DISEASES A\n AlLAfENTS OF HOUSES, ETC. 147 



splint, and altliougli it novov dropped quito so 

 lanio as before, it was no cure, and tlio way tlio 

 Loot wore sliowed the suggestion to liavo l)oen 

 correct. »Suoli a splint would bo unsoundness, as 

 it would boa structural defect affecting tlio horse's 

 action. Splints usually appear, on the inside of 

 the forelegs of a horse, and on the outside of the 

 hind leg. Some veterinary surgeons attribute 

 this to the fact that there are more veins and 

 arteries on the inside of the foreleg and the out- 

 side of the hind leg, and that these defects follow 

 the distribution of blood. This may be so, but 

 it is also probable that blows or kicks in action, 

 which certainly cause splints, are received more on 

 the inside of the forelegs and outside of the hind. 

 The leading case on splints on horses legs is Mar- 

 fjctson V. Wrifjlif {c). 



Si'AviNS. — This term is applied to certain en- Spavin. 

 largements of the stifle or hock joint of a horse ; 

 a bone spavin is in reality a splint or excrescence 

 on the splint bone of the hind leg. A spavined 

 horse is said to be imsound whether the spavin 

 cause lameness or not, and it was so held in Wat- 

 son V. Denton {d) ; but it is doubtfid if such would 

 be held as good law now. Spavins do not always 

 detract from the natural usefulness of a horse, 



((•) 7 Bingham, G03 ; Didy»so>i v. Fvlhtt, 1 JIoo. & R. 299. 

 {(I) 7 C. & P. 8G. 



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