POINTS OF THE BODY OF THE HORSE

POINTS OF THE BODY OF THE HORSE

The points of the animal are the terms used to indicate the several regions of the body. Commencing at the top of the head, the part immediately between and behind the ears is called the “poll”; the “fore -head” is from the poll down to the level of the eyes (Figure 1). From the level of the eyes downwards to the nostrils we have the face and the lower part, including nostrils, mouth and chin, is generally termed the “muzzle”. If a finger is passed into the nostril at its upper angle, it enters a blind pouch or cul-de-sac, which is known as the “false nostril”.

Starting again from the poll, the top of the neck from which the mane springs is called the “crest”, and passing the hand down this we come to the “withers”; they are situated immediately over the top of the shoulder-blade. Behind the withers lies the “back” and behind the back are “loins”, “croup” and “dock”, respectively. The back runs as far from behind the shoulder -blade as a saddle reaches, the loins from there to the top of the quarter, and the croup from there on to the root of the tail or dock. Coming back to the head, the space between the branches of the jaw is called “jowl”, and just behind it is the “throat”. Running down the lower part of each side of the neck, from the angle of the jaw to just in front of the shoulder, is a well marked shallow groove in which the large blood vessels of the head and neck lie, is called “jugular groove”. On the near (left) side the ”gullet” also lies in this groove, and its position may be accurately noted whenever the animal swallows a mouthful of feed. Beneath these grooves and in the center line, the “windpipe” is found and may be traced from the throat to the base of the neck where it enters the chest.

At the lower part of the neck where it joins the body is the “breast”, in the center of which may be felt the point of the breast-bone. The ribs, eighteen in number, springing from the back-bone above and attached to the breast-bone below, form a cage for the organs of the chest and belly which extends from between the front of the shoulders to the loins. They may be felt from behind the shoulder backwards and the space between the last rib and the hind -quarter is termed the “flank”. The “fore-hand” includes head, neck and fore-limbs. The “quarters” are the whole of the parts from flank to tail.

The shoulder-blade slopes downwards and forwards to the “point of the shoulder”, where with the “arm- bone” or “humerus”, it forms the shoulder-joint; the latter being continued backwards and downwards to the “elbow-joint”. The “fore-arm” reaches from the elbow to the knee. The bone forming the “point of the elbow” may be felt projecting prominently at the back of the elbow-joint. On the inner side of the arm may be noted a horny prominence, the “chestnut” or “castor”.

From below the knee to the next joint, the bone running down the front of the leg is termed the “cannon”, “shank” or “shin” and the tendons from the bend of the knee down the back of the same area are called “back-tendons”. This brings us to the “fetlock” joint and below this the “pastern” slopes downwards and forwards to the “hoof”. Behind the fetlock, in a tuft of hair, is a small horny mass. This is known as the “ergot”. The region round the top of the hoof is called the “coronet” and usually there is a slight bulging forward of the skin at this point.

Commencing now at the top of the hind-quarter, we find about a good hand’s breadth behind the last rib, a long prominence just beneath the skin, the “point of the hip”. The projection of the quarter just below the root of the tail or “dock” is the point of the quarter” or “buttock”, and about midway between the point of the hip and buttock, lying deeply in the muscles is the “hip joint”. The hip bone runs from the hip-joint to “stifle”, which is the

large joint found behind the lower part of the flank; from here the “thigh”: runs backwards and downwards to the “hock-joint”, and the prominent bunch of muscles found over the outside of the lower part of the thigh is often called the “gaskin” or “second thigh”. The “hamstring” is the thick strong tendon running from the muscles at the back of the thigh to the “point of the hock”. Below the hock the same terms are used as in the fore-leg. The “chestnut” in the hind- leg is situated on the inner and lower part of the hock and is smaller than the corresponding one on front leg.

EXERCISES

1.                  Define “point of the body”.

2.                  Label various points of the body on the given line drawings of horse, buffalo/cow and sheep/goat.

3.                  Compare the points of the bodies of the horse and buffalo/cow and prepare a list of such points that are not common in these species.

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