Tuesday, April 29, 2014

What Is A Horse's Fetlock?


The horse's fetlock is the joint (on all four legs) that appears to be the horse's "ankle." It's actually part of the foot. In a resting position, it angles forward to place the hoof firmly on the ground, but it bends backwards when the hoof is lifted off the ground - as shown by our Fjord mare.


The ligament that supports the back of the fetlock is called the suspensory ligament - and injuries to it are one of the worst things that can happen to a horse. (Extremely painful and recovery time of up to a full year). The fetlock joint is also prone to swelling if it gets banged on something, so it's quite an important and fragile part of the horse.

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