Profile, review is done at the stand-still, the canon bones being vertical. The alignment of the canon bone from the front of the knee and the arm (metacarpal main-carp-radius) is evaluated.
The knee will be "varus" if its axis is inward of the canon axis and "valgus" if it is outward (fig.20)
From the side, it will be hollow if the front of the Carpus forms an acute angle with the axes of the canon bone and the arm, in place if it is a flat angle and “bucked knee” if it is an obtuse angle.
The forelimb is requested at the time of take-off; it should then bend to allow the forehand to cross over the fence. It is then hardly involved at landing. It supports the entire weight of the body and has to immediately participate in the balance recovery for the next effort.
The forelimb, because of the supported constraints, is the seat of many locomotor pathologies that affect or impede athletic performance.
It is commonly admitted that these pathologies are on average fewer and less acute in horses with good legs and feet.
Seen from the front, an alignment of the foot’s axis alignment, fetlock axis, and tip of the shoulder will be sought and is a slightly valgus knee (outward) will be preferred rather than the reverse.
From the side, the alignment of the canon bone with the arm will be sought, and a horse slightly bucked-kneed will be preferred to an hollow knee.
On If the need for good legs and feet is unquestionable and the impact on health and sporting longevity of bad legs and feet is obvious, the genetic predictability of these defects is uncertain.
Orthopedics care of the young foal, , made considerable improvement under the pressure of race horses breeders, and between friction, surgical procedures, shock waves and farriery, there are many dramatic corrections performed in the first months of life of a foal.
It is very important to emphasize how farriery is an essential part of the management of the horse athlete To use mares with good legs and feet and breed them with similar sires is obviously preferable. It is also useful to have a contact directory including skilled vet and black smith, nothing is lost for a “crooked” foal ' if it is properly managed.