50 THE FARMER S VETERINARIAN 



any question about the matter, step around to the 

 other side and view the opposite leg. This com- 

 parison will let you out of the difficulty, as it is 

 very unusual that this defect should be upon both 

 legs at the same point and developed to the same 

 degree. 



A spavin is undesirable for the reason that it 

 often produces serious lameness, w^hich frequently 

 is permanent. As it is a bone enlargement, it is 

 something that cannot be remedied. If you are 

 seeking good horses, better reject such as have 

 any spavin defect. 



In this same region between the hock and the fet- 

 lock curbs troubles are located. They appear at 

 the lower part of the hock, directly behind. You 

 can readily detect any enlargement if you will step 

 back five or six feet. The curb, while it may not 

 produce lameness, is altogether undesirable. It 

 looks bad; it shows a weakness in the hock region 

 and often is caused by overwork, consequently the 

 animal with curb disease is one that has not meas- 

 ured up to the work demanded of him. 



Just above and to the rear of the hock the 

 thorough-pin disease appears, and just in front of 

 and slightly toward the inner side of the hock bog 

 spavin is sometimes to be found. Lameness may 

 come from either of these diseases. Small tumors, 

 puffs and other defects frequently show themselves 

 on the hind legs and the best way is to reject 

 animals having them. While some of these may 

 be caused by accident, the most of them are the 

 result of bad conformation, due to heredity, unim- 

 proved blood and bad ancestors. 



EXAMINING FOR LAMENESS 



Lameness comes from many causes ; maybe from 



