Anatomy of the Horse: with Aaron Horowitz and Rolf Berg

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Roached-back (convex) – a short and arched upwards back, strong but also stiff and hard – the horse would tend to walk uncomfortably, roughly. The withers is a place of origin for crucial muscles, so it is very important for the horse to have it properly shaped – it should be visible, properly high, and broad, stretching to the back. All illustrations of the equine osteology in this atlas of veterinary anatomy are original content created by Antoine Micheau - MD and are under the copyright of IMAIOS. The frog works in concert with the coronet band, the bars and the sole to provide resistance to distortion of the hoof capsule during the stride. These major blood vessels tend to hold the heart in a fixed position, though the ventral side of the heart is relatively free within the pericardial sac.

Both chestnuts and ergots are believed to be atavistic – a remaining part of the primogenitor, from the no longer existing horse's toes that evolved into hooves.

Lines of the quarter as seen from the back shape sort of a "roof," which top is at the end of the spine – sacrum. The basal layer continuously forms new cells, and these cells replace those cells which are sloughed off due to friction and physical damages in the outermost layers. Statistical cookies collect anonymous information about users, such as the number of visitors, sources of links, etc.

Once a tendon is damaged the tendon will always be weaker, because the collagen fibres tend to line up in random arrangements instead of the stronger linear pattern. Because the stomach empties when 2⁄ 3 full, whether stomach enzymes have completed their processing of the food or not, and doing so prevents full digestion and proper utilization of feed, continuous foraging or several small feedings per day are preferable to one or two large ones. Nutrients leave the arterial end of the capillary bed, while tissue fluid containing metabolic waste reabsorbs back in at the venous end.Therefore, the digestive system of a horse is about 30 m (100 ft) long, and most of this is intestines. The skeleton of the pelvic limb/hind limb of a horse contains the pelvic girdle, femur, tibia, fibula, tarsal bones, metatarsal bones, phalanges, and sesamoid bones. Equine anatomy encompasses the gross and microscopic anatomy of horses, ponies and other equids, including donkeys, mules and zebras.

The horse's torso along with the back is the part of the horse's body that protects all his most important organs. You should remember about this, especially when you allow the horse to "hang" on a bit and you "carry" his head's weight with your arms throughout the whole ride by holding the reins.The case is very different when it comes to serious faults, which can lead to premature exhaustion of the joints and tendons of the limbs. The horse is a highly sophisticated living organism, thus to enable him to reach his full athletic performance and give him a happy, healthy quality of life it is vital to understand both his capabilities and limitations within the context of his structure and function. The photograph shows the laminae which keep the hoof wall tightly bonded to the internal structures.

This work resulted in eighteen finished studies, which Stubbs attempted to have engraved and published. The actual practice of anatomy and the dissection of humans was limited to those in professional training, something a gentleman like Ruini could not attempt. Toes-out - the fetlock-hoof axes go outwards and the limb goes on an inward arch, which causes strickling. Post-laminitis – with deformed hoof walls with transverse rings, caused by acute inflammation of the hoof material. Commonly referred to as the white line, although this is very misleading, not only because it is actually yellowish but also because it is next to the white inner wall of the hoof.This area is designed to receive the initial impact of the horse’s stride and a healthy angle of the bar comprises mainly of pliable inner wall, enabling it to dissipate excess shock with ease. Camped under – causes excessive use of tendons and ligaments, straining of periosteum, shortening of the gait, and furthers stepping or hitting of the back legs against the heels of the front ones. Fortunately, swan and close-coupled necks happen rather rarely - most horses have straight profiles of the neck.