The horse’s body is both exceedingly powerful and capable of bending, turning around tight corners, and stopping on a dime, all thanks to his intricate combination of muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
As you admire a horse, you take in his physique, his muscle tone, and the sheen of his coat. But underlying these essential outer parts is the structure that forms the scaffold to which all soft tissues attach: the equine skeleton.
Learn how the complex equine foot is built, and how it works to allow work at speed. Sponsored by the American Association of Equine Veterinary
The harder a horse works, the more oxygen it needs and the more air it must move into and out of the lungs. Understanding how the horse’s respiratory system works can help horse owners recognize problems and/or manage horses to prevent them.
This first article of a 12-part series on equine anatomy and physiology discusses basic terminology, the horse’s largest organ (his skin), and how horses and humans are alike (and different).
There are 205 bones in the horse’s skeleton, and the spot where one or more bones join is the joint. This installment of the anatomy and physiology series focuses on these critical areas of movement.
The foreleg of the horse is, for the most part, a model of good engineering. Most of a horse’s weight is carried on its forelimbs. Good conformation will help ensure long-term soundness.
No matter the breed or discipline, good conformation of the hind legs will contribute to more successful performance and a better ride. We want a horse to have excellent rear leg conformation so that it can tolerate the demands placed on it.
Anatomy and physiology of the horse’s head and neck, and related structures such as the eyes, ears, mouth/teeth, and upper respiratory tract.
A horse’s conformation and muscle types can determine how well he can perform certain tasks, but all horses are subject to muscle injury and disease. In this article, we’ll take a look at how equine muscles function and are nourished.
Understanding the equine digestive system can make your horse healthier and give you fewer worries about gastric upset. In this article, we’ll take a look at just how this “factory” is designed and how it functions.
The horse’s circulatory and respiratory systems constitute its engine. Here, we’ll take a close a look at these two systems and the manner in which they function.
In this article on reproductive anatomy, we’ll take a look at the reproductive organs of both the mare and the stallion and discuss just how they function in their effort to produce another “miracle.”
Learn how your horse’s anatomy works with our complete anatomy and physiology guide, including basic terminology, skin, forelimbs, hindlimbs, feet/hooves, head and neck, tendons/ligaments, muscles, digestive, cardiovascular and reproductive systems.
It should come as no surprise that horses suffer from tendon and ligament injuries. When one considers these vital parts of the equine anatomy and the stresses placed upon them, it’s a tribute to the horse’s physical make-up that there aren’t
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