438 CHAPTER CO. 



behind. The knee appears small as seen from behind, when the 

 trapezium or posterior bone (marked N in skeleton) is well developed and 

 long, and therefore capable of giving good attachment to the muscles 

 and ligaments. A w r ell-developed trapezium is a point of great import- 

 ance. This will be referred to again under the head of the Leg below the 

 Knee. 



Calf or buck knees are very objectionable. (See supra. Fig. 8<7.) The 

 formation causes undue strain to come on the ligaments and tendons. 

 The opposite formation, if natural, is not objectionable. It has a ten- 

 dency to prevent undue stress coming on the tendons and ligaments. As 

 a rule, however, this formation is not natural. Horses, which stand over 

 at the knees, generally do so from effect of severe and constant work, on 

 account of which the ligaments, which ought to brace up the joints, have 

 become strained and weakened. 



Large boned joints, we may remark, are usually accompanied by large 

 and well-developed ligaments and tendons. Small knees (Fig. 87>) arc 

 obviously very objectionable. 



For drawing of the bones of the knee see Plate 27. 



902. The Metacarpal Bones. 



The Metacarpals or bones between the knee and fetlock are three in 

 number. The centre or great metacarpal bone, otherwise called the 

 cannon or shank, cannot be too short or strong (Plate 25). It is a bone 

 which often suffers from overwork, and therefore it is very important to 

 have it short and strong. Shortness is a material item in its strength. 



This bone should be quite straight in its course from the knee to the 

 fetlock, neither bowed backwards nor forwards, nor curved laterally. 

 Any deviation from a straight line is both a cause and sign of weakness. 



The small metacarpals or splint bones, which lie on each side of the 

 great bone, but do not extend down to the pasterns, play only a very 

 subordinate part in sustaining the weight. Their chief use appears to be 

 to give support to the outer bones of the knee-joint. The breadth of the 

 knee, which is greater than that of the cannon bone, seems to be an 

 arrangement made by nature to diffuse and thereby obviate concussion 

 in that important joint. See Chapter 39 on Splint. 



903. The Fetlock. 



The Fetlock, under which term we include the large or upper pastern 

 bone or os suffraginis, and the small or lower pastern bone or os coronrc, 

 should be of moderate length (Plate 37, figs. 14, la, 146). 



If the fetlocks are very long, fig. 14a, they are necessarily weak, and 

 there will be undue strain on the ligaments and tendons. From the 

 effect of such strain w T e may expect exostoses or windgalls. If on the 

 other hand the fetlocks are short, fig. 146, they must be also upright, 

 and the horse will be unpleasant to ride on account of the concussion to 

 w r hich this formation gives rise. From such increased concussion we 

 may expect exostoses or windgalls about the part, if the work is at all 

 severe. 



