EVALUATION OF STRUCTURAL CORRECTNESS
34
SHOULDER AND FRONT LEGS
Structural correctness refers to the proper alignment of joints that evenly and naturally distribute a sheep’s weight. This allows for free, painless movement and contributes to a sheep’s longevity and useful productive life in the flock.
This is a diagram of the proper alignment of the front leg of a sheep. The shoulder blade is set at the correct angle and balances atop the bones of the foreleg. When bones move out of this sort of alignment, there can be excess weight put on a joint that will result in some degree of pain, joint wear and ultimate loss of productive use. Sheep that deal with pain and lameness struggle to move and thrive and are ultimately culled when they do not thrive.
VISUAL DESCRIPTIONS OF SHOULDER AND FRONT LEG STRUCTURAL ISSUES
WEAK BEHIND
SHOULDERS Results from open shoulders (shoulder blades separate) allowing spine to drop. Shoulder blades should come together at the top of the shoulder.
TUCKED IN LEGS Front legs set close and deviate inward at the knee. Often associated with a narrow chest and lack of capacity.
NARROW CHEST
SPLAYED FEET Front feet turn out affecting hoof wear and
BUCK-KNEED Knee deviates outward affecting longevity and joint stress.
Associated with lack of capacity, vigor and durability.
KNOCK KNEED Inward knee deviation causing joint strain and pain that affects hoof wear and longevity.
BOWED FRONT LEGS Knees deviate outwardly putting excess stress on joints and affecting longevity and hoof wear.
WIDE CHEST
knee joint function.
Extreme chest width that can be related to a wide shoulder set or over conditioning that affects productivity.
BY COMPARISON THESE ARE ADDITIONAL ALIGNMENT IMAGES OF THE FRONT LEG AS VIEWED FROM THE SIDE WITH DEVIATIONS THAT SHOULD BE SELECTED AGAINST:
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2
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4
1. Properly aligned front leg, knee is strong and straight and pastern angle set at about 30 degrees for flexibility, heel is deep and toes short suggesting even wear.
2. Weak front pastern, dew claw is lowered, heel is shallow, toe is long. The front leg supports more than 50% of the sheep’s weight and this results in painful joints and ability to reach in stride.
3. Over at the knee or “buck kneed”. Impairs movement and shortens the life and usefulness of the sheep.
4. Front leg is too straight in joint alignment, a condition that causes lameness due to the excessive concussion and weight distributed on the joints.
BY COMPARISON THESE ARE ADDITIONAL ALIGNMENT IMAGES OF THE FRONT LEG AS VIEWED HEAD ON WITH DEVIATIONS THAT SHOULD BE SELECTED AGAINST :
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2
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4
1. Wide, square front
2. Feet and legs deviate outward putting strain on the knee and unevenly distributing weight.
3. Narrow chested indicating lack of capacity and vigor. Legs placed too close together as a result.
4. Wide chested, open shouldered with feet turned inward noticeable in a paddling gait on the move.
leg placement. A plumb line dropped from the point of the shoulder intersects directly through the middle of the knee and foot to evenly distribute weight.
Illustrations by Cali Roberson & Steven Paasch
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