108 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 



the outer small bone named is large and breaks 

 this hne when viewed from the side, the straight 

 Une is still fomid when you approach the hock 

 and run your fingers down the middle hne of the 

 parts behind. 



The angle at the hock we saw was formed by 

 the tibia impinging upon the astragalus, and we 

 further saw that the less the angle the weaker 

 the hock. The hind legs must therefore be as 

 upright, or rather as straight as possible, in order 

 to be as strong as possible. But we have already 

 seen that power (strength) is universally gained 

 at the expense of speed, which, in turn, can only 

 be obtained by quickness and extent of motion of 

 the parts most concerned in speed, so that straight 

 hind hmbs are stronger, but have less of that 

 quick perfect flexion or hock action which has 

 such an attractive appearance. 



The front and back of the hock must also have 

 plenty of breadth. The point of the hock short of 

 being ' capped ' cannot be too broad. 



83. — The metatarsal bone must be short and 

 stout, and the hock as near the ground as possi- 

 ble. This bone is thickest from before back- 

 wards, and as the back tendon must have the 

 same characters as we described in the case of 

 the hke structure in the fore limb, it follows that 

 these parts will be altogether deeper from before 

 backwards. As in the case of the fore limb, the 

 tendon must stand out distinctly from the bone, 

 and the suspensory hgament must also be well 

 defined. 



84. — The pasterns must also have much the 



