3. The equine hamstring consists of 3 main muscles; the Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus. These muscles are located down the back of the hind limb. How many hamstrings are there? three hamstring musclesYou have three hamstring muscles at the back of your thigh. You use these muscles to walk, Read more…
The lower surface of the hoof, from the outer walls and the inner frog and bars, is covered by an exfoliating keratinised material, called the ‘sole’. What is the sole on a horse? The Function of the Horse’s Sole The bottom of the hoof consists of the sole (the concave Read more…
Due to its potential to accumulate oxalates, all parts of the curly dock, including its leaves, stems and seeds, are toxic. While many cases of Curly Dock poisoning do not have fatal outcomes, horses typically become very ill after ingesting the plant. Is bitter dock poisonous? Bitter dock is technically Read more…
An anatomical positional term: in humans it refers to the sole of the foot; in horses it refers to the back of the hindlimb beween the hoof and the tarsus (hock). What is plantar on a horse? What is it? The triangular bone inside the hoof is known by several Read more…
There is much debate about the ideal angle for the pedal bone to sit at in relation to the ground. Some sects suggest a palmar angle of 0 degrees as an ideal, while the widely accepted normal range lies between 2 – 7 degrees. What is negative palmar angle horse? Read more…
This stance can be due to conformational defects or sometimes are an indication of hoof pain, such as navicular. The horse that is “camped under” will stand with its legs too far underneath it, causing increased strain to be placed on the ligaments and tendons of the leg. Why do Read more…
If you look at cats, dogs, and horses it looks like their knee bone is pointing backwards. That bone pointing backwards is actually the calcaneus or heel bone! All these animals are actually walking on their toes! In the picture above you can see a human leg on the left, Read more…
The shin of a horse is called the cannon bone. It is the long bone in the horse’s leg that runs from the hock to the fetlock. The cannon bone is a key weight-bearing bone. What are horse front legs called? forelimbsThe horse’s front legs are called the forelimbs. They Read more…
There are 3 joints in the carpus : the antebrachiocarpal (radiocarpal), the intercarpal (middle carpal) and carpometacarpal joint. The antebrachiocarpal and intercarpal joints are high motion joints while the carpometacarpal joint is low motion. The intercarpal and carpometacarpal joints communicate in all horses. What type of joint is the carpus Read more…
The radius and ulna are equivalent to the bones of the human lower arm but, unlike the human, they are fused together to prevent the horse’s foreleg from twisting. The ulna is very small except for the olecranon process, which forms part of the elbow. What is the main function Read more…