We need a good knowledge of the points of the horse so we know what anatomical region we are talking about. It is all about discussing some of the health issues of the horse.
Belly….this is located behind the last rib, the lower region before we get to the flank.
Back….the back is the area from the bottom end of the withers to where the last rib attaches itself.
Loins….this anatomical area of the horse is the lower back.
Croup / Hindquarter….is the area between the tuber sacral, or the point of the croup and the hindquarter, and the hind-quarters are the gluteal muscles and the gluteal fascia over the back-end.
Dock….this is the top part of the tail where the muscles of the tail surround the tailbone.
Point of the Buttock….the outermost point of the semi-tendonous hamstring. Directly inwards from this point, the end of bone you can feel is called the Ischial-Tuberosity.
Flank…..this area lies beneath the loins of the horse from the last rib to the muscles of the thigh. All of this is abdominal fascia supporting and protecting the abdominal area. Similar to the girth, it gets really tight here. When the abdominal fascia is really tight it will restrict the stifle.
Shoulder….the area from the scapular cartilage, below the withers to the point of the shoulder, predominantly the muscles over the scapular/shoulder-blade and around this area.
Point of the shoulder….this is below the shoulder joint at the bottom-end of the of the subclavian and supraspinatus muscles. The outer-most point of the humerus where you can feel the edge of the humerus bone.
Elbow….the point of the elbow is behind the elbow joint where the bone is prominent.
Forearm….the forearm extends from the elbow to the knee of the horse.
Chestnut….these are what are called ‘horny growths’ on the insides of the leg, usually halfway down inside the leg or forearm.
Knee….made up of 8 carpal bones between the forearm and the canon bone.
Canon (Bone)….also called the shin, when it is the foreleg, lies between the knee and the fetlock.
Flexor Tendons….these are an extension of the flexor muscles at the back of the forearm. These tendons, superficial and deep, start above the back of the knee and insert on the short pastern bone (superficial flexor tendon) and pedal bone (deep flexor tendon).
Fetlock…. is the joint between the canon bone and the pastern.
Ergot….this is classified as a horny growth at the back of the pastern which is covered by hair, obviously to protect it.
Pastern….made up of the long pastern bone and the short pastern bone. It extends from the fetlock to the coronet band at the top of the hoof.
Coronet….the white band around the hoof from which the hoof wall grows.
The Hoof…The horses hoof refers to the hoof wall below the coronet band and sole of the foot.
Hip….you can feel where the point of the hip is by the hardness of the edge of the bone protruding outwards. The hip is also known as the tuber coxae.
The stifle….at the bottom of the thigh, it’s one of the hard-working joints associated with propulsion from the back-end.
Gaskin….this is the anatomical region between the stifle and the hock, the digital extensor muscles and digital flexor muscles. There are deeper muscles under these as well including the musculo-tendonous intersection of the gastronemius muscle and the calcaneal with tendon attachment at the point of the hock.
The hock….this is the joint between the gaskin and the cannon bone. Because the point of the hock ‘sticks out’ or what we say has a ‘protuberance’, it can be easily injured.
