42 



LIVE-STOCK JUDGING 



Fig. is. — Leg 

 showing curb. 



corresponding joints or regions in the two legs. Many 

 normal but rough joints may be suspected until it is de- 

 termined that both hocks or all four pas- 

 tern joints, as the case may be, are 

 symmetrical. Any deviation in the nor- 

 mal outline of the joint or bone that is 

 not duplicated should be carefully investi- 

 gated. This rule does not always hold, 

 however, as two spavins or more than one 

 ringbone may manifest themselves at the 

 same time. The sidebone may present no 

 enlargement or alteration in form what- 

 ever, the lateral cartilage, normally elastic 

 and springing upon pres- 

 sure, simply becoming 

 hard and unyielding as a 

 result of the ossification. 

 Ligaments are differentiated from ten- 

 dons by the fact that they unite bone to 

 bone, while the tendon unites muscle 

 to bone. The ligaments most likely to 

 become the seat of an unsoundness are 

 the great suspensory ligament, which 

 sustains the fetlock joint, on the same 

 principle as a truss under a box car, the 

 ligamentous structure at the back of 

 the fetlock joint with which the sus- 

 pensory ligament is related and the curb 

 ligament at the back of the hock (Fig. 15) . 

 Rupture of this suspensory ligament is 

 the " breaking down " of the race horse. The tendons 

 most commonly involved are the flexor tendons of the 

 foreleg. If contracted, they cause cocked ankles and 



Fig. 16. 

 showing 

 hock. 



— Leg 

 capped 



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