avery's own farrier. 113 



is such an eye-sore to man. Although, should there be 

 any stiffness or enlargement left of the joint after apply- 

 ing the above a short time, let it rest a few clays after 

 oiling it, to start the hair; and then if it is larger than 

 you wish to have it, use the oil of wormwood on it for a 

 few days longer. Or if there is not much enlargement, 

 and the joint appears to be stiff, use the frog's oil which 

 will be found in recipe No. 92. 



BONE SPAVIN. 



This, ns well as the blood spavin, according to horse- 

 ology, has had several different names given to it by dif- 

 ferent individuals. One calls it a beetle, the next a jack, 

 another a dry knot, and so on; but the most common and 

 proper name is bone spavin, as it becomes a bony sub- 

 stance, having proceeded from one cause, viz: a blow, 

 slip or strain, whereby the lower joint of the hock is in- 

 jured, the ligament covering the joint being cracked on 

 the inside of the leg, causing a leakage from the joint 

 itself. This joint lee oozes out and finally becomes ossi- 

 fied, or bony like. As it increases in size under the skin, 

 it hinders the free play of the joint, which grows weaker 

 as the bunch increases. The horse is stiff in that leg, 

 and sometimes quite lame, but it comes on him so gradu- 

 ally that oftentimes he starts off very lame for a short 

 distance before any enlargement of the joint is to be seen, 

 unless it be by a very close observer. At this time it is 

 not so difficult to cure as it is after it has formed a bunch, 

 for then you have a double task to perform; you have 

 not only the joint to cure so that the horse will not be 

 lame, but you have this bunch to take off" so that there 



