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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.
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  • 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!

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