What does "Cow Hocked" Mean?

My farrier just told me yesterday that my 8 month old filly is slightly cow hocked and or duck footed. She also told me that this is pretty common, and should not affect her soundness later in life.

Is that true?
Can this be corrected either by a vet or any other means?

Our intended use for her is as a nice trail horse, no performance training planned.

Thank you all in advance!

It's like being knocked kneed in a human. The horse's hocks are sort of facing in towards each other instead of facing straight back. It' isn't a desirable feature and it's a conformation fault. It is also quite common. It is typically a genetic thing and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

That being said, your horse may grow out of it somewhat because at 8 months old there are a lot of changes yet to happen. Even if she doesn't she can still be an excellent trail horse for her whole life. She just may not be a good halter horse.

Thank you for the reply. Her lower legs are actually turned slightly outwards, not sure if that changes your opinion. Mom is a very large halter horse and so baby's bones are very large for her size. I am hoping that maybe she is in somewhat of a odd growth point and maybe they will even out slightly as she gets older.

See if this helps: Leg Set: Its Effect on Action and Soundness of Horses

Thank you! That link is very helpful and informative.:)

^^ Bookmarked for future reference.