Hock joint

“ The swelling, however, does not always subside. Enlargement, spread over the whole of the hock-joint, remains.
A horse with an enlarged hock must always be regarded with suspicion. In truth, he is unsound. The parts, altered in structure, must be to a certain degree weakened. The animal may discharge his usual work during a long period, without return of lameness; but if one of those emergencies should occur when all his energies require to be exerted, the disorganized and weakened part will fail. ”

“ It may affect the hock joint in such a way as to cement the small joints together, not causing lameness, and apparently no blemish, but the free movement of the limb is impaired. Any condition which favors sprains, such as fast driving over hard or uneven roads, unequal paring of the hoof, thus causing the weight to be unequally distributed in the joints, and severe labor in early life, or blows, bruises, or any injuries to tendons, ligaments, or joints may cause spavin. ”

“ An excellent test for spavin lameness, which may be readily applied, consists in lifting the affected leg from the ground for one or two minutes and holding the foot high so as to flex all the joints. An assistant, with the halter strap in his hand, quickly starts the animal off in a trot, when, if the hock joint is affected, the lameness will be so greatly intensified as to lead readily to a diagnosis. ”

“ While the left hand presses the animal’s weight over towards the right side, the right hand loosens the foot and carries it forward and outward from the body so that the limb is bent at the hock. The holder then turns his body towards the right, brings his left leg against the anterior surface of the fetlock-joint, and carries the foot backward, at which time his left arm passes over the horse’s croup and above and to the inner side of the hock. ”

“ SYMPTOMS: Sometimes there is lameness when the Thoroughpin is first
noticed, but it will gradually disappear as soon as the inflammation
ceases. There will be a puffy, soft enlargement which occurs at the
upper and back part of the hock, beneath the great tendons. Generally
both sides are enlarged and puffy, but occasionally it happens that one
side is only involved. Thoroughpin is also a forerunner of Bog Spavin as
they generally are connected, as you are aware that the hock contains
joint oil as all other joints do, retained in place by a thin, white
fibrous membrane. ”

“ Where either the season of the year prevents, or an opportunity to turn out cannot be obtained, the only alternative, hot fomentations, {341} and stimulative embrocations, must be adopted. In strains of the hip, the horse in general draws his leg after him with a painful reluctance; and if impelled to a trot, is observed to drop upon his heel. If the injury is in the stifle, by treading on the toe, his motion is a kind of hop with the side affected. Strains of the hock are easily discovered, by a sort of limping twist in that joint at every motion of the leg. ”

“ Extension of the hock in upward luxation of the patella, permits of flexion of the phalanges. In upward luxation, then, the leg is extended as if too long, but the phalanges may be in a state of moderate flexion. If the foot rests on the ground when the extremity is not flexed, it is almost impossible for the subject to step backward. Because of immobilization of the stifle and hock joints in upward luxation, the subject can walk only by hopping on the sound leg and then the extremity is flexed, allowing the anterior portion of the fetlock to drag on the ground. ”

“ Sprain of the Hock.—The tendons and ligaments of this joint are all liable to be sprained in leaping and galloping through heavy ground. The tendons of the gastrocnemii internus, or those which retain the latter 42in its place, sometimes become lacerated, and allow the cap formed by the gastrocnemii tendon to slip off the os calcis to the outside. In such an accident we cannot replace the tendon, but with rest and warm applications the animal may become fit for road-work. ”

“ The joints attacked may be determined by local strain, compression on concussion, hence the frequency of lesions of the knees and fetlocks. Yet any of the great joints of the limbs may suffer,—hip, stifle, hock, shoulder or elbow—or several may be affected at once. The disease may extend from one joint to another, may improve in one or more, only to suffer a relapse, and may oscillate better and worse according to the state of the weather or the exposure to cold or warmth. Often almost helpless in the early morning, the patient improves greatly in the heat of the sun. ”

“ If compelled to do so, or required to move forward, the hock being no longer capable of flexion, the muscle which effects that movement being the injured one, the opposite muscles, the extensors, acting freely, the entire lower part of the leg, from the hock down, will be suddenly, with a jerk, extended on the tibia or shank bone, and simultaneously with this the tendo Achillis, the cord of the hock, the tendons of the extensors of the hock will be put in a wrinkled and relaxed condition. ”

“ The hips should be long and wide, with the stifle and thigh strong, long and proportionately developed, and the hind quarters well let down. The hock should have plenty of bone, and be strongly affixed to the leg, and show no signs of curb; the bones below the hock should be flat, and free from adhesions; the ligaments and tendons well developed, and standing out from the bone; the joints well formed and wide, yet without undue enlargement; the pasterns and feet similar to those of the forehand. ”

“ Joints in which movement is restricted within narrow limits, such as the hock or fetlock, are most liable to such injuries, which also occur in very freely movable articulations like the shoulder and stifle. ”

“ After the heat and irritation are reduced, careful hand-rubbing and the use of I.I., at night will do much to disperse the enlargement of the bursa.
Curb At the back of the hock, three or four inches below its point, an enlargement or swelling arises which has received the name of curb. It is a strain of the ring-like ligament which binds the tendons in their place, or of the sheath itself. It comes on in consequence of a violent strain of the flexor tendons, or from a blow, kick, or contusion upon the part. ”

“ The loins strong, square and wide, with deep, not flat, back-ribs. The hindquarters, very strong and muscular, with wide appearance from behind, long as well as large. Straight hocks, rather out than in, with strong, short bone from hock to heel. The stern should be gaily carried, should end in a fine point, little feathered, but not actually smooth, strong at root, gradually tapering to tips. Black, white and hound-tan, is perhaps the best colour. When the black is very prominent, and the tanned markings slight, the hounds are said to be "black and white." ”

“ The hock is said to be curbed when the normal appearance, viewed from the side, is that of bulging posteriorly at any point between the summit of the calcaneum and the upper third of the metatarsus. Among some horsemen a hock is said to be "curby" whenever there exists an enlargement of any kind on the posterior face of the tarsus whether it be due to sprain, exostosis or proliferation of tissue as a result of contusion. ”

“ The hind-legs, though of slighter build than the fore-legs, should be strong and muscular. They should be longer, in proportion, than the fore-legs in order to elevate the loins. The stifles should be round and turned slightly outwards, away from the body, thus bending the hocks inward and the hind-feet outward. The hocks should be well let down, so that the leg is long and muscular from the loins to the point of the hock, which makes the pasterns short, but these should not be so short as those of the fore-legs. ”

“ But there are thoroughbreds that have good hock action. Where, for instance, can one find better hock action than in the thoroughbred mare Jasmine, which has lately been seen about New York? There are many thoroughbreds with such a trot.
When we come to speak of disposition, the case against the thoroughbred is rather [Pg 72] stronger. It cannot be denied that he is hot-tempered. That an animal should be used for generations for an exciting employment, and that employment an artificial one, must result, one would expect, in some eccentricity of temper. ”

“ At first the hock shows a generalised doughy swelling, soon followed by dilatation of the articular synovial sac. Somewhat later four different swellings appear—two in front, separated by the tendons of the common extensor and flexor metatarsi, and two at the back, extending inside and outside to the flexure of the hock.
Diagnosis. The only precaution required in diagnosis is to avoid confusion with articular rheumatism.
Prognosis. The prognosis is rather grave in the case of working oxen, and even of bulls; often slaughter is preferable to treatment. ”

“ CAUSE: Faulty conformation of the hind legs; that is to say, if an
animal has crooked legs, a slight sprain from slipping or jumping will
produce Curb. In cases where an animal has well proportioned limbs, and
is afflicted with Curb, it is caused by a rupture of the small ligament
or cord situated just back of the hock.
SYMPTOMS: A swelling will be noticed on the back part of the hock. At
first the animal is lame and the enlargement is hot and painful. After a
few days' rest the inflammation will partially subside and the
enlargement can be plainly seen. ”

“ In all the species the wrist in the fore limb—commonly called the knee—and the heel in the hind limb—the hock—is raised a considerable distance above the ground, at the same time that the whole weight of the body is carried upon the extreme tips of the toes, the terminal bones of which are expanded within the hoof to increase the basis of support. The collar-bone is absent in all, as it is in nearly every animal that does not use its fore limbs for any other purpose than that of carrying the weight of the front parts of its body. ”

“ Another fault in conformation is the existence of a weak hock that is set low down on a crooked leg, especially when such a member is heavily muscled at the hip. Given such conformation in an excitable horse, and curb is usually produced before the subject is old enough for service. It is certain that in cases where conformation is bad, greater strain is put upon the plantar ligament. This structure serves to bind the tibial tarsal (calcis) bone to the metatarsus; traction exerted upon its summit by the tendo Achillis is great when animals run, jump or rear and also at heavy pulling. ”

“ Coupling of Intersecting Axes—Hooke’s Universal Joint.—Intersecting axes are coupled by a contrivance of Hooke’s, known as the “universal joint,” which belongs to the class of linkwork (see fig. 111) . Let O be the point of intersection of the axes OC1, OC2, and θ their angle of inclination to each other. The pair of shafts C1, C2 terminate in a pair of forks F1, F2 in bearings at the extremities of which turn the gudgeons at the ends of the arms of a rectangular cross, having its centre at O. This cross is the link; the connected points are the centres of the bearings F1, F2. ”

“ Mature animals may be expected to resist the immobilization of the hind legs because of the normal manner of flexion of the tarsal and stifle joints in unison. Therefore, the application of rigid splints to the leg and including the hock is productive of disastrous results in some cases. ”

“ Having killed your horse, you make an incision with a sharp knife round the hide above the hock, say at the commencement of the lower thigh, and another a couple of inches below the curb-place, and then proceed to draw the hide off the legs. Each leg will thus supply a comfortable Wellington, in which the point of the hock has become the heel. Of course, before fit for wear, the hide must be well softened by hand—a task which requires no little patience; for if not thoroughly done, the boots after a time will become quite hard and useless. ”

“ There's herds o' sorrel cayuses."
"Shore there are, but there's only one Blakely. Oh, it was him all right."
"Whoever it was, I'm goin' to wander over onto the 88 range to-morrow, if Red or Hock'll lend me a Winchester."
"Take mine," said Hockling. "Red's throws off a little."
"She does," admitted Red Kane, "but my cartridges don't. ”

“ A strong assistant grasps one of the hind limbs by means of a running loop, fixed, for example, above the right hock. He rapidly slides his left knee towards the front of the left side of the chest, passes his left hand over the withers, and by the combined use of his knees and arms throws the animal on its left side, controlling as far as possible the struggles of the right front and hind limbs, which he grasps with his hands. ”

“ Sometimes, however, there is a swelling on the outside of the hock also, and in that case the fluid or synovia which the swelling contains, may be forced from one to the other. It is generally produced by hard work, or violent exertion for a short period, generally in breaking in a colt and putting him upon his haunches, as it is termed, at too early an age. It seldom occasions lameness, unless considerable, and then makes a horse go very stiff, especially after working much. The only remedy is firing, and sufficient rest ”

“ The third and fourth joints are the longest, twice as long as the first, fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth joints. The third, seventh, and tenth joints are the broadest, and nearly twice as broad as the second and ninth joints. The mouth of the last joint is dilated. The second joint bears three divergent ribs, and the third joint (as prolongations of these) three broad, triangular, lattice-wings, and between the latter three large, ovate openings or windows, recalling those in Clathrocanium (Pl. 64) . Cephalis subspherical, with a pyramidal horn of twice the length. ”