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I don't think Time has been often equusified, as opposed to the personification of Father Time.
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If you've grabbed Time by a tuft of hair that might be called a fetlock all you're likely to get out of it is a good kick in the teeth by Time's hoof. It doesn't seem like a very secure handhold. Perhaps the character that had the line was a Mrs. Malaprop sort.
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The question is also on Dr. Robert Beard (Alpha Agora)
wherein it was originally posted, and a person there
asked me. Here is Dr. Beard (Dr. Goodward)'s response:
I must admit this is a new one to me, too, so I can only surmise.
I would guess that since the fetlock protrudes from a horse's leg, grabbing life by the fetlock would be to lock onto it in a way that it cannot escape. In fact, horses that were hobbled were usually bound by a "fetterlock" to the fetlock.
The "lock" of a fetterlock and that of a fetlock are not the same. Fetlock is a reduction of foot + lock in the sense of a lock of hair.
_________________
•The Good Dr. Goodword
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Time's hoof. Yes, I really like that.
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Or "time hoofs it along", giddyup.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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The character who uses the the expression "take time by the fetlock" is one N. Winkle. The full quote is: Mr. Pickwick, Sir:--
I address you upon the subject of sin the sinner
I mean is a man named Winkle who makes trouble in his
club by laughing and sometimes won't write his piece in
this fine paper I hope you will pardon his badness and
let him send a French fable because he can't write out
of his head as he has so many lessons to do and no brains
in future I will try to take time by the fetlock and
prepare some work which will be all commy la fo that
means all right I am in haste as it is nearly school
time.
Yours respectably,
N. WINKLE As we can see his command of French is a little less than notable and he gives punctuation very short shrift. I suspect that his use of fetlock in this context is very much a malapropism.
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yes, but there are several other uses by Ms. Alcott..
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It doesn't seem like a very secure handhold. But you don't grab a horse by the fetlock using your hand; that's where the hobble goes.
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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 
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yes, but there are several other uses by Ms. Alcott.. In dialog by other characters or in narration? And if dialog by other characters are they perhaps mocking Mr. Winkle for his misuse?
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