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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]

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