 An animal is cow-hocked when its hock is set inward, resulting in a splayed look in the back legs.This can result in the uneven wearing of hooves, which can end up in permanent lameness, and can prove to be a very serious condition.Permanent lameness usually results in the animal going for meat, as the cow will be in far too much pain to move, the milk in a cow will not be up to standard, and the animal could not be used in breeding, as this trait would pass on.