564 
REVIKW—DISEASES OF THE FOOT 
leaving this capsule, it enters the navicular joint capsule, where 
the tendon still more expands, and intimately corresponds with the 
navicular bone, over which it glides like a pulley. Thus we find 
that the flexor perforans is the medium of support of a good portion 
of the animal’s weight, first at the fetlocks, then at the small pastern, 
and again behind the navicular bone, where it reposes partly on the 
inferior cartilages, and partly on the cushion of the frog. 
‘‘For these several purposes, the flexor tendons are endowed with 
immense strength, far superior in this respect to any cordage which 
our navies can produce; and Sir C. Bell has shewn that the fibres 
are interlaced in a manner the most compact and tenacious. In 
the dead animal, it has frequently been known to support four thou¬ 
sand pounds. 
“ The Extensor Tendons of the foot are considerably weaker than 
the flexors, having only to extend the limb, and not having to sup¬ 
port any weight; but at the same time their office is highly im¬ 
portant, and on the good or bad performance of it the safety of the 
horse will greatly depend. We find some horses, though possess¬ 
ing good legs, yet continually hitting their toes. This arises either 
from weakness or faulty action of the extensor muscles; and thus 
a horse very small in the front of the fore arm is seldom very safe. 
It is common to see horses worked very young with tottering 
knees; this is often, in a great measure, owing to the weakness of 
the extensor muscles and tendons. 
“ The Suspensory Ligaments ,—The flexor tendons are greatly 
assisted in their action by the suspensory ligament, which, as we 
have before observed, rises just below the knee, passes down be¬ 
tween the small splint bones, bifurcates, and is implanted into the 
sessamoid bones. 
“ This ligament differs from most others, and from the tendons, in 
possessing elasticity, and that to a great extent: wdien the horse is 
in action, the large metacarpal bone rests partly on the sessamoid 
bones, which being hung, as it were, by the suspensory ligament, 
puts it on the stretch, and thus a beautiful spring is afforded. Their 
action is well displayed in thorough-bred horses, whose fetlocks 
almost touch the ground at every step. 
“ No sooner is the weight taken from the limb than this ligament 
recovers its former state, and thus, preceding the flexor tendons in 
their action, catch the limb, as it were, before they have time to act, 
by which means it materially assists in flexing the leg, thus afford¬ 
ing a beautiful example of the superior assistance rendered by 
elasticity which never tires, to muscular exertion, so liable to 
weariness and exhaustion. 
“But the action of the suspensory ligament is not entirely con¬ 
fined to the fetlock joint, for the sessamoid bones are connected by 
