Horse leg anatomy

The Foreleg The foreleg forms part of the appendicular skeleton of the horse. Compared to the hindleg the foreleg is suspended in place by muscles and tendons, which gives it great mobility, and it is relatively straight with few angles, which makes it prone to concussion injuries. Thus, the foreleg conformation has a big affect on the athletic ability and soundness of the horse. Mechanics of the front leg The scapula is a flat triangular bone that joins onto the humerus. The spine of the…

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Lower Front Leg

Equine anatomy - tendons & ligaments/ another great hoof website - http://www.horses-arizona.com/pages/articles/footcare.html

The diagrams below show the differences between the human bone structure and quadruped bone structures. Seeing various bone and muscle structures together in one diagram really helps show the difference in bone size and the angles in which the bone stands. The longer the leg, the less of a 'spring' the animal has; a cat will get a lot more height in a pounce than a horse will get in a jump in relation to its size. The human bone structure and muscle is almost identical to that of a…

Equine Hind Limb