Equine Science

Distal Limb Write- Up:

As for people, the horses legs are very important for survival. For example, the hoof, on all four limbs, disperses all the horse's weight easier than with toes. The hoof also allows the animal to stand for long periods of time without causing pain within the foot. The limbs of the horse absorb a lot of the weight from the horse when moving in any gate. When landing after a jump, the absorption of weigh plays a big role, the tiny blocks in the carpus help absorb the impact, instead of pushing it away, causing injuries.

When a horse with proper leg angels, it will have extra stress on the joints and deteriorate faster over time. For the front limbs carrying 60% of the horses weight, most lamenesses tend to occur in the front limbs. The cannon bone holds most of the weight.The sesamoids are rigid and provide a place for tendons to attach to. There are small pastern bones to help connect to the coffin joint. The navicular bone is a small bone, it works as a pully for the deep flexor tendon.

Horse Leg Anatomy - Form and Function: Equimed - Horse Health Matters. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://equimed.com/health-centers/lameness/articles/horse-leg-anatomy-form-and-function