AS TO SOUNDNESS. 109 
between the stifle joint and the hock. There is one. 
‘peculiarity of this: region you should not overlook, 
namely the exposed condition of the whole length of the 
‘tibia on, account of its being covered by skin only. 
"Were it not that it is more on the inside than in front, 
or the outside of the limb, doubtless it would often come 
to grief. As it is, it is frequently the seat of undisplaced 
_ fracture received from the blow of another horse standing 
in: the next stall. When this is so the late Professor 
Dick strongly advised rest for six weeks, although there 
might only be the least possible mark upon the skin over 
‘it, if there was lameness too. You can, if need be, feel 
the entire length of this subcutaneous surface of the bone 
and so detect any evidence of injury, should there be 
such, and an absence of lameness, which, fortunately for 
all concerned, there ‘seldom is, then in all probability 
there is no material injury. 
We now come to the hock, which is one of the four 
principal points we have to see are sound. It is difficult 
to say which of the four points (eyesight, fore feet, wind, 
and hock) is of most importance ; but I rather think the 
above order represents their relative importance, so that 
the hocks, though of least importance of the four points, 
are still one of the most important parts of a horse. It 
will be best for us to take a survey of the hock before 
going into any description of its diseases, and treat it 
much in the same way as we did the foot. The hock 
and the structure below it, judging from their homologue, 
the human foot, are one structure. In other words, the 
