Conformation of Horses

The foreleg should be strong and well developed. A plumb line dropped from the center of the shoulder should go right down the center of the leg. (a) shows a good foreleg. If the leg is set too far back, it is called 'standing under'(b), which causes the horse's balance to be too far forward, and may make them more prone to stumbling. 'Camped out in front(c),' refers to a fault where the leg is in front of the line, which puts extra stress on the legs, especially the heels and flexor tendons. 'Over at the knee,' or 'buck knee(d),' when the knee is too bent, is sometimes connected with contracted tendons. Also, if its severe, it may cause stumbling. 'Back at the knee,' or 'calf knee(e),' is when there is a backward bend in the leg causing the cannon to slant forward. It puts a lot of extra strain on tendons, ligaments, bones and joints.…