36 EXAMINATION OF HORSES AS TO SOUNDNESS 



treating bog-spavin ; a well-fitting truss put on, 

 and considerable pressure being thus brought to 

 bear on the affected parts, is the best form of 

 treatment. 



Blood-spavin. — Blood-spavin is an enlarged 

 and distended condition of a bloodvessel (the 

 vena saphena) which runs down the anterior and 

 inner side of the hock. Blood-spavins are seldom 

 met with, and are not of much importance unless 

 they are of great size, which is rare. 



From the seat of sjDavin the hand is placed 

 on the point of the hock in search of the enlarged 

 condition of the parts here known as capped 

 hock. 



Caj^ped Hock. — There are two kinds of capped 

 hock, viz., the synovial and serous. The former 

 is the worst of the two kinds, and is denoted by 

 a bulging out on either side of the cap of the 

 hock, the bulging being prevented from coming 

 backwards by the gastrocnemii tendon, which is 

 situated at the back of the synovial sac or bursa, 

 and therefore holds it down. Synovial capped 

 hock frequently causes lameness, and is a source 

 of great unsoundness. 



