The hock (20) is the large and freely movable joint which is immediately above the hind cannon-bone. The point of the hock (Q) is the bony projection at the back and top of the hock. The hamstring, or tendo Achillis (P), is the tendinous cord which runs up the back of the leg from the point of the hock. The gaskin (19) is the part of the leg immediately above the hock and bounded at the rear by the hamstring. The term, thigh, is usually applied to the part of the hind leg above the gaskin; but, correctly speaking, it is the part of the hind leg above the stifle.
The belly, or abdomen (15), is the underneath portion of the body of the horse which is not covered by bone.
The point of the buttock (O) is the rearmost point of the pelvis.
The dock (R) is the solid part of the tail.
The height of a horse (A B, [Fig. 148]) is the vertical distance of the highest point of his withers from the ground, when he is standing with his fore legs nearly vertical and with the points of his hocks in a vertical line with the points of his buttocks. I have qualified “vertical” by “nearly” when referring to the fore legs; for when the hind legs are placed as in [Fig. 147], the weight of the head and neck, which are in front of the fore legs, would cause the animal to stand somewhat “over.” When a pony is being measured for polo or racing, his legs should be placed in the position I have described, although his head may be lowered until his crest is parallel with the ground.
The length of the body of a horse (D E, [Fig. 148]), may be assumed as the horizontal distance from the front of the chest to a line dropped vertically from the point of the buttock. This measurement is a somewhat arbitrary one, but it is probably the best for the purpose. French writers generally take the length of a horse as the distance from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock. As this is not a horizontal measurement, I prefer to it the one just given.
The depth of the chest at the withers (A C, [Fig. 148]) is the vertical distance from the top of the withers to the bottom of the chest. This measurement being taken for convenience sake is an arbitrary one, because the chest is lower between the fore legs than behind the elbow, which is the spot I have selected. Besides, the actual height of the withers above the roof of the chest, has no fixed relation to the depth of the chest.
Depth of the body (F G, [Fig. 148]). The best and most uniform point to take this is, I think, the lowest point of the back.