Hock (anatomy)

The hock is a special joint found in four-legged animals like horses, cats, and dogs. It is also called the tarsus or, less commonly, the gambrel. This joint is made up of several small bones called tarsal bones that connect the lower leg bones to the bones of the foot. In animals such as cats, the hock includes a bone called the fibula, but in others like horses, this bone is very small and only remains as a tiny piece attached to the lower leg bone.

The hock works similarly to the ankle in humans, but it is located farther down the leg. While many four-legged animals have joints like this, the word “hock” is most often used when talking about mammals, especially those that we keep as pets or use for work. Understanding the hock helps us learn how these animals move and stay balanced on their feet.

Horse

The terms tarsus and hock refer to the region between the gaskin (crus) and cannon regions (metatarsus) in horses, which includes the bones, joints, and soft tissues of the area. The hock is very important in equine anatomy because it receives a lot of strain when the horse moves, especially during jumping, quick turns, stops, or movements that require collection.

In the horse, the hock consists of several bones such as the talus, calcaneus, central tarsal bone, and others. It also includes multiple joints, including the tibiotarsal or tarsocrural joint and the tarsometatarsal joint.