Helena 54 realize it was a well loved pet, was not suggesting that this was a race horse what I was trying to say was that I believe whether or not a horses leg can be repaired depends on where and what the damage is. Have in the past known of an attempted to repair one of the long bones/foot bone (can't remember which) in a valuable race horse and being told that it would not normally be attempted because there was only a very slim chance of success but as the horse was worth several millions in stud fees they were going to give it a go, as far as I remember it was successful in that he was able to continue his stud duties even though he could not be said to be sound. Only made the comment because someone said it is surprising what they can do these days and my comment was made because I am not sure that undertaking the repair of broken bones in the leg of a horse would normally be undertaken, even today.

What am I on about it was an elbow not a knee, was it not?

Hi Thordell, yes I think it was the one higher up than the knee, so is that the elbow then? Or is it the shoulder? The shoulder must be higher up though, so you maybe right. I have never heard the term "elbow" used on horses though Maybe that's only because mine never had a problem there! I know the hind leg has the hock and the hip, but the fronts I only know as the knee and the shoulder?

Btw, I knew you weren't suggesting this was a race horse, I was only saying I had only ever heard of them bothering to do any ops like this with very valuable animals that's all! I suppose with the amount of money we insure our animals now for vet's fees, this kind of work can be done on the insurance.

No it is not called the elbow on a horse but that was the term the program used and what most people call it on the dog, it was I think the joint that lies close to the chest wall that most of us think of as the elbow in the dog, as a matter of interest what is it called in the horse? Oh! see you call it the shoulder, that is very different to the dog then, most the terms used in the dog world come from terms used on horses but it seems not when it comes to front legs. In the dog the 'knobbly bit at the front of the leg is the carpal or wrist, there being no knee on the front leg, can see I will have to do a search for the bone structure of the horse as it is years since I had anything to do with one.

Found it the joint I thought it was seems to be called Olecranon, don't think I will be remembering that

You see, you learn something every day then don't you, I didn't know dogs didn't have knees! Do they have knees on their back legs then, whereas on the horse they are called hocks?

Oh, I see you've found it now then, but I must say, I've never heard of that either, and if I referred to that when speaking to my vet I think I might have got a very odd look from him! I would refer to it as the shoulder I think!

Yes dogs have knees that is the Stifle joint they also have hocks they are the tarsus both on the hind leg where as on the front they have carpus (wrist) and elbow joint, dogs do have a shoulder joint also but that is just behind the point of shoulder and not on the leg.