CONFORMATION OF FORE-LIMB. 



173 



TurDed-in toes are found in conjunction with a very broad 

 chest. The limbs run downwards and inwards ; the pkimb bob 

 would then fall outwardly as does the greater part of the 

 weidit. This defect renders the action clumsy, and if the 

 animal should stumble makes it very difficult for him to recover. 

 A particular form of this abnormality is shown in tig. 146. 

 Sometimes the limb is normal as far as the fetlock, below 

 which it turns inwards, producing a condition termed ' pigeon- 

 toed.' 



The position of the fore-limbs, when viewed from the side, is 

 normal when a vertical line let fall from the centre of the 

 scapula divides the limb from the elbow to the fetlock joint in 



Fig. 144.— Turned-out 

 toes. 



Fig. 145.— Calf-kneed 

 forniiitiou. 



Fig. 146.— Pio;eon-toed 

 formation. 



halves, and strikes the ground close behind the bulbs of the 

 heel. 



Another method of stating the above is to say that, seen 

 from the side, the limb should be perpendicular from the region 

 of the fore-arm to that of the fetlock. ^ It is evident that, when 

 the limbs are thus perpendicular to the ground, they are best 

 fitted for supporting the weight of the body, like a column, 

 which should always be perpendicularly under the point to be 

 supported. 



The axis of the foot, that is, of the os suffraginis, os corona?, 

 and OS pedis, and the toe of the hoof form an angle of about 

 45*" to 50° with the horizontal plane. From this position there 

 are variations both in a forward and backward direction ; the 



