482 TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



Bog spavins are more often blemishes, rather than unsound- 

 nesses. They are classed as the latter only when they are well 

 developed or cause lameness. Slight cases are described as 

 merely "a little full in the hocks." Treatment consists of rest, 

 blistering, cauterization, and the use of pressure pads and pecu- 

 liar bandages. 



Bone spavin. This is a bony growth of variable size in 

 the hock, which may or may not make itself visible on the ex- 

 terior. It most often occurs at the inner and lower border 

 of the hock, but may arise on the upper part, or on the outside 

 of the hock. In some cases, no outward signs of spavin are 

 perceptible; these are called "occult" spavins. Care should 

 be taken not to mistake a prominent development of the inner 

 and lower border of the hock, natural in some animals, for a 



Fig. 164. Bog Spavin. 



A, Bog spavin; B, sound hock. 



spavin. Hocks that are narrow or tied in below are subject to 

 bone spavin, as are also those of coarse structure. 



Bone spavins affect one or more of the six bones of the 

 hock. The spavin usually represents an effort on the part of 

 nature to repair the joint. Spavins are caused by sprains, by 

 violent efforts in jumping, galloping, trotting, or pulling, by 

 slipping or sliding, and other similar causes. This is classed 

 as an hereditary unsoundness. It is one of the most serious 

 unsoundnesses of horses; it causes lameness and stiffens the 

 joint. As with sidebones and ringbones, the size of the spavin 

 is not a safe index of its seriousness. An excellent test for 

 spavin lameness consists in lifting the affected leg off the ground 

 for one or two minutes, holding the foot high so as to flex all 

 the joints. Then start the animal off in a trot, when the lame- 

 ness will be greatly intensified if it is caused by spavin. Treat- 



