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flexion in that leg. When the horse walks away from you in a straight line, the movement of the hock should be forward and back, and should not wobble to the outside or inside when that foot is on the ground and the horse's weight is full on it. An outward wobble as the weight passes over it suggests hock weakness. Lumps and soft swellings around a hock are a danger sign, and require a veterinarian's evaluation. Some may be the result of injury not related to conformation, but only the vet can rule on that.

Some breeds, where small feet have been considered desirable, tend to hock problems-in breeding for small feet, the entire lower leg may be "refined" and the hock may look wedge-shaped from behind, and slender rather than boxy from the side. In movement, these horses may stand cow-hocked or have a hock-wide stance to protect their hocks; they are likely to have that telltale wobble to the side when weight passes over that leg-the whole thrust is not being transmitted down to the hoof, with the bones all in correct alignment, but some of it is forcing the hock laterally. Any breed can turn up a horse with hocks undersized for the use you want, so if your interest is in performance horse sports, be sure to look at the hocks before you look at color, height, or a pretty head. Horses with not-so-great hocks may be fine for pleasure riding, if your pleasure riding is quiet, relaxed, ambling along undemanding trails, or for lower-level dressage.

"No hocks, no horse" is as true as "no hoof, no horse."

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