The parts of the horse will be used in riding lessons and in learning to care for the horse, and a rider will not understand what he or she is taught unless he or she can identify those parts. Some are more important than others, however, so this article should serve as an overview.
Head of the Horse
The first part of learning horse anatomy is studying the head. This is the single heaviest part of the horse's body and is similarly important to riding and care.
The eyes, ears and muzzle are fairly easy to locate when learning horse anatomy. The cheek bones extend from the bottom of the eyes down to the protrusion above the muzzle. The throatlatch is the area just behind the cheeks, where the neck meets the head, and the poll is the knob of bone just between the horse's ears.
Legs of the horse
The legs are almost as important as the head when learning horse anatomy, and are the most fragile part of the horse's body. The names of these parts of the horse are a bit more difficult to remember, so practice is important.
The front leg starts at the elbow, located on the back of the leg between the shoulder and the forearm, which is the well-muscled area above the knee. Below the forearm is the knee, and the long bone of the bottom half of the leg is called the cannon. The fetlock is the L-shaped bone above the hoof, below which is the short pastern bone and the coronet band, which surrounds the top of the hoof.
The back leg of the horse is slightly different when learning the parts of the horse. Where the forearm is located on the front leg, the back leg has what is called a gaskin, and instead of the knee the back leg has a hock, which is slightly more rounded to the outside.
Body of the Horse
The body parts of the horse are what riders will hear most often in riding lessons and when tacking up their mounts. Under the horse's belly is the girth area, which is where the girth or cinch is wrapped from the saddle. This is often called the "heartgirth" as well. The barrel is what we call the horse's main part of the stomach, behind which are the flanks, which are very sensitive.
The stifle is where the body of the horse meets the hind legs, and is slightly curved toward the front. The hindquarters encompass the entire back of the horse from the point of the hip down to the stifle.
Back of the Horse
A horse's back is also very sensitive and it is important to understand the parts of the horse in order to put a saddle on. This section of horse anatomy might differ depending on where you learn, but the basic points are all the same.
The back starts at the withers, which connect the neck to the back. This is a large, hard knot of bone that can be sloped or sharp, depending on the horse. Behind the withers is the back, which is the most hollow point of the horse, followed by the loins, which start the slope up to the hip. When the line of the back begins to slope down toward the tail, this is called the croup, and the top of the tail is referred to as the "dock".
Hair of the Horse
Horse anatomy also includes several points at which short, fine hairs are replaced with longer, coarser hair. The mane and tail are the two most notable of these. The forelock is another of the important parts of the horse, and is the tuft of hair that grows forward across the face from between the ears.
Some horses also have "feathering" behind the fetlock, which can grow quite long. Show horses often have their manes trimmed into a "bridle path" which is where the headstall of the bridle goes behind the ears.
Learning the parts of the horse might seem like a daunting task at first, but you will get the hang of it as you study and practice.
Laura Thompson - Laura Thompson is a horseback riding instructor and freelance writer living in Houston, Texas. She is proud to be the feature writer for ...
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