As there are well-formed and badly formed bodies, so there are well-formed and badly formed limbs and hoofs. The form of the hoof depends upon the position of the limb. A straight limb of normal direction possesses, as a rule, a regular hoof, while an oblique or crooked limb is accompanied by an irregular or oblique hoof. Hence, it is necessary, before discussing the various forms of the hoof, to consider briefly the various positions that may be assumed by the limbs. In this discussion we shall deal with the =living= horse. A. Standing Positions of the Limbs. The position of a limb depends upon the varying lengths of its component bones and the angles at which they meet one another. To judge the standing position of a fore-limb one must stand _in front_ of the horse; to judge a hind limb, stand _behind_ the horse; the backward or forward deviations of both front and hind limbs are judged by standing at the side. But a horse does not always move as his standing position would lead one to suspect; standing and moving are different. Therefore, in order to arrive at a proper judgment, one must observe the limbs both at rest and in motion. (_a_) =The position of a limb viewed from in front= is normal or straight (Fig. 44) when it stands vertical or perpendicular. A plumb-line dropped from the point of the shoulder (middle of the scapulo-humeral articulation) should pass down the middle line of the limb, dividing it into inner and outer halves of equal width, and meeting the ground at the middle of the toe. [Illustration: FIG. 45. Base-wide] [Illustration: FIG. 46. Toe-wide] [Illustration: FIG. 47. Toe-narrow (“pigeon-toed”)] In the _base-wide standing position_ (Fig. 45) the plumb-line falls to the inner side of the limb; the limb extends obliquely downward and outward. To this class belong also the _knee-narrow_ (knock-kneed) _position_, in which the knees are too close together, while the feet stand wide apart, and the _toe-wide position_ (splay-footed, Fig. 46) in which the toes point obliquely forward and outward. In base-wide positions either the entire limb extends downward and outward or the foot alone is turned outward. The _base-narrow position_ is frequently observed in horses with very wide breasts. The limbs run downward and inward, a plumb-line dropped from the point of the shoulder falling to the outer side of the leg and foot. A special form of the base-narrow position is the _toe-narrow_ or _pigeon-toed position_ (Fig. 47). In some instances the legs are straight and perpendicular down to the fetlock, while from there to the ground the phalanges incline obliquely inward. Another form is the _knee-wide_ or _bandy-legged position_, in which the knees are placed too far apart, while the cannons and phalanges incline downward and inward. [Illustration: FIG. 48. Normal (regular) fore-limb in profile.] [Illustration: FIG. 49. Normal (regular) hind-limb in profile.] [Illustration: FIG. 50. Camped in front.]