Horse Anatomy Labelling Trivia Quiz

A horse's muzzle includes the mouth, nostrils, lips and the chin. Unlike humans, horses do not breathe through their mouths, only through their nostrils. These parts which form the muzzle are flexible. Horses have whiskers on their chins which are useful for sensing their surroundings - because of the position of their eyes, horses cannot see anything directly in front of them.

The area which lies between, and just behind, a horse's ears is called the poll. It covers the joint between the skull and the bones of the neck, the cervical vertebrae. It is the highest point of the head with numerous nerves ending there.

The dock is located at the top of the tail, where it joins the body. It is situated below the croup, which is the rump of a horse. The dock contains the muscles which enable the tail to move and assist the horse in keeping insects at bay. The tail is also useful in balance and enabling a horse to communicate how it is feeling.

The pastern lies just above the hoof and consists of two bones which run from the fetlock. The position and size of the pastern bones affects the way in which the horse moves, known as its gait. The pastern area also helps cushion the impact of the hooves hitting the ground, and is found in all four legs.

The largest joint on the hind legs, the hock performs a similar function to the human ankle. There are several small bones within the hock, with one of them, called the os calsis, giving the joint its distinctive shape. The hocks enable the horse to propel its weight off the ground and are important for horses used for show jumping.

The withers lie at the top of the shoulders, where the horse's body joins the neck. Some horses have a prominent hump here formed by the thoracic vertebrae. The withers are the point from which a horse is measured to give its height in hands and are where the horse's mane ends.

The joint between the cannon bone of the leg, running from the horse's knee, and the pastern bone is called the fetlock. It is the lowest joint in the horse's leg. This part of the horse's leg is found on all four legs and is particularly prone to injury. If you've heard about horses wearing boots, it's the fetlock area that is being protected.

The forelock is the name given to the front part of the mane which covers the horse's forehead. It provides some protection from insects, which might otherwise bite the skin, and gives some defence against the weather. It resembles a fringe (bangs, if you're American) in a human hairstyle and the thickness of the hair varies from horse to horse.

The loins are located towards the rear of the horse and are the part which is exposed when the horse is saddled. In front of the loins lies the main area of the back while behind them is the croup, or the rear end of the animal.

The hoof is the part of the horse that supports the whole weight of the horse's body. The four hooves are surprisingly small, compared to the size of the animal, and are connected to the legs by the coronary band. The outer parts of the hooves themselves are made from keratin and have no blood supply or nerves, which is why the farrier, an expert in shoeing horses, can cut, file and shape the hooves to fit protective shoes without causing any discomfort to the horse.