Which of the following statements is true about osselets?

Study for the AFA Certified Farrier Test. Enhance your skills with detailed questions, explanations, and flashcards. Get ready for your certification!

Osselets are a form of osteitis around the fetlock joint, typically due to repetitive concussion and overload. Horses with long pasterns place more stress on the fetlock during movement, increasing bending and loading of the distal metacarpal/metatarsal area. Underrun heels worsen shock absorption and alter hoof mechanics, allowing more concussion to reach the fetlock structures. These conformational traits together raise the risk of developing osselets, making that predisposition the best-supported statement. While conditioning and sound shoeing can help manage and reduce risk, the specific link to long pasterns and underrun heels explains why osselets occur.