Basic Horse Anatomy

Investing in a Horse Conformation Book can benefit any person especially a prospective horse owner, horse caretaker, instructor and or owner of a horse. Horses with certain conformation traits are prone to injuries. A horse with poor conformation would not make a champion dressage horse. These and many other factors are significant when purchasing a horse that is going to reach a higher status than a paddock/field pet.

Withers:
the highest point of the shoulder seen best with horse standing square and head slightly lowered. The tops of the two shoulder blades and the space between them define the withers.
mane and forelock:
long and relatively coarse hair growing from the dorsal ridge of the neck, lying on either the left or right side of the neck, and the continuation of that hair on the top of the head, where it generally hangs forward.
Dock:
the point where the tail connects to the rear of the horse.
Flank:
Where the hind legs and the stomach of the horse meet.
Pastern:
The connection between the coronet and the fetlock. Made up of the middle and proximal phalanx.
Fetlock:
Resembles the ankle of the horse. Known to anatomists as the metacarpophalangeal joint.
Coronet:
The part of the hoof that connects the hoof to the pastern.
Cannon:
Resembles the shin of the horse. Consists of metacarpal III.
Muzzle:
the chin, mouth, and nostrils make up the muzzle on the horse's face.
Crest:
the point on the neck where the mane grows out of.
Poll:
the portion of the horse's neck right behind the ears.
Hock:
Hindlimb equivalent to the Heel, the main joint on the hind leg.
Stifle:
corresponds to the elbow of a horse, except on the hind limb.
Gaskin:
also known as the "second thigh," the large muscle on the hind leg, just above the hock, below the stifle.
Jowl:
the cheek bone under the horses ear on both sides
Chestnut:
on the inside of every leg

This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.

A picture speaks a thousand words is no joke when it comes to horse conformation. Actually seeing a picture of good conformation and not so great will help you refine your search for a horse. You certainly would not want to fall in love with a horse, purchase him only to find out that he has poor conformation which results in a not so sound horse! A Photographic Guide to Conformation.

What does this all mean? A horse's conformation plays a very important role in how he moves. If your horse is prone to overreach, his back hooves knock his front, he may very well cut open his fetlock area. Thus you will be out of pocket for a veterinarian fee and your horse will be out of work until the injury heals. If you are serious about riding, this could be an unnecesary set back. Had you have known about conformation, you could have avoided purchasing the horse with this potential problem. Or better yet, you could invest in horse apparel that would help in preventing the injury, like overreach boots. Knowledge when it comes to horses is an invaluable tool. So read, read, read! And for those of us who are not book worms, try this Conformation Evaluation DVD.