Severing or damaging the tendons in the back of a horse’s hock joint, successfully crippling the animal, is what the phrase refers to. This act renders the horse unable to increase its hind leg correctly, severely limiting its mobility and usefulness. Traditionally, it was a brutal technique employed to incapacitate the animal, usually to stop its escape or to render it ineffective to an enemy in warfare.
The importance of incapacitating a horse on this method stemmed from the animal’s essential function in transportation, agriculture, and navy operations. A horse rendered unable to carry out these features represented a considerable lack of sources and energy. The results for the animal have been devastating, resulting in everlasting incapacity and, in lots of circumstances, loss of life as a result of incapability to forage or escape predators. It additionally highlighted a callous disregard for animal welfare.