ENLARGEMENT OF THE HOCK. 279 



These bones are all connected together by very strong liga- 

 ments which prevent dislocation, but allow a slight degree of mo- 

 tion between them, and the surfaces which are opposed to each 

 other are thickly covered by elastic cartilage. 



Much more depends, than they who are not well accustomed 

 to horses imagine, on the length of the os calcis or projection of 

 the hock. In proportion to the length of this bone will two pur- 

 poses be effected. The line of direction will be more advantage- 

 ous, for it will be nearer to a perpendicular, and the arm of the 

 lever to which the power is applied will be lengthened, and thus 

 mechanical advantage will be gained to an almost incredible ex- 

 tent. The slightest lengthening of the point of the hock will 

 wonderfully tell in the course of a day's work, and therefore it is 

 that the character of the os calcis is of such immense importance. 



The line of direction of the legs beneath the hocks should not 

 be disregarded. The leg should descend perpendicularly to the 

 fetlock. The weight and stress will thus be equally diffused, not 

 only over the whole of the hock, but also the pasterns and the 

 foot. Some horses have their hocks closer than usual to each 

 other. The legs take a divergo-nt direction outward, and the toes 

 also are turned outward. These horses are said to be cat- or 

 cow-hocked. They are generally supposed to possess considera- 

 ble speed. But this advantage is more than counterbalanced by 

 many evils. The increased contraction of the muscles is an ex- 

 penditure of animal power ; and, as already stated, the weight 

 and the concussion being so unequally distributed by this forma- 

 tion of the limbs, some part must be over-strained and over- work- 

 ed, and injury must ensue. On this account it is that the cow- 

 hocked horse is more subject than others to thorough-pin and spa- 

 vin ; and is so disposed to curbs, that these hocks are denominated 

 by horsemen curby hocks. The mischief extends even farther 

 than this. Such a horse is peculiarly liable to wind-gall, sprain 

 of the fetlock, cutting, and laiuckling. 



A slight inclination to this form in a strong powerful horse 

 may not be very objectionable, but a horse decidedly cow-hocked 

 should never be selected. 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE HOCK. 



First, there is inflammation, or spraiii of the hock-joint gene- 

 rally, arising from sudden violent concussion, by some check at 

 speed, or overweight, and attended with enlargement of the whole 

 joint, and great tenderness and lameness. This, however, like 

 other diffused inflammations, is not so untractable as an intense 

 one of a more circumscribed nature, and by rest and fomentation, 



