38 WARRANTY OF 



nevertheless, sound, and capable of doing work better 

 than the younger ones. Both diseases are brought on 

 by the same causes. Perhaps, of the two, the spavin is 

 more the result of severe work, when there is generally 

 some little stiffness. Too often the groom treats the 

 wrong places ; or if he does treat the right ones, 

 yet the evil is only deferred, for if the horse is con- 

 tinued at severe work, the spavins will form and re-form. 

 Proper treatment may prevent their being of the larger 

 size, and may very much lessen the evil. When they 

 have formed, and the horse does his work like the rest 

 of the old ones who have gone through the same pro- 

 cess, the groom commends himself for the result, and 

 the owner congratulates himself upon the improved 

 constitution (strength) of the horse. 



Taking all parts of the hocks into consideration, if 

 they are affected by what is termed enlargement on the 

 seat of spavin, the disease being determined, and not 

 likely to increase, I need hardly say that, if the horse 

 goes sound, he is, according to common sense, SOUND. 



The law, however, being unsettled, it having been 

 decided both ways, the best way is, as in the case of 

 curb and other diseases, to except spavins in the 

 warranty. 



Here it may be as well to state the opinion of a well- 

 known sportsman and practical horseman, not on ac- 

 count of its being an exclusive opinion of his own, but 

 as the opinion of most practical followers of hounds. 



