Northern Virginia 4H Camp

The Equine Skeleton

Charlotte Woolley BSc (Hons)
Bone Structure
Bone is a dynamic tissue, which means that it is constantly changing even
when we stop growing
It is made up of cells known as osteocytes, osteoblasts and osteoclasts
Osteoblasts make new bone and osteoclasts resorb bone


Functions of the Skeleton
Support soft tissue, and maintain the animal's
body shape
Protect the delicate organs e.g. the ribcage
protects the heart and lungs
Attach muscles and tendons
Enable movement through joints, e.g. to move a
limb forward
Provide a site for forming blood cells (in the bone
marrow)
Store calcium and phosphate in bones until they
are needed by the body
Structure of the Equine Skeleton
The axial skeleton includes the skull, backbone, ribcage and tail
The appendicular skeleton includes the bones of the fore and hind limbs

The Skull
The skull is the complex set of 37-38 bones in the head of
the animal
Most of the bones are connected by immovable joints
The only freely moveable joint is that of the lower jaw
(mandible)
There are three main groups of skull bones:
1. Bones of the cranium these bones surround and
protect the brain. Internal bones are not visible from the
outside, whereas external bones can be recognised on
the animal
2. Bones of the ear these bones are all hidden
3. Bones of the face. These bones give shape to the face
The Backbone
(Vertebral Column)

The backbone is made up of a series of irregular shaped bones called
vertebrae which extend from the skull to the tail. It is divided into five regions
Vertebrae do not have individual names, instead they are numbered within
each region from head to tail. E.g. C7 is the seventh cervical vertebrae
Region Area of body Number
Cervical Neck 7
Thoracic Above the chest 18
Lumbar Above the abdomen 6
Sacral Above the pelvis 5
Coccygeal Tail 18-20
ACTIVITY
Working as a team, tie together the 5 regions of
the equine backbone together in the correct order
The Chest (Thoracic Cage)
The bones of the chest include vertebrae and the breastbone (sternum)
which forms the front of the thorax
Horses generally have 18 pairs of ribs, although this can vary with breed
Joints between the vertebrae and ribs, and cartilage between the ribs
and the breastbone allow the ribcage to expand and contract as the
animal breathes


The Forelimb
The forelimb includes the bones from the
shoulder blade down through the limb to
the phalanges in the lower leg and hoof
Unlike humans there is no collar bone
(clavicle) to link the forelimb to the
backbone, instead the attachment is
achieved through muscles and tendons
We are used to seeing horses without
collar bones so if they did have collar
bones they would look very strange to us!
The Forelimb
Scapula
Humerus
Ulna
Radius
Knee (Carpus)
Cannon bone
(Large metacarpal)
Long pastern (P1)
Short pastern (P2)
Coffin bone (P3)
The Hindlimb
The hindlimb is directly connected to
the backbone through the pelvis
This avoids the need for a sling of
muscles and tendons used to connect
the forelimb to the backbone
This also leaves room in the abdominal
cavity for the reproductive, digestive
and urinary structures
The Hindlimb
Pelvis
Hip Joint
Femur
Patella
(Knee cap)
Tibia
Tarsus
(Hock)
Cannon bone
(Large metatarsal)
Long pastern (P1)
Short pastern (P2)
Coffin bone (P3)
Equine vs Human Skeleton
Conclusion
The equine skeleton consists of around 205 bones, which provide a structural
shell for all of the other biological systems in the horse
Without bones, your horse would look like this guy (below) all of the time!
There are many differences between the human and equine skeletal system
and it is important to understand these
Having a good knowledge of the anatomy of your horses skeleton will help
you to understand how muscles and tendons that attach to the bones make
your horse move the way it does
Any Questions?