where is the fetlock on a horse

fetlock

1. (Zoology) a projection behind and above a horse's hoof: the part of the leg between the cannon bone and the pastern
2. (Zoology) Also called: fetlock joint the joint at this part of the leg
3. (Zoology) the tuft of hair growing from this part

Full Answer

Where is a dock on a horse?

Apr 17, 2020 · A ‘horses fetlock’ is a name of a joint between the horses cannon bone and pastern bone and is 'the ankle' of a horse. At the rear of the fetlock joint is a small bone called the sesamoid. Unlike humans ankles, the horse’s leg has no muscles and are in fact more similar to our fingers than our arms or legs.

How do you treat a swollen fetlock on a horse?

Mar 05, 2010 · “The fetlock joint is, arguably, the joint that makes a horse a horse,” said Larry Bramlage, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, a partner at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., during the 2009 ...

How to treat a swollen fetlock on a horse?

Apr 07, 2016 · is another very common injury of the fetlock region and is most often seen in horses that compete in eventing, although it can occur in any performance horse. This condition involves a tear or strain of the suspensory ligament where it branches onto the bones at the back of the fetlock joint (sesamoid bones).

Where is the flank located in the horse?

Oct 31, 2001 · The fetlock is formed where the cannon bone and the long pastern bone meet. The joint includes two sesamoid bones at the back, which the flexor tendons pass over, and is strengthened by ligaments...

Is the fetlock the ankle?

What is the purpose of a fetlock on a horse?

Where is the fetlock located on an animal?

Can a horse recover from a fractured fetlock?

How do you treat a fetlock injury?

How do you treat Windpuffs in horses?

What is the purpose of the fetlock on animals?

Where is the hock located?

Where is the flank on a horse?

Can a broken fetlock be fixed?

What is a fractured fetlock in a horse?

Can a horse sprain their ankle?

What is the fetlock joint?

Fetlock is a term used for the joint where the cannon bone, the proximal sesamoid bones, and the first phalanx (long pastern bone) meet. The pastern is the area between the hoof and the fetlock joint. Disorders of the fetlock and pastern include conditions such as fractures, osteoarthritis, osselets, ringbone, sesamoiditis, synovitis, and windgalls.

Why do horses have ringbone?

Causes include poor conformation, improper shoeing, or repeated jarring injury from working on hard ground. Trauma and infection, especially wire-cut wounds, are other causes. In light horses, the condition may result from strains on ligaments and tendons in the pastern region.

Why does my horse get lame?

They usually occur when the horse is exercising at a high speed due to overextension (hyperextension) of the fetlock joint. An affected horse will suddenly become lame and have swelling of the fetlock joint. Another type of fracture involves chips or loose fragments on the back of the long pastern bone.

Why is my horse's pastern bell shaped?

The pastern may become bell-shaped when affected by ringbone. Inflammation of the connective tissue will initially cause lameness. The lameness may subside once the bony outgrowths appear, particularly if the surfaces of the joint are unaffected. If joint surfaces are involved, lameness tends to persist, sometimes leading to the fusion of the bones to the joint. Your veterinarian will diagnose the condition by physical examination of your horse, use of regional analgesia to identify the location of pain, and x-rays to confirm the findings.

Why is my horse bell shaped?

Trauma and infection, especially wire-cut wounds, are other causes. In light horses, the condition may result from strains on ligaments and tendons in the pastern region. The pastern may become bell-shaped when affected by ringbone. Inflammation of the connective tissue will initially cause lameness.

Why does my horse's gait become short and choppy?

The condition is an occupational hazard for young Thoroughbreds and is caused by the strain and repeated trauma of hard training in young horses. The gait of a horse with osselets becomes short and choppy. Applying firm pressure and bending the fetlock joint will cause pain.

What is the cause of a fracture in the back of the pastern bone?

Another type of fracture involves chips or loose fragments on the back of the long pastern bone. They may be due to trauma or osteochondrosis. These fractures are more common in the hindlimb and may involve the joint.

What is the tuft of hair on the back of the fetlock?

Etymology and related terminology. The word fetlock literally means "foot-lock" and refers to the small tuft of hair situated on the rear of the fetlock joint. " Feather " refers to the particularly long, luxuriant hair growth over the lower leg and fetlock that is characteristic of certain breeds.

What is the fetlock in the MCPJ?

A fetlock (a MCPJ or a MTPJ) is formed by the junction of the third metacarpal (in the forelimb) or metatarsal (in the hindlimb) bones, either of which are commonly called the cannon bones, proximad and the proximal phalanx distad, commonly called the pastern bone.

What is the name of the joint in a horse called?

Fetlock. Fetlock is the common name in horses, large animals, and sometimes dogs for the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints (MCPJ and MTPJ). Although it somewhat resembles the human ankle in appearance, the joint is technically more similar to the ball of the foot.

Which bones are proximal sesamoid?

Paired proximal sesamoid bones form the joint with the palmar or plantar distal surface of the third metacarpal or metatarsal bones, and are rigidly fixed to the proximo-palmar or -plantar edge of the proximal phalanx.

Is the hoof the ball of the foot?

Although it somewhat resembles the human ankle in appearance, the joint is technically more similar to the ball of the foot. In anatomical terms, the hoof corresponds to the toe, rather than the whole foot.

Is the fetlock an ankle?

While sometimes the fetlock is colloquially referred to as an "ankle", even by horse experts, that terminology is not correct. The fetlock is a metacarpophalangeal joint which corresponds to the human upper knuckle, such as that on the ball of the foot.

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About The Author

Christy West has a BS in Equine Science from the University of Kentucky, and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

What is the condition of a horse's fetlock?

This condition involves a tear or strain of the suspensory ligament where it branches onto the bones at the back of the fetlock joint (sesamoid bones). These tears can be seen on an ultrasound examination, and horses may often have swelling over the affected branch, that may be hot or painful to touch.

What is a fetlock?

The fetlock is a complicated high motion joint that is always subjected to huge forces and stresses during locomotion. The classic movie pictures of the American photographer Eadweard Muybridge taken over 120 years ago (pictured above) clearly show the degree of extension of the fetlock during galloping in the horse.

What causes lameness in horses?

Injury to the ligaments at the bottom of the sesamoid bones (straight and oblique distal sesamoid ligaments- Fig 2.) in the fetlock is now being recognised as a major cause of lameness particularly in jumping horses. These injuries can be diagnosed on the basis of an ultrasound scan, but this is a difficult region to scan, because of the anatomy of the bottom of the fetlock. Again MRI can help to aid in the diagnosis of such injuries, and may also allow some insight into the progression of healing during the rehabilitation period. The prognosis for distal sesamoidean ligament injury is generally good, given appropriate rest and rehabilitation. As with suspensory ligament branch injuries, injection with regenerative medicine products is showing some promise as a helpful adjunctive therapy in these horses.

What bone is the arrow on an MRI of a horse?

MRI pictures from normal horses’s fetlock (red arrow – cannon bone, white arrow – long pastern bone, blue arrow – flexor tendons). Note the multiple imaging planes and amount of bony, joint and soft tissue definition. Compare these normal images to those in the case report below.

What causes a fetlock to be lame?

A full list of the potential causes of fetlock lameness is shown in Table 1, but there are three broad categories of conditions that can affect the fetlock: 1) Acute or repetitive injuries that do not involve a fracture, these include osteoarthritis, inflammation within the fetlock joint itself ...

How to diagnose fetlock lameness?

As we have described in the previous two articles, lameness can be localised to the fetlock by careful clinical examination (i.e. palpation), evaluation of gait (especially under saddle), response to flexion tests (figure 3) and nerve blocks or desensitisation of the joint itself.

What is a fetlock injury?

Injuries to this region may involve the joint itself or the surrounding soft tissues , and are often determined by the use of the horse. The fetlock is a complicated high motion joint that is always subjected to huge forces and stresses during locomotion. The classic movie pictures of the American photographer Eadweard Muybridge taken over 120 years ago (pictured above) clearly show the degree of extension of the fetlock during galloping in the horse. The structures most commonly damaged in fetlock injuries are illustrated.

Where is the fetlock?

Understanding fetlock damage. The fetlock is formed where the cannon bone and the long pastern bone meet. The joint includes two sesamoid bones at the back, which the flexor tendons pass over, and is strengthened by ligaments spanning the cannon and pastern bones. When a horse is galloping or jumping the joint almost touches ...

Why does my horse's fetlock hurt?

When a horse is galloping or jumping the joint almost touches the ground when carrying the horse’s full weight. Routine stress combined with poor conformation and or a lack of fitness can result in fetlock injuries.

How to treat DJD in horses?

Initial treatment is rest, followed by controlled exercise. The vet may inject drugs directly into the joint. However, DJD is incurable.

What is a windgall in horses?

Windgalls are soft swellings filled with synovial fluid towards the rear of the fetlock. They are seen in many horses and rarely cause a problem. Articular windgalls are a swelling of the joint pouch between the suspensory ligament and the cannon bone.

What is a tendinous windgall in horses?

Tendinous windgalls are a swelling of the tendon sheath seen between the suspensory ligament and the flexor tendons. Most horses have tendinous windgalls on the hind fetlocks.

What are the physical signs of a fetlock injury?

Physical signs of injuries in the fetlock such as heat, swelling or elicited pain are unreliable when making a diagnosis. Bone scans remain the single most valuable diagnostic tool to identify stress-related bone injury because it is sensitive, potentially assesses the entire skeleton and does not require general anaesthesia.

What does "rest" mean in horse racing?

“Rest is always a consideration but by ‘rest’ I mean a break from race training.

What happens when a horse runs at full speed?

When a horse runs at full speed, the bones in this area are placed under enormous strain and it’s common for horses to experience pain or injuries, which tend to be more intense in the forelimb, but the very similar damage is also seen in the hind fetlocks.

Can a racehorse have a fetlock injury?

Fixing fetlock injuries in racehorses. For Thoroughbred racehorses, repetitive stress injuries are common and not only limit the performance of the animal, but they can also lead to serious and career-ending fractures.

The fetlock Joint

Sesamoiditis should be interpreted very carefully. It is a very subjective diagnosis and prognosis depends upon the relationship to the branch of the suspensory ligament. Ultrasound of the suspensory branch is a great help to this diagnosis.

The Pastern Joint

The subluxation of the pastern joint. The treatment for this horses depends on how lame they are. Sometimes pastern arthrodesis is required. Othertimes, they can perform low level exercises relatively comfortable.

Fractures

This particular fracture is minimally displaced. It can be treated conservatively or with surgical fixation

How long does it take for a coco hoof to grow out?

I have used CoCoHoof with very good results. Remember it takes up to a year for a hoof to grow out.

Does a horseman have to tell anyone?

A Good Horseman Doesn't Have To Tell Anyone; The Horse Already Knows.

Overview

Anatomy compared to that of humans

While sometimes the fetlock is colloquially referred to as an "ankle", even by horse experts, that terminology is not correct. The fetlock is a metacarpophalangeal joint which corresponds to the human upper knuckle, such as that on the ball of the foot.

Etymology and related terminology

Formation

As a hinge joint

Problems with the fetlock

See also