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FARM ANIMALS 
knees and hocks are close to the ground are fitted for 
draft, while running horses have their knees and hocks 
‘relatively high from the 
ground. The principal re- 
quirement of the cannons is 
that they should be perfectly 
vertical. This is especially 
true of the front cannons. To 
be kneesprung, or over on 
the knees, is a particularly 
bad fault. 
Draft horse with a good croup 
(rump). 
There is a saying that: horses 
should have a flat bone, meaning 
that the cannons should have a 
long diameter from front to back. 
This flatness is not due to the shape of the cannon bone but is due 
to the position of the tendon. The farther the tendons are detached 
from the bone the flatter the cannon appears and the greater the 
ease with which the bone can maintain a standing position. 
12. Joints.—All joints, such as knees, fetlocks, elbows 
and hocks, are like the hinges on the barn door. They 
should be proportionate to the size of the object 
to be moved. The knees and the hocks are made 
up of a collection of bones, some above the others, 
in such a manner as to take up the 
concussion when the animal is mov- 
ing. The larger the area of these 
joints the less the concussion to the 
square inch. In general, rather prom- 
inent, lean, well-defined joints are de- 
sirable. They should be free from 
puffiness, blemishes or other evidence 
of disease. 
13. Hocks.—_In many wavs the 
most important joint in the horse is 
the hock. Because it is apt to be the 
FRONT AND REAR 
Showing how a horse 
should stand. 
