CAPPED HOCK. 315 



the number^ — who so dislike to behold a capped hock, that, as long 

 as any chance of its reduction remains, they are incessantly de- 

 sirous to get rid of the deformity. I say, " so long as appearances 

 hold out any prospect of reduction," because, when the enlargement 

 has continued long enough to have become callous and changed in 

 structure, medicine ceases' to have any effect upon it. Let the 

 case, however, be never so recent and favourable, we prescribe in 

 vain so long as the excitant of the evil continues in force. This, 

 consequently, becomes our first solicitude ; a branch of our subject 

 which may very well be described under the heading of 



Prophylactic Treatment. — In a recent case of distention of 

 the cap, consisting as it does then simply of a collection of serous 

 fluid, the abstraction of the cause will be sufficient to cure the 

 disease. But, let a horse who has given himself a capped hock 

 through kicking in the stable continue his kicking practices night 

 after night, and the contents of the pharmacy may be dispensed 

 upon his ailment to no purpose. Once, however, removed into a 

 situation where he will have no inducement to kick, or should he 

 again kick where he can do himself no harm thereby, or else with- 

 out relnoval be hindered from kicking, there will then be a pro- 

 spect of the enlargements of his caps either subsiding of their 

 own accord, or being readily made or assisted so to do. Cases of 

 capped hocks are frequently occurring in large studs and horse 

 establishments where the labour the horses have to perform is 

 not a counterbalance to their high feeding and grooming, and espe- 

 cially where, as in our cavalry stables, bails, and iron ones, are 

 made the economical (?) substitutes for stalled partitions. Under 

 such circumstances as these, as every veterinary surgeon in the 

 army can testify, capped hocks are not the least among the evils 

 arising from the " bangs and blows" continually befalling horses 

 in such prison-like and comfortless habitations. 



When, therefore, a horse is brought for treatment having a capped 

 hock, the first thing to be attended to is the removal of the excit- 

 ing cause, so as effectually to prevent the repetition of the mischief. 

 Supposing kicking in the stable to have produced it, and the heel- 

 post of the stall to be the offending or rather the offensive body, 

 either let the post be wrapt in some soft material — such as padding 



