Leg of horse A horse's leg should be straight. If a line were dropped from the point of the shoulder, it should be straight down the center of the leg and hoof. Toes should point forward and the hooves should be exactly the same width apart as are the forearms where they meet the chest. This is proper conformation.

Improper conformation could include bowlegs (knees that curve outside the imaginary line), knock-knees (knees that curve inside the line), and bench knees (cannon bones set outside the line). A horse may also have front leg problems that are apparent when viewed from the side. These include being back at the knee (in which the front leg appears to be concave toward the rear), over at the knee (in which the knee protrudes a good distance in front of the rest of the leg), tied in knee (in which the knee appears as a knot between the upper and lower halves of the leg), and cut in at the knee (in which the knee is set forward at the top and angles back substantially toward the cannon bone).

A horse's legs may also be referred to as base wide or base narrow. A base narrow horse will have his feet set too close together, and will generally paddle them outward as he moves. A base wide horse will have his feet set too far apart, and will generally "wing" inward as he moves.

A horse's hind legs determine how the horse moves, that is whether he is fast or slow, clumsy or agile. The hock should be large and sturdy, flat on the outside and only slightly rounded on the inside edge. The angle of the hock and stifle are also important. A hock joint that is too straight (post legged) may cause dislocation. A hock too angled, which is known as sickle hocked, may lead to bone spavin or curb.

Foals sometimes display crooked legs that sag or bend at abnormal angles. This may be caused by nutritional problems in the mare, or possibly because of the way the foal was positioned in the uterus. The condition often straightens itself out after a few days of weight bearing and nursing. If it doesn't, a veterinarian or farrier may advise splinting or bracing the leg until it straightens out. This condition is rarely hereditary.

Also See Conformation, Points of a Horse, Care of Your Horse's Feet