Severing or damaging the tendons behind 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 methodology employed to incapacitate the animal, typically 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 position in transportation, agriculture, and army operations. A horse rendered unable to carry out these capabilities represented a considerable lack of assets and energy. The implications for the animal had been devastating, resulting in everlasting incapacity and, in lots of circumstances, loss of life because of incapability to forage or escape predators. It additionally highlighted a callous disregard for animal welfare.
