Horse Bones Blog By Swan Training

Does a horse have a collarbone? What is the largest long bone in a horse? Which one is the largest of a horse’s flat bones? Where is a horse’s cannon bone? What is the common name for the tarsus bone? What is a coccygeal? Just how many horse bones are there?

Does it matter if I know about my horse’s bones and skeletal structure? The answer to that last question is YES, it matters. A balanced horse skeleton is the key to soundness. The better proportioned the skeleton, the better athlete the horse will be. Understanding how your horse is put together helps you determine if it is capable of living up to your expectations. For the answer to the other questions posed here plus lots more information about horse bones and skeletons, read on!

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The horse’s body contains just over 200 bones, 205 to be exact. The alignment of these bones determines the horse’s conformation, movement, mechanics, and efficiency. The bones of the horse skeleton are held together with ligaments, tendons, and muscles. When the skeleton structure is properly proportioned the joints work smoothly. One bone works in relation to another. If the angle at which these bones are working is compromised, the joint becomes unevenly stressed and injury to the tendons and ligaments become more likely.

There are two main parts to the horses’ skeleton, axial and appendicular. The axial skeleton protects the horse’s vital parts and consists of the skull, the ribcage, and the backbone.

The appendicular skeleton supports the body and consists of the shoulders, forelegs, pelvis and hind legs.

AXIAL SKELETON

Skull

• Mandible: Contains lower jaw teeth
• Maxilla: Sides of the nasal cavity that contain upper canine, premolars, and molars
• Incisive: Under nasal cavity that contains upper incisor teeth
• Nasal: Front of head
• Frontal: In between eyes
• Parietal: Top of head
• Hyoid bone

Vertebral column

• 7 cervical (neck) vertebrae. The first is known as the atlas and the second is the axis
• 18 thoracic (chest) vertebrae
• 6 lumbar (back) vertebrae
• 5 sacral (loin) vertebrae, which are fused together in the sacrum
• 18 to 23 coccygeal (tail) vertebrae

Rib cage

• 18 pairs of ribs, each one connected to a thoracic vertebra
• Sternum (breastbone)

APPENDICULAR SKELETON

Forelegs and shoulder

• Scapula (shoulder blade)
• Humerus
• Radius
• Ulna
• Shoulder joint
• Elbow joint
• Carpus (knee)

Hindlegs and joints

• Pelvis (the largest flat bone)
• Femur (the largest long bone)
• Patella
• Tibia
• Fibula
• Hip joint
• Stifle joint
• Tarsus (hock)

Lower limb bones, present in both front and hind legs

• Cannon bone
• splint bones
• proximal sesamoid bones
• long pastern
• short pastern
• coffin bone
• navicular bone

The hindleg attaches to the vertebral column via the pelvis, while the foreleg does not directly attach to the spine (as a horse does not have a collarbone), and is instead suspended in place by muscles and tendons. This allows great mobility in the front leg and is partially responsible for the horse’s ability to fold his legs up when jumping. Although the hindleg supports only about 40% of the weight of the animal, it creates most of the forward movement of the horse and is stabilized through attachments to the spine.

OK – now you know all about horse bones…or do you? Test your new knowledge by taking one of these quizzes.

• https://www.quia.com/quiz/1549380.html?AP_rand=900716617
• https://www.purposegames.com/game/horse-skeletal-system-quiz
• https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=general-equine-anatomy-quiz