SOUNDNESS EVALUATION

SOUNDNESS

Last week down at the feed store I listened in on a conversation where a cackling old cuss was laughing about a friend of his that had bought a horse with a Capped Hock. I wondered to myself whether it really was a Bursitis of the Hock, a Perarticular Arthritis, or maybe a Spavin. Also, the conclusion of the story — "Why he must have been blind to miss that" — started me thinking about how effective a method it would be to examine a horse, "blind," by touch alone.

This stage of the examination should be held "up close and personal." It is quite possible that Capped Hock would not have been obvious if it wasn't causing any pain or stiffness when the horse was shown. There are a number of entries to check in this chapter, some almost redundant, but the order should be followed, by touch hand over hand, leg to leg.

Since this book is not intended as a health care manual, I am not going into what causes a Perarticular Arthritas, nor what the treatment is, if any. I don't want to involve a mass of explanatory material, and have something vital overlooked. Also, there is no point in covering an obvious problem as Lockjaw or Colic. A sick horse, looks and acts, like a sick horse.

Feelings of sympathy should not enter the examination. An underfed, obviously neglected horse that someone is sure to buy out of kindness to give him a good home, might in fact be suffering from Nephritas, or inflammation of the kidneys, caused from over-grazing. Taking a chance on a "cured" unsoundness, may result in the rider himself being crippled.