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The wonderful classification of bones: Do you know the five major bone types of horses?
The horse's skeletal system plays a vital role in the animal's physiology, protecting vital internal organs, providing a framework for the body, and supporting soft body parts. The horse's skeletal structure is very complex, usually containing 205 bones, of which 19 are in the pelvic limbs and 20 are in the thoracic limbs.
The function of bones
Bones have three main functions in the skeletal system: acting as levers, storing minerals, and serving as a site for the formation of red blood cells. Bones can be classified into five types:
Long bones: Found primarily in the limbs, they aid in movement, store minerals, and act as levers.
Short bones: Mainly responsible for absorbing shock and are found in joints such as the knee, ankle and hoof.
Flat bones: surround the body cavity that contains organs. Ribs are examples of flat bones.
Irregular bones: protect the central nervous system. The spine is composed of irregular bones.
Sesamoids: Embedded in the tendon, the proximal sesamoids of the horse are often called "sesamoids" by horse owners, while the distal sesamoids are called hamates.
Ligaments and tendons provide stability to the skeletal system. Ligaments connect bone to bone, while tendons connect bone to muscle. The synovial membrane is located in the joint capsule and contains synovial fluid to lubricate the joint, while the outside of the bone is covered by a tough membrane called the periosteum.
Importance of ligamentsLigaments are tissues that connect bone to bone or bone to tendon and are essential for the stability and support of joints. They are composed of fibrous materials and are usually very strong. However, due to their poor blood supply, injuries to the ligaments often take a long time to heal.
The ligaments of the upper limb include the nuchal ligament and the supraspinal ligament, which supports the horse's head and allows it to move up and down.
Suspensory ligaments: extend from the back of the cannon bone and attach to several sesamoid bones at the base of the hoof joint. They are primarily used to support the hoof joint and prevent overextension.
Axial and appendicular skeleton
The horse's axial skeleton includes the skull, spine, sternum, and ribs. The spine is made up of 54 bones, including 7 cervical vertebrae, 18 thoracic vertebrae, 5-6 lumbar vertebrae, 5 sacral vertebrae and 15-25 coccygeal vertebrae.
The horse's skull is made up of 34 bones and contains important cavities, such as the cranial cavity and the retinal cavity.
The appendicular skeleton consists of forelimbs and hindlimbs. The hind limbs are connected to the spine through the pelvis, while the forelimbs are suspended from the body by muscles and ligaments.
Bones and joints of the horse's limbs
The key bones of the forelimbs include the scapula, humerus and ulna; the key bones of the hindlimbs include the pelvis, femur and tibia. These bone structures play an integral role in the horse's locomotion and jumping.
Diseases of the skeletal system
Like human athletes, performance horses are subject to tremendous stress on their bones and joints, especially when jumping, galloping or changing direction suddenly. A high percentage of performance horses develop conditions such as arthritis which require treatment through management and some nutritional supplements.
Advanced therapies including interferon-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP) and stem cell therapy can be used to treat acute cases.
A horse's skeleton not only provides stability to its body, but also affects its athletic performance and overall health. Have you ever thought about the critical role these seemingly ordinary bones play in the life of a horse?
