314 THE HIND LIMB. 



we shall as a rule find that each hock, instead of moving 

 steadily in a straight line, receives a peculiar twist 

 (which must be accompanied by loss of power) while 

 it is propelling the body forward. Experience certainly 

 teaches us that, of the two defects, it is better for a 

 horse to have his hocks turned in, than to have them 

 turned out. 



For purposes of speed, the hock should possess the 

 power of being fully extended (p. 66) ; hence the beauty 

 of a " straight dropped " hind leg. In all great gallopers 

 (Ormonde, St. Simon, Favonius and Persimmon, for 

 instance) we may see this kind of conformation ; although 

 it is true that some fairly speedy horses (but not of the 

 highest class) have their hocks more bent than the types 

 I have given. Ability to straighten the hock is not 

 required, to any great degree, in animals that are used 

 at slow paces. " Sickle-hocks " (Fig. 394), as those are 

 termed which remain bent to a marked degree, when the 

 joint is extended as much as possible, are, however, 

 objectionable in any kind of horse. 



While recognising the desirability of straight hocks for 

 speed, we must not forget that this kind of conformation, 

 to be effective, must be accompanied by good length of 

 hind limb from hip-joint to foot, in order to obtain full 

 advantage from flexion and extension. If the hind leg 

 be comparatively short and the hock straight, as in Fig. 

 333, it is evident that there will be but little straightening 

 out of the limb, when the '' shove-off " is being given. 



The width of the leg, immediately below the hock 

 (looking at the limb in profile), should be as great as 

 possible compared to the width of the fetlock. This 

 desirable shape (which has its analogy in the fore limb, 

 see p. 282) is well shown in Figs. 387 to 390. The hock 

 in Fig. 388, which is that of a well-bred saddle nag, is 

 not a particularly straight one, although it is otherwise of a 

 good shape. Fig. 395 is a capital illustration of the defect 

 known as " tied-in " below the hock. Fig. 387 shows a 



