THE POIXTS OF THE HORt'<E 



177 



The spavin is caused by a strain 

 or injury, or may be due to heredity 

 influences or faulty conformation. The 

 high or low spavin is shown in a more 

 or less thickening of the part, as com- 

 pared with a sound hock. The occur- 

 rence of spavin is most easily seen by 

 standing directly back of the horse 

 and viewing the parts from the rear. 

 Spavins cause lameness and a stiff gait, 

 and are regarded as a serious unsound- 

 ness, greatly affecting sale values. 

 They are more common on light than 

 on heavy horses. The horse that has 

 "a spavined gait," shows a slight hitch 

 in the hip on the side affected, with a 

 letting down of the opposite hip when 

 in action. When the horse first starts 

 this defect is most noticeable, for he 

 naturally throws his weight on his 

 sound leg. With exercise his gait 

 becomes more natural; but, after rest- 

 ing and cooling, lameness again appears 

 when he is required to move. 



Curb is another unsoundness of the 

 hock. When in perfect condition, the 

 back of the hock, slightly below the 

 point, has rather a vertical straight 

 edge. If a curb exists, there is a 

 bulging or outward curve a short 

 distance below the point, that may be 

 seen by viewing the hock from one 

 side. Hocks that do not have curbs, 

 yet tend to round out at this part of 

 the leg, are said to have acurbyconfor- 



Figure56. — The upper pic- 

 ture shows a sound hock 

 joint; the lower, one with 

 a spavin. Reproduced 

 from "Diseases of the 

 Horse," U. S. Dcpt. of 

 Agriculture. 



