Typical Signs of Bone Spavin
Initially, signs of bone spavin may include sporadic and vague hindlimb lameness. Some horses may become uncomfortable in one lead, or may demonstrate stiffness walking downhill.
In many cases lameness worsens, becoming more obvious and consistent. Advanced cases may have a bony swelling on the hock, typically on the inside of the joint. Lameness, although usually worse in one leg, is commonly bilateral.
The affected limb usually lands toe-first, wearing down that foot faster than the other. The affected limb usually has a shorter, lower arc than the other foot, as the horse is trying to reduce the painful flexion of the joint, so the leg appears to drag.
A flexion test of an affected limb often produces a temporary worsening of the lameness. Such a response to a flexion test would support the diagnosis of bone spavin. A flexion test involves holding the hock in forced flexion for a period of time before trotting the horse away immediately.
Read more about this topic: Bone Spavin
Famous quotes containing the words typical, signs and/or bone:
“New York is the meeting place of the peoples, the only city where you can hardly find a typical American.”
—Djuna Barnes (1892–1982)
“They lock me in this chair at eight a.m.
and there are no signs to tell the way,
just the radio beating to itself
and the song that remembers
more than I.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“Take adultery or theft.
Merely sins.
It is evil who dines on the soul,
stretching out its long bone tongue.
It is evil who tweezers my heart,
picking out its atomic worms.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)