Leg Conformation
Correctness and Flaws
in the Performance Horse

The Pastern






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The Front Legs

Looking from the side, an imaginary line drawn down the center of the front leg should pass through the center of the forearm, the knee, the cannon bone, the fetlock and the top of the pastern, ending on the ground slightly behind the rear of the hoof.




Looking from the front, an imaginary line drawn down the center of the leg should divide the column of bones, the forearm, the knee, the cannon bone, the fetlock, the pastern and the hoof right through the center of each bone.





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The Hindquarters



Drop a string from the horse's hindquarters; let it touch their rear and rest against the cannon bone from the hock to the fetlock. Your string should then drop to the ground slightly behind the heel.







The way the leg sets under the hindquarters is crucial
to the horses soundness and its potential to perform


The bones, joints and tendons must be able to absorb the stress that they will experience in their life. As in the front legs, the hind legs (hip, stifle, hock and pastern) expand and compress with each stride; but more importantly, the hind legs are the power.

The gaskin should tie smoothly into the hock, while the hock should be low to the ground in relation to the horse's body. The hock, the joint which supports the cannon bone, should be at an angle that will allow the hind leg to extend during motion, yet offer little stress to the column of bones during rest. A hock with too little angle is called post-hocked. A hock with too much angulation is called sickle-hocked. Either can lead to worn-out joints.

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The Gaskin



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Causes of Lameness






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