Definition

1. Noun:
   • The joint between the cannon bone and the pastern in a horse's leg: The "fetlock joint" is the anatomical joint located between the long cannon bone (metacarpal or metatarsal bone) and the first phalanx (pastern bone) in equine limbs. It is a major, high-motion joint that corresponds to the human knuckle or ankle.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The veterinarian examined the horse's swollen fetlock joint.
  • Proper care is essential to prevent arthritis in the fetlock joint.
  • The injury was located just above the fetlock joint.

Advanced Usage

• "To drop at the fetlock joint": A phrase describing a horse's conformation or stance where the joint appears to angle downward more than usual.
  • The old mare was beginning to drop at the fetlock joint.

Variants and Related Words

• Fetlock (noun): Often used synonymously to refer to the joint area or the tuft of hair growing behind it.
  • Mud was caked on the horse's fetlocks.
• Pastern (noun): The part of a horse's leg between the fetlock joint and the hoof.
• Cannon bone (noun): The long bone between the knee/hock and the fetlock joint.

Synonyms

• Fetlock: (Commonly used as a shorter, less technical synonym for the joint area).
• Metacarpophalangeal joint / Metatarsophalangeal joint: The precise anatomical terms for the forelimb and hindlimb fetlock joints, respectively.

Related Phrases

• Fetlock deep: Describing mud or water reaching up to the level of the fetlock joints.
  • The horses trudged through the stream, fetlock deep in water.

Notes

• The term "fetlock joint" is specific to equine anatomy. While "fetlock" alone can refer to the general area including the joint and the hair, "fetlock joint" explicitly denotes the anatomical articulation.

Noun

1. the joint between the cannon bone and the pastern