Common Hind Limb Conformation Faults in Horses – [Guide]

The conformation of a horse directly impacts their overall performance capacity, long-term soundness, and their potential in different disciplines of equestrian sport. The conformation of the hindlimbs is particularly important, as the hind legs provide the horse’s power, speed, and strength during performance events.

Horses should have symmetrical conformation of the hindquarters, with straight legs when viewed from behind. When viewed from the side, the hocks should have a slight angulation, and the croup should have a gentle slope.

In addition to affecting a horse’s gaits, deviations from ideal hindleg conformation can have serious implications. Some conformation faults can increase the risk of conditions like ligament tears, tendon strains, and arthritis.

Read on to learn more about equine hindlimb conformation, including the ideal structure, common conformation faults, and the potential side effects of having these conformation faults.

Equine Conformation

A horse’s conformation refers to the way the horse is put together physically, and impacts the horse’s movement, performance, and long-term soundness. There are five major components to a conformation evaluation: ^[1]

• Balance: Distribution of the horse’s body mass from side to side, as well as the relative proportions between the front and back half of the horse
• Structural correctness: How the horse’s skeletal structure aligns, including evaluating the angles between bones
• Way of going: How the horse moves, including gait abnormalities or irregularities
• Muscling: The proportion and quality of muscling on the horse’s body
• Breed and type: Whether the horse matches their ideal breed characteristics, and the suitability of their conformation for their desired purpose

Investigations into horses that have desirable performance characteristics allowed experts to identify conformation faults, or abnormalities in a horse’s conformation that directly impact their performance capacity.

Different performance sports have different requirements for “ideal conformation”. Therefore, there is no perfect conformation that applies to every type of horse. In some cases, conformation faults in one sport may provide a performance benefit in another sport. Experts must take into consideration the intended use of the horse when evaluating conformation.

Conformation Faults

With that being said, some conformation faults affect all types of sport by significantly increasing the risk of injury or lameness, or greatly reducing performance capacity. Common injuries associated with poor conformation include: ^[1][2]

• Ligament and tendon strains
• Ligament or tendon tears
• Arthritis
• Joint inflammation

Ideal Hindlimb Conformation

The ideal hindlimb conformation allows the horse’s hindlimbs to move freely while providing power and thrust from the hindquarters. ^[2]

To evaluate the horse’s conformation, ensure the horse is standing square on flat ground. You will view the horse from the side and from directly behind to evaluate all aspects of the horse’s limbs.

Croup

The croup is the top of the horse’s hindquarters, formed by the angle between the highest point of the horse’s hindquarters (point of the croup) and the tailhead. ^[2][3] The gluteal muscles, which provide much of the hindquarter’s power and thrust, are found on either side of the spine in the croup region. ^[2]

Ideally, the point of the horse’s croup is level or lower than the highest point of the withers. ^[3] This shifts the horse’s center of gravity forward, allowing the hindquarters to engage and provide power. ^[3]

To evaluate this, the horse is viewed from the side. From this viewpoint, the point of the croup should be in line with or behind the point of the hip. ^[3] This conformation is ideal because it allows the horse to rotate their pelvis and pull the hind legs underneath when moving, providing power and strength.

The pelvis length, as measured from the point of the hip to the point of the buttock, should be long. ^[3] A long pelvis provides the gluteal muscles more power and leverage, increasing performance. ^[3]

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Hindquarter Angulation

Experts consider the relative lengths of the horse’s pelvis and femurs when evaluating hindquarter angulation. ^[3] These lengths and angles affect the horse’s ability to step under themselves and transfer power to their hindlimb. ^[3]

Drawing lines between the horse’s point of hip and point of buttock, and the point of buttock and the stifle is the first step in evaluating hindquarter angulation. ^[4] Many experts also evaluate the relative length between the point of the hip and the stifle as part of their assessment. ^[4]

Desirable hindquarter angulation varies greatly between different sports and disciplines. General points of consideration for specific disciplines include: ^[4]

• Racing: In general, sprinters need shorter hip-stifle lengths, while distance horses have longer hip-stifle lengths
• Jumping: Long hip-stifle lengths improve scope and ability to jump height and width. Additionally, many successful jumpers have equal length pelvises and femurs
• Dressage: Midrange hip-stifle lengths allowing for a great degree of collection. Typically, these horses have a shorter pelvis length.
• Barrel racing: Midrange hip-stifle lengths allow for longer strides and “planting” of the hindquarters to turn tightly around the barrel
• Reining: Midrange hip-stifle lengths to allow the horse to tuck the hindquarters under themselves during stops and spins

The length of the tibia can also impact the horse’s performance. Long tibias, relative to the femur, allow increased muscle power, longer strides, and a “swinging” action of the hindlimb. ^[3]

Hock

Correct hock conformation is important for power and shock absorption. ^[3] The hock should be a proportionate size to the rest of the limb, and the bone forming the point of the hock should be long, enabling lever action. ^[3]

The hocks should have appropriate angulation, with the point of the hock meeting an imaginary line drawn between the point of the buttock and the ground. ^[3] Additionally, the cannon bones should follow this same line. ^[3]

The most desirable angle for the hock depends on the horse’s sport. Running horses or other speed horses usually require a relatively straight hock, giving the horse a long stride length. ^[3] Horses that must turn, pivot, or stop do better with more hock angulation, as the increased angle makes it easier for the hindlimbs to tuck underneath the horse. ^[3]

Some experts look at the “set” of the hock, or the relative lengths of the tibia and the cannon bone. ^[3] Short cannon bones with a long tibia are beneficial for sports requiring quick turns, as this gives the horse more power for pushing. ^[3] Higher set hocks can increase stride length. ^[3]

When viewing the horse from behind, the hocks should be straight or slightly turned outwards. ^[3] Faults in this zone can result in the horse interfering with itself, rubbing its legs against each other during movement. ^[3]

Common Hindlimb Conformation Faults

Having an ideal hindlimb conformation provides the horse maximum power and strength, allowing for optimum performance. Hindlimb conformation faults can impair the transfer of power from the muscles to the leg, resulting in poorer performance. Some faults can also increase the risk of lameness in affected horses.

Croup Conformation Faults

Proper angulation of the croup is an important factor in the horse’s ability to produce power with their hindquarters. Common croup faults include flat croups, steep croups, and hunter’s bumps. ^[3]

Flat Croup

A flat croup has very little angle between the point of the croup and the horse’s tailhead, when viewing the horse from the side. ^[3] Without proper angulation, transfer of power from the hindquarter muscles to the limb is restricted, resulting in less thrust for jumping, pulling, and other sports. Horses may also have difficulty engaging the hindquarters for collection. ^[2]

Some breeds and sport types prefer a flatter croup, as it allows for a longer and more ground-covering stride. ^[3] For example, endurance Arabians and dressage-type warmbloods commonly have a flatter croup. ^[3]

Steep Croup

A steep croup has excessive angulation from the point of the croup and the horse’s tailhead. ^[3] Some experts refer to this conformational fault as “goose-rumped“. ^[3]

A steep croup often correlates with a short croup, which reduces the amount of leverage the gluteal muscles have. ^[3] This can reduce overall speed and efficiency in performance horses. ^[3]

However, a steep croup can improve the horse’s ability to bring its hindquarters underneath itself. This is a desirable trait in some sports, particularly those where sudden bursts of speed are necessary, such as in barrel racing, cutting, and reining. ^[3] A steeper croup can also give draft horses more leverage to pull heavy objects. ^[3]

Hunter’s Bump

A hunter’s bump (or jumper’s bump) is an injury affecting the sacroiliac joint, the joint between the horse’s sacrum (part of the spine) and the ilia of the pelvis. Hunter’s bumps occur when the sacroiliac joint subluxates, or moves slightly out of position, due to tearing of the ligaments holding the joint in place. ^[3]

From the side, hunter’s bumps appear as a very sharp angle over the point of the croup. ^[3] Some horses may have an additional “bump” in front of the point of the croup, giving the condition its name. ^[3]

Although hunter’s bumps are an injury, not a true conformation fault, they often occur due to a long back and weak-loin conformation. ^[3] These faults prevent the horse from tucking their hindquarters underneath themselves, reducing their ability to collect. ^[3]

Hock Conformation Faults

There are several conformation faults affecting the hocks, which can impact the horse’s soundness and performance. The most common are sickle hocks, straight hocks, camped out hocks, cow hocks, and bowlegs.

Sickle Hocks

Sickle hocks have excessive angulation when viewing the horse from the side. Instead of having cannons along the line from the point of the buttock to the ground, these horses have cannons that angle forward. ^[3] This produces a sickle-shape to the leg. ^[3]

Sickle hocks place excessive strain on the back of the hock, often causing conditions such as: ^[2][3]

• Bog spavin
• Bone spavin
• Thoroughpin

It can also affect the horse’s speed, with sickle hocked horses being slower than their peers. ^[3]

Straight Hocks

Straight hocks (or post legs) have minimal angulation when viewed from the side. Without proper angulation, there is increased pressure on the front of the hock, particularly the joint capsule. ^[3] This can lead to joint injury during hard work, particularly on unforgiving surfaces. ^[3]

Horses with straight hocks may also have a higher risk of bog spavin and upwards fixation of the patella compared to other horses. ^[3]

Camped Out Hocks

Camped out hocks extend beyond the imaginary line from the point of the buttock to the ground when the horse is standing comfortably. ^[2] This makes collection more difficult, as the horse is unable to bring its hind legs underneath itself easily. ^[2] This can also reduce the horse’s speed and power. ^[2]

Cow Hocks

Cow-hocked horses have rotation of the hock inwards when viewed from behind, such that their hocks come close together similar to a cow’s. ^[3]

Some riders prefer a mild to moderate cow-hock, as it also turns out the stifles, allowing more room to clear the horse’s abdomen. ^[3] This can allow a longer stride for dressage horses, for example. ^[3]

In extreme cases, cow hocked conformation increases pressure on the insides of the hocks and stifles, increasing the risk of bone spavin. ^[3]

Bowlegs

Bowlegs, also called bandy legs or bow hocks, are the opposite of cow hocks. In this fault, the hocks are set further apart than the fetlocks, creating a bow-shaped appearance when viewing the horse from behind. ^[3]

Bowlegged conformation frequently causes interference between the hooves of the hind legs, which increases the risk of injury. ^[3] Affected horses also have a higher risk of bog spavin, bone spavin, and thoroughpin. ^[2]

Managing Conformation Faults

When assessing a horse’s conformation, it’s important to remember that no horse has ideal conformation of every joint or limb. This is particularly true given the wide variety of tasks we ask of our horses: not all horses can meet every sport’s conformation needs.

However, assessing conformation is an important step in purchasing a new horse, or evaluating your current horse’s suitability for your desired sport. It can also provide clues about the horse’s performance capacity and future soundness, allowing you to make informed management decisions.

When evaluating a horse, seek the advice of experts in your discipline and your veterinarian to ensure that the horse’s conformation matches your desired performance outcomes. They can also provide you with more information about which faults can be overlooked or managed within the context of your discipline.

Horses that develop unsoundness due to their conformation may require veterinary intervention to return them to full performance. Common treatments include joint injections, pain control medications, stall rest, and regenerative therapies to heal damaged tissues.