The fact that horses wear out their fore-legs, whilst the hind-legs are generally as good in an old horse as they were when he was six years old, is easily explained. When the forelegs are put on the ground the limbs are straight the whole way down, whereas there is bending and unbending of the hock in the case of the hind-limbs. The excessive strain on the leading fore-leg at the gallop, as shown in the previous diagram, also accounts for lameness. Finally, in the average young horse the fore-legs take more than one-half, about three-fifths, of the total body weight. From 14 to 28 lb. is taken off the weight on the fore-legs if the head be raised from a vertical position to a higher one at which the front of the face makes an angle of 45 degrees with the ground. The horse standing normally with a rider on his back will have 66 per cent, of the rider's weight on the fore-limbs and only 34 per cent, on the hind-limbs. Obviously, if the fore-limbs are relieved of some of this excessive weight they will last longer. This can be done by putting the horse's back on their hocks in moderation.

At slow paces, walk, trot and canter, the horse can be taught to move with his head carried high and bent at the poll, while the hocks are kept well under him to assist in carrying the weight. It is worse than useless to raise the head and let the hocks go farther back instead of being well under the horse. The placing of the head has been shortly explained in "Bits"; the keeping of the hocks under the horse is done by the rider's legs, with which the horse is pressed well up to his bridle during the process of placing the head.

Horses will keep sounder on their fore-limbs if they are taught to keep their weight well back on the hocks, but of course this is impossible at fast paces, when the weight must be brought forward to gain impetus.