock joint, for the increased heat round the pastern joint may be overlooked. 



The treatment will not differ materially from that of the fetlock joint. 



LESIONS OF THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT. 



The suspensory ligament is sometimes strained and even ruptured by extra- 

 ordinary exertion. The sessamoids, which in their natural state are suspended by 

 it, and from which function its name is derived, are in the latter case let down, and 

 the fetlock almost touches the ground. This is generally mistaken for rupture of 

 the flexor tendon ; but one circumstance will sufficiently demonstrate that it is 

 the suspensory ligament which is concerned, viz. that the horse is able to bend 

 his foot. Rupture of this ligament is a bad, and almost desperate case. The 

 horse is frequently lame for life, and never becomes perfectly sound. Keeping 

 him altogether quiet, bandaging the leg, and putting on a high-heeled shoe, will 

 afford the most probable means of relief. 



The common injury to this ligament is sprain, indicated by lameness, and 

 swelling, and heat, more or less severe in proportion as the neighbouring 

 parts are involved. This will sometimes yield to rest and cooling treatment ; but 

 if the case is obstinate, it will be necessary to have recourse to the actual 

 cautery. The hunter and the race-horse are most subject to lesions of these 

 ligaments the hunter from leaping the fence, and the race-horse from the violent 

 efforts which are occasionally demanded from him. In both cases, the neigh- 

 bouring parts usually share in the injury, and a cure is rarely completely effected. 



The means of cure are the same as in lesions of other joints, but they must 

 be more seriously and perseveringly applied. 



THE FETLOCK. 



The fetlock-joint is a very complicated one, and from the stress which is laid 

 n it, and its being the principal seat of motion below the knee, it is particularly 

 subject to injury. There are not many cases of sprain of the back-sinew that are 



