Parts of a Horse

When receiving a diagnosis for an ailment over the phone, or reading anatomical pieces it’s useful to identify the part in question. We’ve written a brief description for all of the most important externally visible parts of a horse, and have included a diagram (above) to tie everything together.

Back: an integral part of a horse, running between the withers and loin

Barrel: running beneath the ribcage; the barrel is the body of the horse

Cannon: the area between the knee (front) or hock (rear) and the fetlock joint

Chestnut: a thickened and hardened part of the skin on the inside of all four legs – above the knee (front) or hock (rear)

Chin groove: the dip on underside of a horse’s head below the lower lip and down from the throat latch

Coronet: soft tissue between the hoof and leg

Crest: upper portion of the neck

Croup: (or rump) topline of the hindquarters running between the loin and dock

Dock: the stub of a horse’s tail. Living.

Elbow: joint making up part of a horse’s front legs – equivalent to a human elbow

Ergot: a thickened and hardened part of the skin on the back of the fetlock

Fetlock: between the pastern and the cannon

Flank: behind the rib cage – meeting point between the hind legs and the barrel

Forearm: found between the elbow and the knee

Forehead: between the muzzle and the poll (head)

Gaskin: a large muscle between the hock and stifle (hind leg) – equivalent to a human calf

Heel: joint on the lower front legs

Hock: large joint on a horse’s hind legs – equivalent to the human ankle and heel

Hoof: the horse’s foot, covered in a hard, nail-like material

Knee: found between the cannon and forearm – the large joint in a horse’s front leg

Loin: running between the back and the croup (the area behind the saddle)

Muzzle: the nostrils, chin, and mouth (part of the head)

Pastern: area connecting the fetlock and coronet (foot)

Point of hip: above the stifle

Poll: a slight depression on the top of a horse’s head, immediately behind the ears (between the forehead and crest)

Shoulder: above the front legs – vital for movement

Stifle: below the point of the hip – similar to the human knee

Tail: hair growing down from the dock (sometimes includes the dock)

Throat latch: where the windpipe meets the underside of the jaw (bridle lies here)

Withers: muscles forming up the lower neck/upper back just above the shoulder blades (between the crest and the back)

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Looking for something to do with your horse during lock down? Check out our recent polework exercise post!