Ashley Griffin, University of Kentucky
The horse's hindquarter should form a square when viewed from the side, regardless of the breed. The flatter and more level the croup, the more vertical the hind leg action.
In contrast, the horse with a steep croup will have more horizontal action, moving with its hind legs more up underneath its body. The croup angle will influence the position of the hock. These two factors together will influence how collected, balanced, and horizontal a horse moves.
The ideal hindquarter is as full and long across the horizontal plane of the stifle as it is from the point of the hip to the point of the buttock. A more triangle-shaped hip is due to a lack of muscle and/or a straight stifle.
