92 



ELEMENTS OF HIPPOLOGY. 



is its most common form, and is easily detected. If the ring- 

 bone is confined to the side of the joint, it is less serious than if 

 it extends to the back or front of the joint, when an incurable 

 lameness results. Most serious of all is the low ringbone, which 

 involves the joints between the lower pastern-bone and its neigh- 

 bors. This is difficult for the amateur to detect, as it is gen- 

 erally contained within the hoof . 



Sidebones are 

 bony enlargements 

 in the heels, show- 

 ing just above the 

 hoof. 



The pastern 

 should slope well 

 from the rear to 

 the front, and 

 should be very elas- 

 tic in action. Too 

 great a slope causes 

 undue tension on 

 the tendons and 

 ligaments. About 

 forty-five degrees 

 of slope is best. 

 More slope than 

 that would indicate 

 weakness i n this 

 part. The slope of 

 the pastern is de- 

 termined by the length of the upper pastern-bone; — the longer 

 the bone, the greater the slope, and the reverse. A short, up- 

 right pastern is an almost invariable sign of a. rough saddle- 

 horse. 



Figure 64 



