202 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



draft horses and especially those having' fleshy or meaty 

 hocks. 



Thorpughpin is intimately associated with bog spavin, 

 and is found in the thinnest part of the hock at its rear 

 part. When the synovial sac is greatly enlarged, the fluid 

 extends into this thin part of the hock, where we usually 

 expect, to find graceful outlines with marked depression. If 

 a thoriughpin occurs, a swelling will be noticeable on each 

 side of the hock at this point. Heavy draft horses often 

 show puffy hocks, and this condition the dealers are in- 

 clined to regard as unimportant. However, the hocks of 

 heavy horses should be carefully examined for this puffy 

 condition, as bogs and thoroughpins are unsoundnesses. 

 Lameness may not result, but the value of the horse is 

 depreciated. 



Curb is also an unsoundness of the hock, and is seen in 

 a swelling or bulging out of the back side of the lower part 

 of the joint. "When sound, the back of the hock slightly 

 below the point has rather a perpendicular or straight edge. 

 If there is a curb, by standing on one side, one will notice 

 an outward curve, instead of a straight line. Hocks that 

 do not have pronounced curbs, yet that tend to round out 

 at this point, are said to have a curby conformation. The 

 curb is caused by strains or injury to the ligament, tendon 

 or skin of this part of the hock. If ligament or tendon 

 is seriously affected, lameness will result. The curb is 

 regarded with disfavor by horsemen, and is the cause of 

 much comment. 



Sidebone is found on the rear part of the foot, especially 

 the front one, on the wing of the coffin bone, at the crown 

 or top of the hoof. It is due to hardening of the cartilages, 

 whereby they take on a bony character, which when seri- 

 ously developed causes lameness. In well-defined cases 

 the sidebones appear as hard projections just beneath the 

 skin, and can be plainly seen or felt. In the early stages 

 sidebones are not easily discovered, and one may buy a 

 horse appearing sound, that in a short time will show this 



