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appears flat, clean, and sinewy, it may be passed as a sound, well- 

 formed leg. But if the leg, on a side view, appears rather round 

 than flat, or rather bent and inclining inwards ;. if one- leg is larger 

 than the other, or the sinew and ligament cannot be distinctly and 

 separately felt, it follows that the part has been injured in some way, 

 and it is probable the horse will fall lame on being put to hard 

 work. 



Should there be any mark on the knee it will be safer for the 

 purchaser to infer that it was caused by falling, whatever the seller 

 may say to the contrary. 



Splents need not be regarded, unless they are of a large size, 

 immediately below the knee-joint, or so near to the back sinew or 

 suspensory ligament as to impede their action, or unless they are 

 tender on being pressed. Few horses are entirely free from splents. 



The examination of the hind-legs should be commenced at the 

 hock. The bones forming the projection on the inside of the hock, 

 are larger in some horses than in others, and should not be mistaken 

 for bone spavin. There is no insuperable difficulty in noticing the 

 distinction, for if both hocks be spavined, it very rarely happens they 

 are both of the same size, or exactly alike, and when only one hock 

 is so affected the difference is sufficiently distinct to determine the 

 question. The best way to ascertain if there be any spavin is to 

 look from between the fore-legs to between the hocks, rather inclining 

 to one side. A side view of the hocks will best enable you to see if 

 there be a curb, and a close inspection will show if there be any 

 ring-bone upon the pastern. This latter, though a considerable 

 defect, does not always produce lameness, but more frequently in the 

 fore than the hind -leg. 



Some horses have a tendency to a discharge from the heels, 

 attended by swelling of the hind-legs, which constitutes the disease 

 termed grease. Horses with white legs seem more disposed to this 

 complaint than others. If the hind-legs appear swollen, with the 

 hair about the heels rough or furzy ; if there be scars on the heels, 

 and they appear to have been subject to cracks or ulcers, it may be 

 inferred that the horse is subject to swelled legs and grease. 



