DISEASES OF THE LEGS 247 



tendon which passes down the leg to be inserted in the 

 pedal bone, the sheath through which it passes at this 

 point being distended by fluid. If it causes lameness, the 

 only possible cure is rest. A bog spavin which causes 

 lameness is usually incurable, and the unfortunate horse 

 is in constant torment from it, whether at work or at 

 rest, and his only release is by death. One often sees 

 in horses suffering from painful bog or bone spavins a 

 peculiar emaciation of the loins which witnesses to the 

 extent of their sufferings. 



A bone spavin is a deposit of bone, as the result of 

 Inflammation, on the inner and lower part of the hock. 

 Sometimes it "hardens up," as horsemen say, and 

 ceases to trouble the horse; but in other cases the 

 spavin is the cause of continual lameness, and the 

 horse is in perpetual misery. A spavined horse, in 

 order to relieve himself, will throw his weight as much 

 as he can on the sound leg; and this usually produces a 

 spavin in that leg also. The unfortunate horse cannot 

 then relieve himself by going lame, and his situation is 

 most pitiable. 



The worst spavins are "diffused" spavins which 

 affect the whole hock. When the spavin occurs on 

 the lower part of the hock the horse can usually be 

 freed from pain and made to travel as if sound by the 

 cutting of a certain tendon. 



There are cases also of "occult" or "blind" 

 spavin — the deposit of bone not being visible, although 

 the horse is lame. In these cases the ulceration takes 

 place between the bones of the hock. 



If complete rest and time do not cure a case of 



