|
|
A
Ligament is a tough band of fibrous tissue that joins
two bones together, while a Tendon is a tough fibrous
cord that joins a muscle to a bone.
The major tendons in the leg are the flexors. These
are behind the cannon bone, and carry the horse's weight
when standing. They bend the limb joints when the leg is
in the air.
The suspensory ligament acts as a large elastic support
for the fetlock, reducing the load that the flexor muscle
needs to carry.
The superior flexor (the tendon nearest to the skin)
supports the fetlock and pastern joints, whilst the deep
flexor supports the pedal bone. Without these tendons
the distal would simply collapse, and the horse would walk
on the bottom of its fetlocks.
|
