Where it is
Between the lower thigh and the hind paw; the "reversed" joint in the lower part of the hindlimb.
- Layer
- Exterior and regions
- System
- Body regions
- Region
- Hindlimb
What it is and what it does
The hock is the joint between the lower thigh and the hind paw, the counterpart of the human ankle. It bends backward, the opposite of the stifle, which is why it looks like a "reversed knee". The point of the hock, the bump at the back, is the calcaneus, the bone to which the Achilles tendon attaches.
The tarsus has seven bones. "Hock" comes from show-ring and horse vocabulary; in anatomy the region is called the tarsus.
Worth remembering
The point of the hock is a projection of the calcaneus, one of the bones of this joint.
Names
- Also called: tarsal joint, tarsus.
- Latin term: tarsus.
- In Romanian: Jaretul (Romanian page).
In the atlas lessons
Body regions: what is where (4 min):
The hind limb: thigh, stifle (knee), lower leg, hock and paw. The stifle bends forward, the hock backward.
Where is the knee? Stifle, hock, elbow, carpus (4 min):
The hock: the tarsal joint, the equivalent of the ankle. Its point is the calcaneus, where the Achilles tendon attaches.
Questions from the atlas
"Find it on the drawing" questions whose answer is this structure; in the atlas you will find them in the question bank and in the lessons.
- Show the hock on the drawing. (level 1)