THE HOCK. 97 



seen, when the examiner stands a yard or two 

 from the side of the horse. A small curb does 

 not make a horse unsound;, neither does a large 

 one, unless the horse become lame from it when 

 put to work, which rarely (perhaps never, but 

 under over-exertion) happens, after the pain 

 and inflammation are removed which attended 

 it at its commencement. 



Thorough Pin is a tumour of the same nature 

 as windfalls, and is of no more consequence. 

 It is situated on each side of the hock joint, 

 about an inch above and behind the centre of 

 motion. 



JSone Spavin is a diseased state of the small 

 joints and bones which enter into the formation 

 of the hock. It is a disease of very frequent 

 occurrence, and, with the exception of curb, 

 almost the only one belonging- to the hock, which 

 produces lameness. To discover its existence is 

 not always an easy matter : on the contrary, the 

 horse may be dead lame from spavin, and yet 

 the most skilful veterinarian is unable to say posi- 

 tively, whether the lameness proceeds from that 

 disease or some other. Many people suppose, 

 that spavin does not exist, till there is a bony 

 I 



