The Horses Skeleton

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The Horses Skeleton
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Skeleton

• For a picture of a skeleton go to
• http//www.equinecentre.com.au/_images/youth_horse
  _facts_skeleton.gif

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The Skeleton Comprises of

• 210 bones

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• 37 in the skull, includes 3 small bones in each
  ear (auditory ossicles)
• 2 branches of mandible (lower jaw)
• 54 vertebrae (7 cervical, 18 thoracic, 6 lumbar,
  5 sacral, 15 - 20 coccygeal)

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• 36 ribs (some breeds e.g. Arab, can have 37 or
  38),
• 1 sternum,
• 40 forelimb
• 40 hindlimb (including pelvis)

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Front Legs

• The horse has no collarbone
• Front legs are not attached by joints
• A sling of muscles and ligaments supports the
  weight of the horse and rider.

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Sleeping

• Horse's can sleep in the upright position without
  falling over
• Due to a 'locking' mechanism in the fore and
  hindlimbs
• The main joints can be locked into position by a
  system of muscles and ligaments mostly based
  around the suspensory ligament at the back of the
  cannon bone.
• Very little energy is needed to hold the 'lock'