POINTS AND EXTERNAL REGIONS OF THE HORSE 



The knees differ in their conformation, and may be 

 classified as good, bad, and indifferent. 



The Cannons. — The term " cannon " is appHed to that 

 portion of the leg lying between the knee and fetlock. 



In well bred horses nothing but skin, bone, and tendons, 

 etc., should be felt on handling this region. 



The cannons of the front limbs are somewhat flatter than 

 those of the hind legs. 



The region. is composed of the cannon bone, with the 

 sphnt bones on either side of it. Each of these ends below in 

 the foim of a small prominence (the button of the splint bone). 

 The large cannon bone and the two small sphnt bones form 

 a channel, behind which is a portion of a strong Ugament 

 ■ — the suspensory hgament — and the back tendons. In the 

 so-called " clean legs," all these structures can be plainly felt, 

 or seen, in outline. 



The Fetlock Joints are formed by the lower end of the 

 cannon bone, the upper end of the first phalanx or pastern, 

 and sessamoid bones at the back. There is a tuft of hair 

 (normally) here. This is the ergot or footlock. 



The Pasterns. — The pastern joint is made up ol the 

 lower end of the first phalanx, and the upper end of the coronet 

 bone, or second phalanx. 



There is a hollow in the region at the back— the " hollow 

 of the pastern.'' The term coronet or coronary hand is apphed 

 to the cushion, or prominence, encircling the junction of the 

 horn (foot) and skin. 



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