GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR PARTS OF THE HORSE
Poll. The poll is the bony prominence lying between the
ears. It is the junction of the vertebrae with the skull; an area of great
sensitivity and flexion. Except for the ears, it is the highest point on the
horse’s body when it is standing with its head up.. In this area are many
nerve endings and acupressure points.
Forelock. The hair growing between a horse's ears
that falls forward ontp the forehead; a horse's "bangs."
Forehead. The forehead is the area between and just
above the eyes. Foreheads can be concave, flat or convex.
Muzzle. The muzzle is the end of a horse's face,
including the nose, nostrils, and lips. The head should taper to a small
muzzle. The nostrils should be capable of wide dilation to permit the
maximum inhalation of air, yet be rather fine. The lips should be firm and
the lower lip should not have the tendency to sag.
Mouth. The mouth is the opening through which an animal
receives food; the aperture between the jaws or between the lips; also, the
cavity, containing the tongue and teeth, between the lips and the pharynx.
It is important to examine the mouth of the horse to ensure that the horse
is not parrot- mouthed (overshot muzzle) or monkey-mouthed (undershot
muzzle). The depth and shape of the mouth is an indication of the
"lightness" of a horse's mouth. Typically, the more shallow the mouth, the
softer and more responsive a horse is to the bit.
Jaw. The jaw is the part of the skull that frames the
mouth and holds the teeth. The horse should have a well-defined jaw and
cheek. Stallions will have a slightly larger, deeper, more defined jaw than
mares, indicative of secondary sex characteristics. A gelding will typically
have a jaw intermediate in size.
Throatlatch. The throatlatch is the junction
between head and neck from ear to ear. It should be trim and refined,
regardless of the breed. If a horse is thick and coarse in the throatlatch,
air and blood flow may be restricted when the horse is asked to flex and
bend at the poll. A trim, refined throatlatch allows the horse to perform
while breathing correctly.
Neck. The neck connects the head to the shoulders,
starting at the poll and terminating at the withers. It should blend
smoothly into the withers and the shoulders. The underline of the neck
should be straight and attach high on the shoulder, giving the appearance of
a vertical chest. Ideally the neck should always be in proportion to the
rest of the body. Draft type horses will need shorter, heavier necks to
balance their shorter, heavier frames; and finer boned, light horses have
reasonably long necks in proportion to their longer body and legs. Proper
proportion will also present a more attractive appearance.
Shoulder. The shoulder runs from the withers to the
point of the chest on each side. They should be covered with lean, flat
muscle and blend well into the withers. Ideally the slope of the shoulder
should be approximately 45 to 50 degrees. However, shoulder angles will vary
from the ideal. In general, pastern angles usually follow that of the
shoulder. If the shoulder is more upright, or ‘straight’ the horse’s stride
will be shorter and its gaits may be more choppy and uncomfortable to ride.
Point of Shoulder. The point of shoulder is
a hard, bony prominence at the lower part of the shoulder surrounded by
heavy muscle masses.
Breast. The breast is a muscle mass between the
forelegs, covering the front of the chest.
Chest. An ideal chest is wide and deep and contains the
space necessary for vital organs. A narrow chest indicates lack of muscling
and area for the heart and lungs and can lead to interference with the front
legs. Chest muscles should be well developed and form an inverted "V".
However, an excessively wide chest forces the legs out, so the gait may be
rolling and labored.
Elbow. The elbow is the joint between the humerus and
the radius and ulna, located on the foreleg between the shoulder joint (scaputahumeral)
and the knee (carpal joint). Its bony prominence lies against the lower
chest at the beginning of the forearm in the girth area.
Forearm. The forearm is the upper part of the foreleg
which extends from the elbow to the knee. The underlying two bones of the
forearm are the radius and the ulna. A well muscled and long forearm is
desirable as it can signify a long smooth stride. Forelegs should be
straight and perpendicular when viewed from all directions.
Chestnut. The chestnut is a horny growth on the inner
side of the legs. On the forelegs, they are just above the knees. On the
hind legs, they are just below the hocks. No two horses have been found to
have the same chestnuts and so they may be used for identification. Also
called "night eyes."
Knee. The knee is the carpal joint between the radius
(forearm) and the cannon bone. The knee of the horse is made of several
small bones. Although it is called the knee and bends forward like a human
knee it is different in structure to a human knee. A human’s knee joint is a
ball and socket joint. A horse’s knee is several bones held together by
small muscles, tendons and ligaments. The bones in the knee are similar to
the bones of a human’s wrists.
Cannon. The cannon bone lies between the knee and
fetlock joint on the front leg and from the hock joint to the fetlock joint
on the hind leg. It should be straight and strong. Along each side of the
cannon bone runs smaller bones, called the splint bones.
Flexor Tendons. The flexor tendons run from the
knee to the fetlock and can be seen prominently lying behind the cannon
bone, when it runs parallel to the cannon bone it constitutes the desired
"flat bone".
Fetlock. The fetlock is the area around the joint
between the cannon bone (metacarpus or metatarsus) and the pastern (first
phalanx), including the sesamoid bones. It is equivalent to the human
knuckle but often referred to as the "ankle." The fetlock should be set well
back on pasterns of medium length that are strong and sloping. Fetlock and
pastern together provide springiness to the gait and also disperse
concussion. The joint should be strong, clean and free from stiffness.
Ergot. A small horny growth in a tuft of hair behind the
fetlock joint; similar to chestnut
Pastern. The pastern is the area between the hoof and
fetlock joint on all four legs. The pastern is made up of two bones that
extend downwards from the fetlock. The upper bone is longer and the shorter
lower bone extends into the hoof where it joins to the pedal bone inside.
The angle and length of the pastern is important to strength and smoothness
of gaits. Too long a pastern, while providing supple shock absorbency for a
smooth ride, may not stand up to hard work. A short pastern will be strong
but the horse’s gaits may be choppier. Ideally the angle of the pastern on
the forelegs should be about 45 degrees on the front and 50 degrees on the
back.
Sesamoid bones: two small bones (medial and
lateral sesamoids) located above at the back of the fetlock joint.
Coronet. The coronet is the band around the top of the
hoof between hair-covered skin and hoof from which Soft tissue is turned
into the hardened horn of the hoof wall. Also called “coronary band”
Hoof. The hoof refers to the horny wall and the sole of
the foot. The foot includes the horny structure and the pedal bones and
navicular bones, as well as other connective tissue that play an integral
role in supporting the weight of the horse.
Girth. The girth is the circumference of the body
measured from behind the withers around the barrel. This is the point that a
horse should be measured to determine the heart girth which can be used to
determine the horse’s weight.
Underline. The underline is the length and shape of
the line from the elbow to the sheath or udder.
Hock. The hock is the tarsal joint between the tibia and
the cannon bone in the rear leg that corresponds to the level of the knee of
the front leg. The hock is responsible for providing most of the forward
energy of the horse. It corresponds to the human heel. The bony protuberance
at the back of the hock is called the point of hock.
Gaskin. The gaskin is the muscular region between the
stifle and the hock. The underlying bones are the tibia and the smaller
fibula which are equivalent to our calf and shin bones. Sometimes called the
“second thigh”.
Stifle. The stifle is the area at the end of the thigh
corresponding to the human knee. Underlying the stifle area is the stifle
joint made up of the femur, the patella, and the tibia. A luxating patella
is a condition in which the patella, or kneecap, dislocates or moves out of
its normal location.
Hindquarters. The hindquarters is the part of the
horse's body from the rear of the flank to the top of the tail down to the
top of the gaskin. Since the hindquarters provide power to the horse they
should be well muscled when viewed from the side and rear. Also called
quarters.
Croup. The croup is the top of the hindquarters; it lies
between the loin and the tail. When one is looking from the side or back, it
is the highest point of the hindquarters.
Loin.
The loin is located between the last rib and the croup, lying either side of
the vertebrae over the kidneys. It is the short, sometimes sensitive area
joining the back to the powerful muscular croup. Sometimes called
“coupling”. The loin transmits power to the forequarters, so it must be
short, wide, strong and heavily muscled. A horse that is weak in coupling
and shallow in the flank is termed hound-gutted, or wasp-waisted, and lacks
drive. Do not be misled by a highly conditioned horse that is well tucked
up.
Flank. The flank is the slightly indented area behind
the horse's barrel between the ribcage and the hindquarters. This is the
area you watch to count your horse’s respiration.
Barrel. The barrel is the area of the horse's body
between the forelegs and the loins. The curve of the barrel is formed by the
ribs. Depth of heartgirth and spring of rib translate into more strength and
constitution.
Back. The horse’s back extends from the base of the
withers to where the last rib is attached. Beneath the surface of the skin
are the upright ‘fins’ of the vertebrae. Along either side are many muscles.
Horses should have a short, strong back relative to a longer underline.
Length of back plays an important role in balance, length, and type of
stride. It is directly related to the length and angle of the shoulder and
the top-to-bottom line neck ratio. Horses with excessively long backs are
unbalanced and weaker in their toplines than shorter-backed horses. Sway
backs (lordosis) can be genetic, caused by old age or by improper riding.
Withers. The withers is the prominent ridge of the
horse's spine where the neck and the back join. The height of a horse is
measured vertically from the withers to the ground, because the withers is
the horse's highest constant point.
Mane. The mane is the long and coarse hair growing on the
upper side of the neck of the horse.
Crest. The crest is the topline of the neck, the area
between the poll and the withers. Ideally the crest should be a gentle
convex curve from the poll to the withers. Moderately lean in mares but
inclined to be more full in stallions. On some horses, the crest can become
very thick and actually break over, called a “broken crest.”
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The neck connects
the head to the shoulders, starting at the poll and ending at the withers.
It should blend smoothly into the withers and the chest and not appear to
emerge between the front legs. Ideally the neck should always be in
proportion to the rest of the body. Draft type horses will need shorter,
heavier necks to balance their shorter, heavier frames; and finer boned,
light horses have reasonably long necks in proportion to their longer body
and legs. Proper proportion will also present a more attractive appearance.