864 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
year olds a pronounced coarseness of this articulation and that 
with proper care they will fine down by the time they reach 
their sixth year. 
Granting what I have said I do not believe that a finely bred 
horse with smooth even articulations at other points can have a 
pronounced nornnal coarseness of one or both hocks, neither do 
I believe that a horse can have a pronounced enlargement or 
coarseness, if you like, of one hock and a fine, smooth hock on 
the opposite side. 
The number of spavined horses sold at the present time as 
being coarse in one or both hocks cannot be imagined by one 
not in close touch with the sale marts. Again, it is almost 
beyond one’s comprehension how some men can and will stand 
up and propound theories regarding this condition in order to 
justify themselves in passing these animals. One case comes to 
my mind and is as follows, viz. : Several years ago a stallion of 
international reputation was condemned for spavin by two or 
three of our most able practitioners, while two or three others 
passed him sound with a coarse hock, one of whom advanced 
the theory that animals of this breed, especially the entire horses, 
were always exercised on a lunge rein, which threw their weight 
from the centre and almost entirely upon one side, and on ac¬ 
count of this a coarseness developed to compensate the articula¬ 
tion for the increased weight it was called upon to carry, for¬ 
getting in his argument that animals exercised in this manner 
are reversed every few minutes, which causes the weight to be 
continually shifting from side to side. Again, if this condition 
did develop in one or both legs it would be nothing more nor less 
than an exostosis (spavin) due to the periostitis which the 
weight caused if it caused anything. 
You will also notice some practitioners condemn horses when 
this coarseness is situated on or near the anterior surface of the 
hock and pass a more pronounced condition of the same kind if 
situated on the internal surface near the posterior border, which 
I believe is wrong; if a coarseness is sufficient to be called a 
spavin at one point it is at another, because it is not so con¬ 
spicuous, does not change its pathology nor its tendency to cause 
future trouble. 
In examining a horse whose hocks are suspicious and where 
you are in doubt as to the true condition, examine him first cold, 
drive him, and again when cooled out, trotting him to the halter 
on each examination, also watch him closely when backing 
from the stall, and turn him short on both sides. You may also 
