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Knowing equine anatomy will help you keep your horse acting, moving and stay healthy for years to come.
Skeletal System
The Skeleton of a horse is very important. It provides body structure, protection of
muscles and all the organs, and support of the horse’s weight. Joints acts to help the horse
move fluidly when walking in a field or being ridden or jumped in a ring. Bones also
store essential minerals. There are 205 bones in a horse’s skeleton and they can be
divided into two sections; the trunk and the limbs. Bone to bone attachments are known
as ligaments and bone to muscle attachments are known as tendons. This is how the
skeleton is held together
Trunk:
The trunk of the animal includes the skull, spine, ribs and the breast bone.
Key words:
Cranial Bones- encapsulates the brain, provides protection
Facial bones- defines face, forms nasal passage
Maxilla- forms eye socket, adds facial form
Mandible- lower hinged jaw
Cervical Vertebrae- There are 7 vertebrae that make the neck
Thoracic Vertebrae- forms the back, 18 vertebrae
Lumbar- there are 6 vertebrae, forms the loin
Sacral- forms the croup, 5
Coccygeal- It forms the tail, usually with 18 vertebrae
Limbs:
Scapula- shoulder blade
Humerus- “arm” of the horse
Radius- long bone of forearm
Ulna- smaller fused bone, attached to the radius
Carpus- knee composed of 8 carpal bones
Metacarpels – 3 bones, two are splint bones and one is the cannon bone, extends down
leg
Fetlock- joint between the cannon bone and bones with in the hoof
Femur- back legs, thigh bone
Patella- “knee”
Tibia- main bone of leg, large long bone
Fibula- smaller bone fused to the tibia
Tarsus- Hock, consists of 7 bones
Long pasturn- first phalanx
Short pasturn- second phalanx
Coffin bone- 3rd phalanx
Navicular- A small bone behind the coffin bone known as the distal sesamoid.
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8 comments:
Why do I need to know about my horses anatomy?
You should know your horses anatomy so you can help and prevent injuries and medical conditions. Heaves is one of those things where you can prevent it, as it is "horse asthma."
How are heaves related to a horses conformation?
Heaves is an illness. We get asthma, like horses get heaves. Heaves is horse asthma. Diagnosed horses have constricted airways, so they don't breathe well. The lungs are apart of the respiratory system. Plus this is not on their conformation its what they are made up of.
My horse has a very tight short back. What do you suggest to help her. I think she carries all of her tension in her back making her uncomfortable. Thank you for your help.
Karen Libby-You might want to stretch her. Make her round her back in collection. You also want her poll to be flexible. The looser the horse's body is the better and the best way to loosen your horse is stretching. You might want to check out http://www.standardbredhorse.com/pacecure2.htm
Its a pleasure helping you and your horse.
Your blog is great! There is so much information. I'd like to ask a question for a friend. Her horse has been diagnosed with navicular disease and she is so distraught at the thought that there will come a time when she can no longer ride her. What are some things she could do on a daily basis that would help keep her ride-able for as long as possible?
Libraries of Foster-Sorry it took so long to answer you-There are many different types of Navicular Disease and some can be helped but not all can be fixed. First things first get a very good reputable farrier. Knowing the early warning signs is beneficial to maintaining soundness. Some breeds such as the American Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred are more predisposed to narvicular. Caudal Heel pain is another term used to describe the syndrome and have your friend make sure there are no other factors in their horse's lameness. One of my horses has joint pain and another subluxates his hip a lot. Feeding the anti-inflammatory supplement M.S.M. helps them feel and move good. These may help get her horse more rideable: therapeutic shoeing, various medication and surgery. For shoeing specifications she should have an extra rim in which the heels can expand. There is a downfall to that, sometimes horses have forging issues, which is when the bottom of the front shoe interferes with the toe of the hind shoe on the same side of the horse. In that case the horse would need to wear bell-boots. Trimming the toe as short as possible putting round (rocker) or square-toed shoes on could reduce the amount of pain the horse suffers, which encourages easy breakovers and reduces stress. Farriers frequently shoe with a full-fitting heel (allowing normal heel expansion) and they sometimes set the shoe back for the same reason. Egg-bar shoes additionally add support to the caudal heel structures. Sometimes pads are put in the shoe to decrease the tension on the flexor tendon. Anti-inflammatory drugs are such as bute, but the natural way to ease pain is with these following herbs: Devil's Claw, White Willow Bark, Turmeric, or Meadowsweet. But remember every case is different and consult your veterinarian. Check this site too. http://www.thehorse.com/articles/10042/navicular-problems-symptoms-and-treatment
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