320 THE HORSE 



stayed for a while until the scurf falls off, which will occur 

 in about four days more. 



Instead of Iodine, a sweating blister is sometimes used 

 with good effect. A small piece of tea-lead — such as is 

 employed for wrapping up tea — being first made smooth 

 with the back of a knife, and then placed over the splint, 

 with a linen bandage over it to keep it in its place. 



Spavins. 



An exostosis situated on the inner and lower part of the 

 hock-joint is known as a spavin, and is of the same nature 

 as a ring-bone and splint. Situated as it is, where there are 

 so many small bones which constitute the hock-joint, it is a 

 more serious ailment than those just discussed, since it 

 interferes more or less with the free working of the hock. 

 A spavin is held to be legal unsoundness, and a hereditary 

 ailment, though this is scarcely borne out by experience. A 

 stallion proved to have a spavin is at once rejected, though if 

 he shows no other tendency to exostosis it is unlikely that his 

 progeny will inherit a liability to spavin. The famous Derby 

 winner, Hermit, had a spavin on his near hind hock, and yet 

 he had a very numerous and distinguished progeny none of 

 whom developed spavin, but were noted, on the contrary, 

 for fine, strong hocks. The joint is so complicated, and has 

 to sustain such stress, that it is particularly liable to con- 

 cussion and sprain, and these are undoubtedly the real cause 

 of spavin. A stallion may be constitutionally disposed to 

 exostosis, and this he will be very likely to transmit, 

 and also a tendency to faulty hind limbs ; but beyond these 

 predisposing causes he is not likely to pass on a liability to 

 contract spavin, and if he has stood the test of training for 

 two or three seasons, and been sound throughout, there need 

 not be hesitation in employing his services, until his stock 

 give reason to pass him by. 



Baron Von Oettingen, with his immense experience of the 

 German State Breeding Stud atTrakehnen, states his views 

 on the subject in " Horse Breeding in Theory and Practice," 

 and quotes Professor Eberlein, who writes : — 



