Williams, Fisher, and Udall: The Spavin Group. 53 
symmetry frequently gives the animal a short gait, which it is 
difficult to identify as lameness., The lameness in some members 
of the group disappears with exercise as is specially observed 
in spavin. The symmetrical exostoses on both legs confuses 
the inexperienced and’ at times leads the experienced astray. 
‘The application of local anesthesia effectively masks the disease 
temporarily, or the animal may have been unnerved. 
It becomes necessary, therefore, to eliminate every possi- 
bility of fraud by delaying examination until the effects of 
exercise or cocaine shall have vanished and careful search made 
for neurotomy. In addition to these precautions, a rigid search 
for the lesions of the disease is assumed. When evidences of 
the malady are discovered, the examiner needs place some value 
upon it. 
Some say that a horse with spavin, ringbone, etc., is unsound 
and that condemnation is mandatory. A buyer does not care, 
if intelligent, if a horse is sound’ or unsound. We would not 
attempt to say that a horse was sound or unsound, but would 
give him a conscientious examination, record our findings, and 
interpret them as well as our judgment would permit. 
An animal with quiescent lesions, like ringbone or spavin, 
which are not interfering with locomotion and in which all 
systemic disturbances have passed by, will probably work or 
breed indefinitely without disadvantage. Admittedly lameness 
may and does recur in these animals, ‘but*we have no data to 
show that a larger per cent. become lame than of horses not 
previously affected. The blemish resulting from the exostosis 
has a varying value according to size and the class of horse. 
In common work animals the blemish is of little consequence, 
but in horses of special value the blemish may be exceedingly 
serious. 
Our views of the breeding value of animals affected with 
a member of this group have already been suggested when dis- 
cussing heredity as a cause. If not a hereditary affection, and 
we believe it is not, then it cannot be objectionable from a 
breeder’s standpoint. If an animal has a badly formed hock, 
he is clearly rejectable on that ground whether spavined or not, 
but if a foal is kept under improper environment, and thereby 
acquires a spavin on an otherwise excellent tarsus, we see no 
more reason for excluding him from the breeding stud than 
though he had a callous from a broken leg. 
