COMMON UNSOUNDNESSES. 165 



tablespoon, and in this case it is not quite so easy 

 to be certain about it. 



Some horses with large coarse bony strong hocks 

 have a formation there which very much resembles 

 a bone spavin, though it is quite a natural forma- 

 tion, and does not imply unsoundness. If the horse 

 has one hock larger than the other it is a spavin, 

 but if they are both exactly alike it may be the 

 natural formation of the hock, or it may be that the 

 horse has a bone spavin in each leg. Nothing but 

 practice, and being acquainted with the shape of horses' 

 hocks, will enable anyone to distinguish between 

 these two, and it is difficult to describe it on paper. 



The second sort of bone spavin I have mentioned 

 is a different enlargement, and occurs in a different 

 place ; it is very near where the other is, but slightly 

 more in front of the leg, and is more like a hazel-nut 

 in shape and size. The best way of detecting this 

 spavin is by running your hand gently down the in- 

 side of the horse's hind leg, taking care to speak to 

 the horse, and to stand in front of the leg in case 

 the horse lashes out or kicks when you touch him. 

 There is a large vein or artery running down the 

 inside of the hind leg, which is very perceptible in 

 well-bred horses, and this sort of bone spavin is 

 immediately under this vein, and when present 

 causes the vein to start out and look more full than 

 it ought to do. If one of these veins looks fuller or 

 more distended than the other, it should be very 



