30 ON SOUNDNESS. 



purchase." A horse may travel well, but as he is likely to 

 be lame at any time, and seriously so, it renders him an 

 unsound horse. 



Spavin-Bone is an unsoundness, unless the animal has 

 had it on him for years, and showed no lameness during 

 that time. To give the reader an idea, we would say that 

 if a horse nine years old or thereabouts, has a spavin, 

 and goes well, showing no signs of lameness on taking him 

 from his stall after some rest, and proof is given that he 

 has had that enlargement on him for two or three years, 

 he is not an unsound horse ; but if a young horse of four to 

 six years old have on him a spavin, and it has been there 

 but a few months, even if he is not lame, he can never be 

 passed as a sound horse, as it is probable that on the bony 

 deposit extending itself over the joint of the hock, the small 

 bones, or even the larger ones, may become affected as to 

 render him lame for life ; therefore, the motto for bone-spa- 

 vin is, '* Consider him unsound until time has proved him 

 otherwise." 



Spayin-Bog or Blood is to be considered as unsound- 

 ness when there is any lameness present, no matter how 

 slight, or if much heat is felt at the parts, as Mr. Youatt 

 says, '^ he considers it as an unsoundness, because, although 

 it may not be productive of lameness at slow work, the 

 rapid and powerful action of the hock in quicker motion 

 will produce permanent, yet perhaps not considerable 

 lameness, which can scarcely ever be with certainty re- 

 moved." 



Mr. Spooner says : '' Blood-spavin is certainly unsound- 

 ness, unless extremely slight, although in the majority (^ 

 cases it does not cause lameness." 



Mr. Armatage says: '• If bog-spavin be very slight, and 

 unattended with stiffness, I do not consider them as un- 



