Trauma to the point of the hock causes severe swelling that can be hard to resolve. The most common reason for injury to this area is a history of kicking a hard surface. Fortunately, chronic swelling that is limited to the point of the hock is often NOT associated with severe lameness.

Differentiate swelling at the point of the hock from "curb", which is swelling below the point of the hock, and the other specific swellings of the hock area. As with any limb swelling, an important piece of information is whether or not the horse is lame at the walk. This is a critical factor in determining the severity of this problem.