Hock
The joint halfway down a cow's hind leg, matching the human ankle.
Also: tarsus, hind knee
The hock is the angled joint in the hind leg, equal to the ankle in people, though it looks like a backward knee. Judges look at the hocks from the side and from behind: a leg that is too straight or too bent at the hock, or hocks that turn in toward each other, can lead to lameness and a short working life, especially in heavy dairy cows. In housed cattle, swollen or raw hocks can be a sign of hard or poorly bedded stalls. In draught cattle, well-set hocks help an ox push into the yoke and pull steadily over a long day.