Horse Anatomy Practice Exam 2026 - Complete Study Resource

Splint bones are the second and fourth metacarpal/metatarsal bones. In the horse, the main weight-bearing bone of the front limb is the cannon bone (the third metacarpal/metatarsal). The two smaller bones beside it, the second and fourth metacarpals/metatarsals, are vestigial remnants of the other digits (II and IV) and run along the outside of the cannon bone. They are often connected to the cannon bone by ligaments and can ossify further in some horses, which is why they’re called splints. Proximal phalanges are the bones closer to the body in the digits themselves, not the side-by-side splint bones. Carpal bones are the wrist bones, and tarsal bones are the ankle bones; neither is referred to as splint bones.