224 THE FORE LIMB. 



fore limb, as we see done in Figs. 97, 98, 99, 100, and loi. It 

 is evident that with pasterns H.ke those in PI. 13, there could 

 be but slight descent of the fetlock joint, and consequently 

 their "play " could affect but little the length of the limb. I 

 may here repeat {see p. 58) that propulsion is accomplished 

 by the straightening out of the limb, to effectually do which, 

 the joints in question must possess the ability to be freely 

 extended. Every experienced trainer will have noticed that 

 as a race-horse's fore pasterns become more and more upright 

 from work, the more will he lose his speed and his "level" 

 style of galloping. This will also occur to a horse whose 

 pasterns have become abnormally oblique on account of 

 sprain of the suspensory ligament, in which case the defect 

 will lie in the inability to straighten the joint freely when 

 weio-ht is thrown on the limb. It is evident that the longer 

 the pastern, the greater will be the play of the fetlock joint. 

 Hence, length, as well as obliquity, of pastern is an indication 

 of speed, 



Lecoq remarks that : " The direction of the pastern is 

 almost always influenced by its length. The shorter the 

 pastern, the more upright is it; and the longer it is, the 

 more is it sloped." This rule may hold good in horses of the 

 same class ; but not, at least to the same extent, among 

 animals of different breeds. This French writer also adds 

 with justice that : " There are, however, horses— and especially 

 mules and asses — in which the pastern, although very short, 

 is well sloped." As the evil effects of concussion fall much 

 more severely on the fore limb than on the hind leg, its 

 pastern is, normally, more sloping. 



Referrino- to Clydesdales, Mr. Dykes writes : " No doubt 

 the upright pastern suits well the upright shoulder and slow 



