COMMON UNSOUNDNESSES. 163 



a great weight, e, may rest vertically on ab, without 

 any pressure being placed on c d. If, however, you 

 tilt the column, a b, over in a slanting direction, 

 leaving c d attached to it at d and a as before, then 

 the column a b will practically not support any of 

 the weight at all, by itself, and the weight will fall 

 on the chord c d. For this reason, the more bent 

 the hind leg is under the horse, the greater the 

 strain on the sinew, and the greater the danger of 

 springing a curb. 



After a curb, the most common affection of the 

 hind legs, in hunters especially, are spavins. These 

 are also in the hocks, but this time on the inside of 

 the legs, that is, the side that is next to the other leg, 

 and instead of standing at the side of the horse to 

 see them, it is requisite to stand immediately in front 

 of the horse, and look between its fore legs, at the 

 hocks ; you can also detect a spavin by standing 

 immediately behind the horse, but a little on one 

 side, or by standing in the position you are when 

 mounting with one foot in the stirrup. In each of 

 these latter positions you can only observe the out- 

 line of one leg, in the first of the leg away from you, 

 and in the second the leg next you. I should prefer 

 myself to walk slowly completely round the horse, 

 observing the inside of the hock while doing so. By 

 this means you get a view of the hock in every posi- 

 tion, and if there is any excrescence it is easy to per- 

 ceive it. 



