No. 7 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 645 



hock; loo much cut out under the hock, sickle hocks, too wide con- 

 formation, and in which the horse stands too far back with the hind 

 feet. 



Defective hocks should be considered among the worst faults in a 

 horse. Weak hocks, curbs, and spavins, have often been observed in 

 whole families. For these reasons the hock should receive the most 

 careful consideration in an examination of horses for any i)urpose. 

 Sires or dams, with weak hocks, especially so if they show curbs or 

 spavins, and families in which this fault exists, should be rigidly ex 

 eluded from the breeding ranks. 



In those cases in which curbs or spavins develop at an early age, 

 before the horse is put to hard work, breeding should not be permitted. 

 Yet it does not seem just to establish a law that would exclude from 

 breeding all horses that have spavins or curbs. When such unsound- 

 nesses are developed after maturity, and especially if it can be shown 

 that the conditions are due to injury or excessive strain and that the 

 animals are from good families, are of the proper type, and have good 

 conformation, they should not be condemned. 



Of 813 stallions examined b}^ the Australian commission, 17 were 

 rejected for bone spavin, 5 for bog spavin, and 11 for curbs. In the 

 number examined, 358 were draft horses, and 270 light driving horses. 

 Of the draft horses 3 were rejected for bone spavin, one for bog spavin, 

 and none for curbs. Of the driving horses, 13 were rejected for bone 

 spavin, 4 for bog spavin, and 6 for curbs. It does not state whether 

 any consideration was given to conformation or age. It is presumed 

 that they were rejected for these faults regardless of cause. 



When considering the subject of ringbones, many reasons will be 

 observed why horses afflicted with them should not be condemned 

 indiscriminately. Ringbones may be caused by faulty shoeing, strains, 

 or traumatisms and, if so, the horse having them should not be ex- 

 cluded, especially where the animal has good conformation and other 

 desirable qualities. 



Ringbones, as spavins, are looked upon as serious defects and, like 

 them, may be due to a faulty conformation, and in this case the horse 

 should be condemned. Long, thin pasterns, or very short, stiff, up- 

 right pasterns and the base wide, base narrow, too wide, and toe 

 narrow conformations are defects that predispose to ringbone, and 

 conformation of this type is pretty sure to be transmitted. Horses 

 with such faults should be excluded whether ringbones are present or 

 not. Horses that have developed ringbones before maturity or before 

 hard work has been done should also be rejected. 



Of the stallions examined for a license in Australia, 8 of 358 draft 

 horses and 3 of 270 light driving horses were condemned for this 

 reason. 



Side-bones are conditions in which the lateral cartileges of the foot 

 become ossified either partially or completely. Heavy, coarse bred 

 horses are especially predisposed to develop them. They are seldom 

 seen on "the hind feet. The left front foot is more often affected than 

 the right and the inside cartilege less often than the outside one. 



Lungwitz, who examined 1,251 horses, found 144 of them affected 

 with side-bones as follows: 



Of 98 Belgian cart horses, 68 had side bones 



Of 120 Danish carriage horses, 25 had side bones 



Of 388 heavy riding horses, 36 had side bones 



