14 PURCHASING FROM THE STABLES. 



sufficient to reject him. A small bone spavin 

 is often a most difficult disease to detect ; and 

 this is not extraordinary, considering that pro- 

 fessional men have in some instances been 

 deceived, from not examining attentively. A 

 spavin on the head of the splent-bone, on the 

 inner side of the lowermost part of the hock, 

 is often productive of no lameness if situated 

 well forward, not even though it be as large 

 as a marble ; therefore this, although the most 

 frequent seat of spavin, is not so bad as that 

 which lies a little higher up, for here is the 

 principal motion of the hock, and the smallest 

 ossification always causes more or less lame- 

 ness. You must discover if there is the 

 slightest difference either in the feel or ap- 

 pearance of the hocks in these two places (for 

 a horse is seldom spavined in both hocks in 

 exactly the same manner), and if there is, 

 pause before you conclude the bargain. Should 

 there be atiy difference on the outside of the 

 hock, blows, kicks, or hurts have most probably 

 produced it, not strains or over work, although 

 spavin is occasionally found in this part like- 

 wise. 



If the least swelling or enlargement exists 

 in any part of the back of the hock, below 



