Leg Conformation Front Legs If you dropped a plumb line from the point of the shoulder it should bisect the knee, cannon bone and ankle and foot (figure 1A). A plumb line dropped through the center of the arm should bisect the forearm, knee, cannon and pass behind the heel. (figure 2A). The pastern should be at a 45 degree angle and join the foot without changing the angle.

A. Correct B. Splay Footed C. Pigeon Toed D. Knock-kneed, narrow front, base wide E. Base Narrow F. Bow-Kneed

A. Correct B. Pastern Too Straight C. Coon-Footed; Pastern Too Long and Angle Different than Foot D. Calf-kneed, short straight pastern E. Buck-kneed or over at the knee F. Tied-In at the knee

Hind Legs The bone structure of the hind leg determines, to a degree, the set of the feet and legs, and to a lesser degree arrangement and shape of muscling in the hindquarters (figure 4A). Correct leg set can't be acheived with crooked bones. Bone structure is genetically determined. A plumb line dropped from the point of the buttock should bisect the thigh, gaskin, hock, cannon, fetlock (figure 4B).

Figure 4 A. Correct Skeletal Structure B. Correct leg set C. Sickle Hocked D. Post legged.... too straight and coon-footed E. Camped Under F. defects of this magnatude should not be propagated.

Figure 3 A. Correct Straight Legs B. Slightly Cow Hocked C. Extremely Hocked and splay-footed D. Bow-legged and pigeon toed E. Base Narrow F. Base Wide

Correct and Incorrect Action The feet and legs of a horse at the walk or trot should move straight ahead parallel to an imaginary center line in the direction of travel. The feet should rock upward from the heel and break over squarely at the toe and should rise with a snap. They should be caried forward in a straight arc with the highest point of the arc occuring at the center of travel or when the supporting leg is passed. They should be set solidly and squarely on the ground with toes pointing straight ahead. Any deviation from this procedure is a defect of action.

Figure 5 Correct Figure 6 Ropewalking, a tendency to swinging the striding leg around and placing it in front of the supporting leg. Figure 7 Correct True Arc balanced feet Figure 8 Incorrect Arc, Long Toes and Flat Heels Figure 9 Incorrect Arc, Short Toes and High Heels