DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 229 



bony deposit on some of the bones of the leg; such 

 as splints, ringbone, and spavin. Animals having 

 this tendency should not be used for breeding pur- 

 poses. A crooked, badly-formed hock joint is more 

 liable to spavin than a well-formed one, providing 

 that the well-formed one has no hereditary tend- 

 ency. There are two forms of spavin, one of which 

 forms on the outside of the bones. The other first 

 affects the cartilage of the joint, and will cause 

 lameness for a long time before it shows any ex- 

 ternal enlargement. The enlargement on the out- 

 side may show itself for some time before it causes 

 lameness. 



Symptoms of spavin: Often the first thing no- 

 ticed wrong is that when the animal is made to 

 stand over in its stall, it will give a hitch on the 

 sound leg. When it is taken out it may not show 

 any lameness, or if it does it may only be for the 

 first few steps, but by and by it takes longer time 

 to pass off. Every time the horse is stopped for a 

 few minutes it will start off with a hitch, until 

 finally the animal becomes very lame, and may be 

 lame all through the journey. Another early 

 symptom is that every time he is stopped he will 

 rest the toe of the affected limb. The method of 

 examining a horse for spavin is to let it cool off in 

 the stable, then back it up, and if there is anything 

 wrong with the hock joint it will require some 

 urging to get it to back, and when it does so it will 

 bring the toe of the sore limb to the ground before 

 the heel, and hitch on the well leg. Take the 

 horse out and make it stand solid on its hind feet, 



