Which of the following is NOT a component associated with the stay apparatus?

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The stay apparatus is the system that lets a horse stand with minimal muscular effort by locking the joints and distributing weight through ligaments and tendons. In this system, the suspensory ligament plays a central role, and its connections to the proximal sesamoids help hold up the fetlock. The proximal sesamoidean ligaments (the straight, oblique, and cruciate groups) anchor the sesamoids to the cannon bone, forming a bracket that supports the fetlock and prevents overextension. The interosseous membranes between the cannon bone and the splint bones act as strong ties that help stabilize the limb under load.

Annular ligaments, while they serve to hold tendons close to bone and guide their passage around joints, are not part of this foot-and-leg locking mechanism. They function more as tendon guides and protective wraps rather than forming the load-bearing network that enables the stay apparatus. Therefore, annular ligaments are not associated with the stay apparatus, whereas suspensory ligaments, interosseous membranes, and sesamoidean ligaments are.