It tends also to be where a horse will get mud fever and so the actual fetlock is trimmed off. Some also trim them for competitions because it looks nice and doesn't get matted up with water and mud whilst doing xc. The hobble would go around the fetlock joint rather like a pair of handcuffs around the wrists and was used instead of a standing hitchpost to stop your horse wandering off if you were camping overnight or visiting someone without a hitchpost. The fetlock and fetlock joint is also where you grasp the leg in order to lift the foot up to check it over and pick out any dirt or stones, often stopping the horse from running or kicking someone who is checking the back end of an irritable horse. (Whew! That is more than I intended to write...sorry for the longwindedness and any spelling mistakes as I am typing this on my phone's touchscreen keyboard because my wireless is down)

p.s. happy new year smile

----The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false----