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Horses are sometimes measured in hands – one hand is 4 inches (10.2 cm). Horse heights are extremely variable, from small pony breeds to large draft breeds. The height at the withers of an average thoroughbred is 163 centimetres (16.0 hands; 5 ft 4 in), and ponies are up to 147 centimetres (14.2 hands; 4 ft 10 in).
The horse's thorax is also deeper from the breastbone to the spine. This gives the horse a greater lung capacity, and thus greater endurance. [4] Conformation. A horse's chest is measured from the bottom end of the neck to the tops of the front legs. Ribs play an important role in the shape of the chest, whether they are narrow or wide.
Ideally, the length of a horse's back from the peak of the withers to the point of the hip should be 1/3 of the horse's overall body length (from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock, excluding head and neck). A horse's back is called "long" if the length exceeds 1/3 and "short" if less than 1/3.
The term may also refer to the horse's center of gravity. For the best performance by the horse, as well as for better balance of the rider, the rider must be positioned over the center of balance of the horse. The location of the horse's center of balance depends on a combination of speed and degree of collection.
Points of a horse. Equine anatomy encompasses the gross and microscopic anatomy of horses, ponies and other equids, including donkeys, mules and zebras.While all anatomical features of equids are described in the same terms as for other animals by the International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature in the book Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria, there are many horse-specific ...
Hand: Unit of measure (equals 4 inches) of a horse's height. Thoroughbreds typically range from 15 to 17 hands. The measurement is taken from the ground to the horse's withers – the point where the neck meets the back. [1] Handicap: A class of race for which the official handicapper assigns the weight each horse has to carry. [1]
The ideal condition for most animals is between 4 and 6. [24] Scores of 7 to 9 are considered obese, although a certain lack of precision in assessments sometimes leads to a horse with a score of less than 7 being classified as obese. [25] The table below describes the different scores used to assess a horse's body condition.
On horses, the mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. [1] [2]: 247 [3]: 311 It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck.