|
Parts
of The Horse & Horse facts!
By Annamaria
Tadlock
Learn the parts of the horse and how unique anatomy helps the horse cope
with its environment.
=

- Ears: The horse's
ears swivel in both directions, giving them the ability to listen to
sounds around them.
- Poll: The poll
is a bony bump between the ears.
- Forelock: This
is a section of hair that falls between the ears into the fact-- it
is thought to keep flies and dust out of the horse's eyes!
- Forehead: Horses
have broad foreheads.
- Eye: Horses have
large eyes. They can turn each one separately, so they can see in both
directions at once! Most horse's eyes are brown, but horses can also
have blue, green, and light brown eyes too! Sometimes they can have
an eye that is half brown, half blue!
- Face: The face
can have many different white markings.
- Nostril: Horses
breathe through their nostrils, not their mouths.
- Muzzle: This area
includes the lips and nostrils and is very soft! Horses grow long hairs
on their muzzle that helps them feel their food when they are eating.
- Lips: Horses have
soft, sensitive lips that they use to sift through their hay or grain.
- Chin: Some horses
leg their chin hang down when they are sleepy.
- Groove: This is
a groove behind the chin.
- Throatlatch: This
is the thinnest area of the neck, behind the jaw.
- Cheek: Horses have
large cheeks because they have a lot of muscle in them-- so they can
grind grasses and grains when they eat!
- Neck : Horses have
long necks that allow them to graze while standing.
- Shoulder: The shoulder
is made of muscle and bone.
- Chest: Horses have
muscular chests.
- Point of Shoulder:
This is the bony part of the shoulder that sticks out.
- Forearm: This is
the muscle in the front leg above the knee.
- Knee: Horses have
knees on their front legs only.
- Coronet (sometimes
called Coronet Band): This is where the flesh meets the hoof.
- Hoof: Horses have
hard hooves that can be black, white, or striped!
- Elbow: The elbow
is the joint above the knee.
- Chestnut: Horses
grow little hard lumps called chestnuts on their inner legs... they
smell strongly of horse!
- Ergot: This is
the point on the fetlock joint, a small lump of hard tissue like the
chestnut.
- Pasterns: The pastern
bone is right above the hoof.
- Stifle: This is
the joint above the hock.
- Gaskin: This is
the muscle in the front of the hind leg.
- Hock: Horses have
hocks, not knees, on their hind legs.
- Cannon: The cannon
bone is the long bone of the lower leg.
- Fetlock: This is
the joint where the cannon bone meets the pastern.
- Feathers: This
is the long hair that grows on the back of the fetlock joint. Draft
horses have more feathers than other horses!
- Hamstring: The
back of the hock.
- Point of Buttock
- Dock: This is the
flesh-and-bone part of the tail.
- Tail: This is the
long, flowing hair of the tail.
- Croup: The area
along the top of the hindquarters.
- Hindquarters: The
rear end of the horse, full of big, powerful muscles.
- Hip & Loin
- Back: Horses with
short backs are better at carrying weight.
- Flank: This is
a sensitive area of the horse, where the hair grows upward and swirls.
- Heartgirth: This
is measured around the widest part of the horse's barrel.
- Withers: The highest
point on a horse's back, where the shoulders meet the spine. This is
where horses are measured from!
- Crest: The top
of the neck. When horses get fat, they develop very cresty necks! Stallions
also have bigger crests than mares.
- Mane: The mane
is long hair that tumbles over the neck. Some breeds have longer hair
than others-- Appaloosas are known for their short manes, while Tennessee
Walkers typically have very long manes!
See also:
The Parts of the Hoof!
Send
us your stories, articles, ideas, jokes...
We're a site for young horse lovers, by young horse lovers...
if you've got a story or article or anything you want to share, let
us know!
Email
Us
|
Learn About Horses:
Horse Info Page!
Read articles here
Horse Colors
Learn the colors!
Horse
World Records
The tallest, oldest...
Horse
Games
Play them online!
Horse
Stories by Young Equestrians
Read them, or send us yours!
Caption
Contest!
Caption the funny pics!
Jigsaw Puzzles
Put together the horses!
Birthstone Prancers!
Adopt one for your site!
Horsetail
Bookmark
Craft step-by-step!
Story: Pony Surprise!
True horse story!
Horse Care Quiz
Test your knowledge
|