Horse Hippology
Parts of a Horse Blemishes of a Horse Diseases of a Horse		Horse Judging Tack Horse Conformation

Common Unsoundness and Blemishes

Head

1. cataract(U)- cloudy or opaque appearance of the eye.
2. defective eyes(U)- impaired vision or blindness.
3. poll evil(U)- inflamed swelling of poll between ears.
4. roman nose(U)- undesirable outward arched profile of the nose area.
5. parrot mouth(U)- lower jaw is shorter than upper jaw.
6. undershot jaw(U)- upper jaw is shorter than lower jaw.

Neck

1. ewe-neck - faulty conformation or dip in the neck between the poll and the withers.

Shoulders

1. fistula of withers(U or B)- inflamed swelling of withers.
2. sweeny(U)- atrophy or decrease in size of a single muscle or group of muscles, usually found in shoulder.

Front Legs

1. shoe boil or capped elbow(B)- soft, flabby swelling at the point of elbow.
2. knee-sprun or buck knee - over on the knees. Faulty conformation.
3. calf-kneed-back at the knees - faulty conformation.
4. splint (B)- abnormal bony growth on the cannon or splint bone.
5. wind puff (U)- puffy swellings occurring either around the pastern of fetlock - front or back.
6. bowed tendons (U) - enlarged, stretched flexor tendons behind the cannon bones.
7. ring bone (U) - bony growth on the pastern bones.
8. sidebone (U) - bony growth above and toward the rear quarter of hoof head.
9. quittor (U) - fistula of the hoofhead.
10. quarter or sand crack(B) - vertical splint in the wall of the hoof.
11. navicular (U) - inflammation of small navicular bone usually inside front foot.
12. founder (U) - inflammation of the sensitive laminae under the horny wall of the hoof.
13. contracted feet (B) - abnormal contraction of heel.
14. thrush (B) - disease of the frog.

Body

1. heaves (U) - difficult breathing, lung damage.
2. roaring (U) - difficult breathing due to an obstruction, usually in larynx.
3. rupture (U) - protrusion of internal organs through the wall(herna) of the body. The umbilical or scrotal areas are the most common.
4. sway back - faulty conformation.

Rear Limbs

1. stifled (U) - displaced patella of stifle joint.
2. stringhalt (U) - nervous disorder characterized by execessive jerking of the hind leg.
3. thoroughpin (U) - puffy swelling which appears on upper part of hock and in front of the large tendon.
4. capped hock (B or U) - enlargement on point of hock. Depends on stage of development.
5. bog spavin (U) - meaty, soft swelling occurring on inner front part of hock.
6. bone spavinorjack spavin (U) - bony growth usually found on inside lower point of hock.
7. curb (U) - hard swelling on back surface of rear cannon about four inches below point of hock.
8. cocked ankle (U) - usually in hind feet, horse stands bent forward, due to contracted tendons.
9. blood spavin (B) - swelling of vein usually below seat of bog spavin.

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