The external parts of the horse

At Galop 1 you knew the main parts of the horse; at Galop 2, those of the legs. Galop 3 asks you to name and locate all the external parts, from the poll to the feather.

In the exam programme

Name and locate the external parts of the horse.Common module B

The horse is divided into three regions. The forehand, in front of the rider: the head, the neck, the shoulders and the forelegs. The body, under the rider: the withers, the back, the ribs, the belly. The hindquarters, behind: the croup, the hips, the tail and the hind legs. Naming a part also means being able to point to it on the horse: that is how the examiner will test you.

Mane
Neck
Shoulder
Withers
Back
Ribs
Loins
Point of hip
Croup
Thigh
Buttock
Tail
Hock
Cannon
Pastern
Coronet
Hoof
Fetlock
Gaskin
Stifle
Flank
Belly
Girth
Elbow
Ergot
Pastern
Coronet
Hoof
Fetlock
Cannon
Knee
Forearm
Chestnut
Chest
Point of shoulder
Chin
Mouth
Jowl (cheek)
Nostril
Throat
Face (nasal bone)
Eye
Forehead
Forelock
Poll
Ear

Fig. 3.4The external parts of the horse

Part	Where to find it
Poll	Just behind the ears, where the headpiece lies.
Forelock	The lock of hair that falls between the ears onto the forehead.
Forehead and eye hollows	The forehead lies between and above the eyes; the hollows are the dips above each eye.
Temple	Between the eye and the ear.
Face	The front of the head, from the forehead down to the nostrils.
Nostrils	The openings of the nose, at the end of the muzzle.
Corner of the mouth	Where the lips meet, and where the bit rests.
Chin and chin groove	The chin is under the lower lip; the chin groove is the hollow just behind it.
Cheek and facial crest	The cheek is the flat side of the head; the facial crest is the bony ridge that edges it below the eye.
Jowl	The rounded back edge of the lower jaw.
Channel	The hollow between the two branches of the jaw, under the head.
Parotid and throat	The parotid lies under the ear, behind the jowl; the throat is where the head meets the neck, underneath.

The head

Part	Where to find it
Mane and neck	The neck joins the head to the body; the mane grows along its top edge.
Jugular groove	The furrow along the lower part of the neck, where the jugular vein runs.
Withers, back, loins	The withers are the ridge at the top of the shoulders; the back carries the saddle; the loins carry on from it to the croup.
Chest	The front of the body, between the two shoulders.
Armpits and the space between	The armpits are the folds between the tops of the forelegs and the chest; between them lies the space that separates the forelegs.
Girth groove, ribs, belly, flank	The girth goes round just behind the elbows; the ribs cover the chest cavity; the flank is the hollow between the ribs and the hip.
Point of hip and croup	The point of hip is the bone that juts out at the top of the flank; the croup runs from the loins to the tail.
Buttock, thigh, stifle	The buttock is at the back, below the tail; the thigh is in front of it; the stifle is the prominent joint at the front of the thigh, near the belly.

The neck, the body and the hindquarters

The legs complete what you saw at Galop 2. On the foreleg, from top to bottom: shoulder, point of shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, chestnut, knee, cannon, tendons, fetlock, feather, pastern, coronet, hoof. On the hind leg: gaskin, hock with its point of hock, chestnut, then once again cannon, fetlock, feather, pastern, coronet and hoof.

Did you know?

The chestnut, a horny patch on the inside of the legs, and the ergot, a small horny lump hidden in the feather at the back of the fetlock, are thought to be what remains of the toes the horse’s ancestors had millions of years ago.

A word from the instructor

The horse’s knee matches your wrist, and its hock your ankle. In other words, your pony walks about on its fingertips all day — and never complains. Try it for five minutes and see who complains first.

Ekidemy

The Galops^®, from the first step to Galop 7