SPAVIN. 



255 



is entmsted to a man who knows little or nothing of equine con- 

 formation, although his knowledge of anatomy and pathology 

 may be perfect, it will probably be safer for him to reject the 

 animal than to pass it. 



CAUSE OF BONY ENLARGEMENTS BEING FOUND MORE 

 FREQUENTLY ON THE INSIDE OF THE HO'CK, THAN ON 



THE OUTSIDE.— Although this question has not been definitely 

 decided, it seems probable that this predisposition is due to more 



Fig- 95-— Clean hock. 



Fig. 96.— Slight spavin. 



Fig. 97 — Well-^^^^^l^ed 

 ^spavin. 



weight being put on the inside of the foot than on the outside. 

 Owing to the fact that the grooves on the bones (tibia and astraga- 

 lus) which form the true hock joint are directed obliquely outwards 

 as well as forwards, the toe of a hind foot is rotated slightly in- 

 wards, when the limb is straightened out to the rear, w^hile the 

 foot is on the ground. The occasional occurrence of bony en- 

 largements on the outside of the hock (p. 2^5), shows that excess 

 of strain is not always confined to the inside of that joint. 



COMPARATIVE GRAVITY OF SPAVINS.-Percivall justly lays 

 stress on the fact that horses should not be condemned indis- 

 criminately on account of having a so-called low spavin, which, 

 he contends, is in many cases a veritable splint, and has no con- 



