290 THE FORE LIMB. 



is caused by undue thickness from side to side of this part, 

 will indicate the effects of " work," or of injury. The 

 peculiar roundness of fetlock, produced by sprain of the 

 suspensory ligament at its attachment to the sesamoid 

 bones, can be readily noticed by a capable observer. 



At the back of the fetlock there is a lock of hair which 

 gives its name (" feet-lock ") to that joint, and which is 

 particularly abundant in cart-horses. This tuft of hair 

 covers a fatty mass (the fetlock pad), and generally has 

 in its centre a horny growth, called the ergot (p. 319). 



Pastern. — By the working of the fetlock and pastern 

 joints, the injurious effects, on the limbs, of concussion are 

 more or less obviated, and assistance is given in the 

 straightening of the limb, to raise the fore-hand. As a 

 horse will have no difficulty, under ordinary conditions of 

 soundness and labour, in bringing his pastern into the same 

 straight line as his cannon-bone ; the amount of " play " 

 which the fetlock has, will depend on the distance through 

 which the fetlock can descend, or, in other words, on 

 the acuteness of the angle which the pastern can make 

 with the ground, when weight is thrown on the part. 

 Although we cannot, by mere inspection of the animal, 

 determine the efficient limit of this angle, we may assume 

 that horses which have, when standing, what are called 

 sloping pasterns (Fig. 356), will have more play in these 

 joints than those that have upright pasterns. On the 

 other hand, their back-tendons and suspensory ligaments 

 will work at a greater mechanical disadvantage. As the 

 expressions " oblique (or sloping) pasterns," and " up- 

 right pasterns," are more comparative than absolute, 

 it is impossible to define them with precision. Figs. 

 356 and 353 may be taken as good examples of these 

 respective forms of conformation. We all know that 

 pasterns which would be far too upright for fast work 

 on hard ground, might do admirably on soft ground 

 or for slow draught. Although the pasterns of the fore 



