In this pilot blog, we will go through the equine anatomy and study the basic functions or roles of these parts.

Head:

The head of the horse is measured from the Muzzle to the Poll. The muzzle of a horse is a soft sensitive and fleshy muscle which includes the chin, lips and area of the mouth. The ears of a horse are situated near the poll and are supported by 10 muscles each. The ears of a horse can turn up to 180 degrees each and can move independently of the other.

Neck:

The horse’s neck is powerful and flexible.6-7 vertebrae support the neck of a horse. A good competitive horse should have a relaxed and easily flexible neck. Interestingly, the neck of the horse is usually 1 and a half times the size of its head.

Body:

Forelegs:

The shoulders connect it to the body and provide the majority of the force. The shoulders give way to the withers of the horse located in between them Competitive horses usually require a well-sloped set of shoulders with a shoulder angle of about 55 to 45 degrees, it is desirable if they are capable of lighting their withers up by themselves. The forearms of the horse extend from the shoulders to the knees. The cannon joins the knee and the fetlock. The fetlock in turn is connected to the heel through a slope known as the pastern. The fetlock and pastern provide the suspension of the horse’s forelegs. The angle of the hoof of the horse must be close to 50 degrees while the pastern forms a straight line with the top part of the hoof. A well-sloped pastern can increase the comfort and impulsion of the ride.

Back/Belly:

A horse’s back is made of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae which together make up about 24 vertebrae. The lumbar region of a horse is highly susceptible to damage and cannot handle much weight. The saddle must always be placed in the thoracic region and on the withers of the horse.Horses generally have about 18 pairs of vertebrae and house their powermachines in these.

Hindlegs:

The hindlegs of a horse start at the pelvis and extend towards the hock. The hock of a horse must be straight along with the stifle, pastern and ergot. The stifle joint includes 3 bones—femur, patella, and tibia. The angle formed by these play a major role in influencing the smoothness of the ride.The greater the angle, the chopier the ride. 110 to 150 degrees is considered a good stifle angle.Similarly the angle of the hock also influences the comfort of the ride. A horse is said to be post legged or sickle hocked when the hock angle is too large or too short. Although it must be noted that for some horses like reinign horses might find a smaller hock angle more suitable as they fall on their hind a lot.