SIXIH ANNUAL YEAR-BOOK— PART VII. 525 



iitifles. — These joints should be strong, thick with muscle, free from 

 dropsical swellings showing plain indentations above and below the 

 patella (knee cap) and properly set so that they are neither too close nor 

 too far from the body when resting or in motion. 



Gaskins. — What has been said of the forearm applies here but in exam- 

 ining this part (second thigh) care should be taken to determine that 

 "thoro'pins"' are not present as fluctuating enlargements noticable at each 

 side and running under the large tendon just above the point of the hock 

 joint. 



Hocks.— The draft horse has no more important joint than this and it 

 is commonly the seat of many diseases or weaknesses. The hock (not 

 "hind knee" has to withstand a tremenduous amount of strain and should 

 consequently be large in evei*y direction, clean in all respects, free from 

 meatiness, puffs, gumminess, bony growths such as spavins and soft dis- 

 tensions termed "bog" or "blood" spavins. The hock joint should look 

 and feel hard, firm, its constituent bones severally detectable under the 

 fingers, its skin fine, and its tendons and ligamnets prominent and free 

 from connective tissue. A "coarse" hock, given that appearance by the 

 size and prominence of its bones, is the best hock so long as it is abso- 

 lutely free from all of the other features of coarseness and unsoundness. 

 It should be wide and deep, viewed from the front and side. Its point 

 should be prominent, clean and sharp and the tendons under it straight, 

 distinct but free from bulging. 



Bone spavin is a deposit of superfluous, granular bone upon the sur- 

 face of or among the small bones on the inner, lower espect of the hock 

 joint or may involve the true joint higlaer up or appear upon the outer 

 aspect of the joint, high or low. The former is however the common 

 seat of bone spavin. 



Bog and so called ''blood" spavins are identical and are soft, fluctuat- 

 ing distensions of the synovial bursae of the joint, and giving a bulging 

 appearance to the lower, front aspect of the joint. 



Susceptibility to contract both of these conditions is transmitted by 

 affected sires and dams. Sprain or other injury of the joints sets up the 

 irritation and inflamation giving rise to spavins in weak hocks and those 

 of poor conformation. 



The same is true of curb which appears as a bulging, indurated or 

 calloused enlargement upon the rear aspect of the hind leg, just under the 

 hock joint and implicating the tendons and ligaments of that part. 



Crooked or " sickle hocks" are most prone to this injury and curb 

 Vvfhich follows undue strain when at play or work. 



Actual unsoundness implicating the hock joint and objectionable con- 

 formation rendering the joint liable to contract disease or become sound 

 sliould be carefully avoided in the selection of breeding stock. 



Cannons, Fetlocks, Pasterns, Feet. — What has been said relative to 

 these points in the fore limb applies with equal truth to the like parts 

 of the hind extremity. The cannons of the hind leg should have the same 

 wide, flat appearance desirable in those of the fore leg. 



