230 The Diseases of Animals 
as high as possible, then held ‘in this position for a 
few minutes, and then the horse is started at once into 
a sharp trot, the lameness will 
be found to be more severe. 
A careful examination of the 
inside of the hock-joint, either by 
feeling or comparing it with the 
other joint, will show an enlarge- 
ment, or bunch, that may vary 
in size, according to cireum- 
stances. The size of the bunch 
does not indicate the severity of 
the disease. The most severe 
cases of spavin (occult) may oe- 
cur without any bunch or en- 
largement. When standing, the 
horse usually rests the spavined 
leg by carrying the foot slightly 
forward and bending the hock- 
joint a little. Figs. 438, 44. 
In treating spavins, the ob- 
ject is to hasten the welding to- 
gether of the joints. In order 
to do this, all movement in the 
joint is to be stopped as far as 
possible. If the joint is badly 
inflamed, reduce the inflammation 
by fomentations of hot water, ap- 
Fig. 43. Bone-spavin, shown 
at the arrow. 
plied two or three times daily for twenty minutes at a 
time. A high-heeled shoe should be applied, to prevent 
straining the joint. The heel of the shoe should be 
