SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
863 
Action .—This is of great importance, and the following 
should be taken into consideration, viz.: Does he go high, and 
does he strike the ground hard ? The higher his action and the 
harder he strikes the ground the greater will be the tendency 
for him to reproduce periostitis, lameness, and increased devel¬ 
opment of the splint. 
Gait .—Does he wind, paddle, travel close, toe-in, etc.? In 
examining a horse with a splint notice all the irregularities in 
his gait, some I have mentioned and many others I have’not; if 
any irregularities exist notice if they are likely to cause him 
to interfere or hit himself ; if so condemn. I know a great many 
horses with an irregularity of gait will go sound for an indefinite 
period, but you do not know at what moment he will interfere, 
and reproduce periostitis, lameness and increased development. 
I also realize that a great many horses with splints in a bad 
location, and faulty action, give good service. On the other 
hand, many do not, and the chances are against them ; therefore, 
I believe we are justified in condemning on the grounds I have 
mentioned, and if we do not our clients are not receiving justice 
at our hands. As for a splint being classed as a blemish, I do 
not believe that any pathological lesion which may under certain 
conditions cause lameness can be put down as a blemish. 
Spavin.— When does a coarse hock become a spavin? 
Not many years ago the term coarse hock was comparatively 
unknown ; that is, outside of our profession, but of recent years it 
has become alarmingly common and one used to cover a multi¬ 
tude of sins. Dealers will claim, and I regret to say some prac¬ 
titioners will pass a horse with the term “ coarse hock ” when 
he has a spavin that can be photographed a block away, provid¬ 
ing he goes anywhere near sound at the time. 
A coarse hock is one with well developed cuneiform bones, 
possibly with the same well developed condition of the prin¬ 
cipal and rudimentary metatarsal bones; in other words, they 
are more rough and prominent around this articulation than 
usual. I may add that at the present time a coarse hock of this 
kind in a horse six years old or older is more rare than a true 
spavin. 
In examining for soundness it is necessary that we make a 
correct differential diagosis between a coarse sound hock and 
one spavined and unsound, in justice to both buyer and seller, 
for we will all admit that a true coarse hock will stand as much 
wear and tear as a smooth one and frequently more. We should 
also bear in mind that it is common to notice in three and four 
