What does fetlock mean?
The fetlock is a feature of the horse's lower leg: the tuft of hair growing on the back of the limb just above the hoof, and, by extension, the joint beneath it. Anatomically, the fetlock joint corresponds not to the horse's knee or stifle but to the human ankle or wrist, which explains why injuries there are taken seriously by veterinarians and riders alike. In everyday equestrian language, however, people more often refer to the fetlocks as those distinctive feathered tufts of hair, sometimes clipped for showing and sometimes left long in breeds with feathered legs. The word belongs firmly to the vocabulary of horses — used in veterinary reports, breeding and showing circles, racing commentary, and descriptive prose about animals. It carries no strong connotations beyond its specialist setting, but its vivid image has made it a favorite detail in writing that seeks to evoke horses closely observed.
nounThe projecting lock of hair growing on the back of the horse's leg just above the fetlock joint; by extension, the name of the joint itself — the correspondence between the horse's cannon bone and the human wrist or ankle.
- A tuft of hair on the back of the horse's leg just above the hoof, behind the fetlock joint.
- The joint itself in the horse's hind or fore leg corresponding anatomically to the human ankle or wrist.
"The bay mare's white fetlocks flashed as she cantered around the paddock."
"The groom trimmed the horse's fetlocks neatly before the show."
"The vet examined the swollen fetlock and suspected a strain from the hard gallop."
Regular plural; commonly used when describing horses, since horses have four fetlocks.
"The palomino's golden coat and pale fetlocks caught the morning light."
A horse's 'ankle' isn't really an ankle at all — that famous bendy joint you see is closer to your ball of the foot, and it wears a little fringe of hair called a fetlock.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fetlock
"Fetlock" first appears in English in the early fourteenth century, formed within English itself from "fetlock" elements meaning foot-related; it is generally analyzed as coming from Middle English "fetlok," likely combining "fet" (an old form of "foot") with a diminutive element, referring originally to the small lock of hair near the foot. Because it was coined in English rather than borrowed from Latin or French, it has no true cognates sharing its root. The sense broadened over time so that the word now names both the hair tuft and the joint beneath it.
How fetlock is actually used
Used almost exclusively in equine contexts — veterinary medicine, horse care, racing, and riding. Plural "fetlocks" often appears in descriptive writing about horses. The word applies to both the tuft of hair and to the underlying joint; context usually makes clear which is meant.
Easily confused with fetlock
The forelock is the horse's mane growing between its ears on top of the head, while the fetlock is on the lower leg above the hoof.