THE HOCK. 9 



THE BOG-SPAVIN, a puffy swelling in front of the 

 bend, and a little towards the inside of the joint, can 

 never be mistaken if the finger is pressed on the large 

 vein that runs over it, which will now sink in half an 

 inch, and when the finger is taken away, bulge out 

 again. If found in one hock, the other will generally 

 have it also ; and therefore, as far as this disease is 

 concerned, though they may appear alike, they yet 

 look full and fat, not lean and dry, as they should do. 

 Bog-spavin generally looks larger in the middle of the 

 day, the cold in the morning before going to exercise 

 acting as a sedative ; or the excited action of the ab- 

 sorbents during and immediately after exercise ope- 

 rating in keeping it down a little. * 



THE THOROUGH-FIX, another small puffy swelling on 

 the outside of the hock, nearly on a line with the point, 

 and running through to the inside, may not prove any 

 hindrance even in hunting ; but for a racer there 

 should be no doubt about the hinder extremities in 

 any way, either as regards build, injury, or disease ; 

 they are the grand agents in progression, and a race- 

 horse, to shine, must be nearly perfect hi every thing 

 behind. You are not to infer from this, that a horse 

 can run because he has no defect in his hind parts, 

 only, that he will rarely run well if he has. Formed 

 as described under these four heads of Quarters, Thighs, 

 Stifles, and Hocks, they will look handsome both to 

 the eye of the novice as well as the judge ; and if, added 

 to this, he has a decided casty head, you may take it 

 for granted he is well bred ; but the handsomest and 

 most casty head that was ever on an Arab is only in- 



* Bog- spavin seldom causes lameness in ordinary work, but is almost cer- 

 tain to do so in very severe work, such as hunting, &c. Thorough-pin is of the 

 same nature as Bog-spavin, and attended with the like results. ED. 



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