Equine anatomy

External anatomy

• Back: the area where the saddle sits, beginning at the end of the withers, extending to the last thoracic vertebrae
• Barrel: the body of the horse, enclosing the rib cage and the major internal organs
• Buttock: the part of the hindquarters behind the thighs and below the [|root of the tail]
• Cannon or cannon bone: the area between the knee or hock and the fetlock joint, sometimes called the "shin" of the horse, though technically it is the third metacarpal
• Chestnut: a callosity on the inside of each leg
• Chin groove: the part of the horse's head behind the lower lip and chin, the area that dips down slightly on the lower jaw; area where the curb chain of certain bits is fastened
• Coupling: see "Loin" below
• Coronet or coronary band: the ring of soft tissue just above the horny hoof that blends into the skin of the leg
• Crest: the upper portion of the neck where the mane grows
• Croup: the topline of the hindquarters, beginning at the hip, extending proximate to the sacral vertebrae and stopping at the dock of the tail ; sometimes called "rump"
• Dock: the living part of the tail, consisting of the coccygeal vertebrae, muscles and ligaments. Sometimes used colloquially to refer to the root of the tail.
• Elbow: The joint of the front leg at the point where the belly of the horse meets the leg. Homologous to the elbow in humans
• Ergot: a callosity on the back of the fetlock
• Face: the area between the forehead and the tip of the upper lip
• Fetlock: sometimes called the "ankle" of the horse, though it is not the same skeletal structure as an ankle in humans; known to anatomists as the metacarpophalangeal or metatarsophalangeal joint; homologous to the "ball" of the foot or the metacarpophalangeal joints of the fingers in humans
• Flank: where the hind legs and the barrel meet, specifically the area right behind the rib cage and in front of the stifle joint
• Forearm: the area of the front leg between the knee and elbow, consisting of the fused radius and ulna, and all the tissue around these bones; anatomically, the antebrachium.
• Forehead: the area between the poll, the eyes and the arch of the nose
• Forelock: the continuation of the mane, which hangs from between the ears down onto the forehead of the horse
• Frog: the highly elastic wedge-shaped mass on the underside of the hoof, which normally makes contact with the ground every stride, and supports both the locomotion and circulation of the horse
• Gaskin: the large muscle on the hind leg, just above the hock, below the stifle, homologous to the calf of a human
• Girth or heartgirth: the area right behind the elbow of the horse, where the girth of the saddle would go; this area should be where the barrel is at its greatest diameter in a properly-conditioned horse that is not pregnant or obese
• Hindquarters: the large, muscular area of the hind legs, above the stifle and behind the barrel. Can also be used to refer to the back end of a horse.
• Hock: the tarsus of the horse, the large joint on the hind leg
• Hoof: the foot of the horse; the hoof wall is the tough outside covering of the hoof that comes into contact with the ground and is, in many respects, a much larger and stronger version of the human fingernail
• Jugular groove: the line of indentation on the lower portion of the neck, can be seen from either side, just above the windpipe; beneath this area run the jugular vein, the carotid artery and part of the sympathetic trunk
• Knee: the carpus of the horse, the large joint in the front legs, above the cannon bone
• Loin: the area right behind the saddle, going from the last rib to the croup, anatomically approximate to the lumbar spine
• Mane: long and relatively coarse hair growing from the dorsal ridge of the neck
• Muzzle: the chin, mouth, and nostrils of the face
• Pastern: the connection between the coronet and the fetlock, made up of the middle and proximal phalanx
• Poll: commonly refers to the poll joint at the beginning of the neck, immediately behind the ears, a slight depression at the joint where the atlas meets the occipital crest; anatomically, the occipital crest itself is the "poll"
• Root of the tail or root of the dock: the point where the tail is "set on" to the rump; Sometimes also called the "dock"
• Shoulder: made up of the scapula and associated muscles, runs from the withers to the point of shoulder ; the angle of the shoulder has a great effect on the horse's movement and jumping ability, and is an important aspect of equine conformation
• Splints: bones found on each of the legs, on either side of the cannon bone ; partially vestigial, these bones support the corresponding carpal bones in the forelimb, and the corresponding tarsal bones in the hindlimb; anatomically referred to as metacarpal/metatarsal II and IV
• Stifle joint: corresponds to the knee of a human, consists of the articulation between femur and tibia, as well as the articulation between patella and femur
• Tail: the long hairs which grow from the dock; may also include the dock The long hairs alone are sometimes called the skirt.
• Throatlatch : the point at which the windpipe meets the head at the underside of the jaw, corresponding to where the eponymous part of a bridle goes.
• Withers: the highest point of the thoracic vertebrae, the point just above the tops of the shoulder blades, seen best with horse standing square and head slightly lowered; the height of the horse is measured at the withers.

  Hooves

Digestive system

Mouth

Teeth

Esophagus

Stomach

Small intestine