Learn Equine Anatomy Terms and Descriptions.

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It is very important to know the proper terms for the equine anatomy. Horse injuries can happen on any part of a horse's body. If someday, you have to explain injuries over the phone to your vet, you can correctly tell him where the injury is.

There are many different parts to a horse's anatomy. I have listed them below.

Forelock - The part of the horse’s mane that falls between the ears.

Poll - The beginning of the horse’s neck, immediately behind the ears.

Mane - The long hair growing from the ridge of the neck.

Withers - The highest point of a horses back. The point just above the shoulder blades.

Back - The area where the saddle goes.

Barrel - The main body area of the horse, enclosing the rib cage and internal organs.

Loins - The area right behind the saddle, extending from the last rib to the croup.

Croup - The top line of the horse’s hindquarters.

Dock - The point where the tail connects to the horse.

Hindquarters - The large muscular area of the hind legs. This is considered to be the most powerful part of the equine anatomy.

Hock - The large joint on the hind legs.

Fetlock - The part of the lower leg situated above and behind the hoof.

Pastern - The connection between the coronet and the fetlock.

Coronet - The ring of soft tissue above the hoof that blends into the skin.

Stifle - the joint, corresponding to the human knee, in the hind leg of a four-legged animal.

Flank - Where the hind legs and the barrel of the horse meet.

Elbow - The joint of the front leg where the belly of the horse meets the leg.

Chestnut - a small callus found on the inside of each leg.

Hoof - The foot of a horse. This is considered to be the most important part of the equine anatomy. A horse is only as good as his feet.

Cannon - The area between the knee or hock and the fetlock joint.

Knee - The large joint in the front legs, above the cannon bone.

Girth - The area behind the elbow of the horse, where the girth of the saddle goes.

Forearm - The area of the front leg between the knee and elbow.

Shoulder - Runs from the withers to the point of the shoulder.

Point of Shoulder - The joint at the front of the chest.

Chin Groove - The part of a horse’s head behind the lower lip and chin.

Frog - The wedge shaped mass on the underside of the hoof.

Muzzle - The chin, mouth and nostrils of a horse’s face.

Learning the horse anatomy is a must for all horse owners. It is very hard to describe injuries or anything else about a horse without knowing the proper terms.

I hope this helped you understand the equine anatomy a little better.