DR. LEGEAR'S STOCK BOOK. 163 



Causes. There are various causes of spavin, the most common 

 of which are hard and fast work, straining by slipping in the 

 mud, injuries to the joint, etc. In the pase of an injury to one 

 of the hind legs, causing the animal to stand upon the sound 

 leg, the latter becomes liable to spavin in consequence of the 

 extra weight thrown upon it. Spavin is one of the hereditary 

 diseases, and it is a mistake to breed a mare or breed from a 

 stallion affected with the disease, as the colt invariably will be 

 born with. weak joints and predisposed to spavin, and will in 

 most cases take the disease after being put to work. 



Symptoms. Spavin is a disease that nearly always comes on 

 very slowly, and when once started it will continue to grow worse 

 unless checked by treatment. The first sign of spavin is slight 

 stiffness or lameness in the affected leg, which will disappear on 

 exercise, but will show again after standing for a few minutes. 

 In some cases the horse will be lame all day, or in fact get worse 

 the farther he goes, but in most cases they will warm out of the 

 lameness after being driven a short distance. On causing the 

 animal to move over in his stall, to move about from side to side, 

 etc., it is noticed that he drops on the affected limb; but on be- 

 ing made to walk or trot it is noticed that he drops on the sound 

 leg. Sometimes the enlargement is seen first, but generally the 

 animal is lame one, two, or three months, or even longer, before 

 the lump can be plainly seen. The lump keeps on growing as 

 long as there is fever, soreness, and lameness present, and some- 

 times becomes larger than a man's fist. In long standing cases 

 the hip will be perished, making it look as though the disease 

 was in the hip. 



If you have a horse lame in one of his hind legs and you can 

 notice nothing wrong in any other part of the leg, it is well to 

 look for spavin, as the hock joint is more liable to disease than 

 any other part of the hind leg. In most cases the horse will 



