A sickle-hocked leg structure is one in which the back leg joints of an animal, usually a

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

or other equine mammal, are set with too much

angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the '' sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. Angles ...

, resulting in the

hock Hock may refer to: Common meanings: * Hock (wine), a type of wine * Hock (anatomy), part of an animal's leg * To leave an item with a pawnbroker People: * Hock (surname) * Richard "Hock" Walsh (1948-1999), Canadian blues singer Other uses: * A ...

also being excessively angled. This can result in uneven hoof wear, which is incredibly painful for the affected horse. If the leg joints are not set properly, there is a high chance that the back joints are also set incorrectly, resulting in a poorly conformed horse. Horses with sickle-hocks are at an increased risk of developing thoroughpin, curb and

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

or bone spavins. Very severe cases of sickle-hocks can result in permanent

lameness A limp is a type of asymmetric abnormality of the gait. Limping may be caused by pain, weakness, neuromuscular imbalance, or a skeletal deformity. The most common underlying cause of a painful limp is physical trauma; however, in the absence ...

and may require euthanization to prevent further pain. However, many horses with sickle-hock are not affected to this degree, and may live a life with uneven wearing hooves. Corrective shoeing can help the horse's balance and strength. Horses with sickle-hocks should be monitored closely for signs of lameness, and if possible a veterinarian should be consulted before extensive exercis

In cases of horse breeding, breeding, it is generally considered unwise to continue breeding a mare or stallion with sickle-hock

as the trait is often passed to the offspring. Other animals who have this condition include, but are not limited to,

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticate ...

, and other types of

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...

References

* {{cite book , last=Loving , first=N.S. , title=All Horse Systems Go: The Horse Owner's Full-Color Veterinary Care and Conditioning Resource for Modern Performance, Sport, and Pleasure Horses , publisher=Trafalgar Square Books , year=2014 , isbn=978-1-57076-700-5 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=upA8BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT110 , access-date=2022-07-12 Livestock Horse anatomy Equine injury and lameness

See also

References