10,2 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



tively large. The need of large size, perfect form 

 and soundness of hock, cannot be over emphasized, 

 for this joint, as already stated, is of vital importance 

 in moving the load. The horse settles himself snugly into 

 his collar, flexes the hind legs — ^that is, moves them forward 

 — and then begins an extension or unfolding of the hock 

 joint, that finally results in the extended, straightened hind 

 leg from toe to stifle, and proportionate forward motion of 

 horse and load. Therefore the necessity of great freedom 

 of movement and power in this joint. Judges should ex- 

 amine the hock with much care from rear, side and front. 

 A backward view between the forelegs will enable one to 

 observe the face of the hock better than from any other 

 position. But little handling of the hock is necessary, the 

 eye detecting most of the defects though the hands may 

 sometimes be used to advantage. 



The hind cannons of the horse differ from those in 

 front, in being notably flatter. The metatarsal bone has 

 back of it the splint bones, which occupy the upper part of 

 the cannon on each side. Back of the splints are the ten- 

 dons, which stand out conspicuously on the hind leg, giv- 

 ing much depth. This part of the leg, aside from its flat- 

 ness, should possess qualities similar to those desired in the 

 front cannon. Hayes, in an interesting discussion '" of the 

 comparative length of cannon bone in the hind leg, states 

 that the popular opinion that the length from hock to toe 

 is less than from hock to stifle is probably based on an 

 optical delusion. This he illustrates by showing pictures of 

 two sets of legs, one apparently with short and one with 

 long cannons. However, measurements by means of di- 

 viders, with the hock as the center, showed about the same 

 length. He ascribes this optical delusion as due to the fact 

 that the hock in one case is "straight," giving the im- 

 pression it is better "let down," than in the other case, 

 where the hock is "bent" for "as the eye runs down the 

 limb, it will not be so abruptly arrested by the former, as 



"The Pomts of the Horse, 3d ed., 1904, p. 318. 



