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Most horses have 18 thoracic vertebrae. The processes at the withers can be more than 30 centimetres (12 in) long. Since they do not move relative to the ground as the horse's head does, the withers are used as the measuring point for the height of a horse. Horses are sometimes measured in hands – one hand is 4 inches (10.2 cm). Horse heights ...
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 International Federation for Equestrian Sports, the world governing body for horse sport, uses metric measurements and defines a pony as being any horse measuring less than 148 centimetres (58.27 in) at the withers without shoes, which is just over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm), and 149 centimetres (58.66 in; 14. 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 hands), with ...
The natural mane is long, thick, and heavy, but is usually clipped in a distinctive crescent shape to between 5 and 10 cm (2.0 and 3.9 in) so that it stands straight up and emphasises the shape of the neck. [1] This roached mane is thought to make for easier grooming. It also accentuates the horse's strong neck and full-length dorsal stripe.
The Shetland pony or Sheltie is a Scottish breed of pony originating in the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland. It may stand up to 107 cm (42 in) at the withers. [1] It has a heavy coat and short legs, is strong for its size, and is used for riding, driving, and pack purposes.
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]
Scores range from 1 to 9, with 1 being a horse in poor condition and 9 being an obese horse. 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.