160 



HOESES AND EIDING. 



liock, the horse has got curby hocks, or has sprung 

 a curb. These two things are not identical, for a 

 horse is born with curby hocks, but springing a curb 

 is the result of an accident or sprain. A horse 

 whose hind legs are perfectly straight and well- 

 formed when foaled, may put out a curb afterwards, 

 while a horse with curby hocks may never get an}^ 

 worse than he was at first. As a rule, however, 



Fig. 19. 



Fig. 20. 



Fig. 21. 



Well-formed hock 



with curb. 



Curby hock 



"without curb. 



Curby hock 

 with curb. 



horses with weak or badly-shaped hocks are less able 

 to bear a violent strain upon them, and are more 

 likely to put out a curb, than horses with well- 

 shaped hocks ; or to put it in another way, horses 

 with badly-shaped hocks have a tendency to curbs, I 

 have given an outline of three improperly shaped 

 hocks, and one well-formed one. The first is that of 



