Charlotte Woolley BSc (Hons) Bone Structure Bone is a dynamic tissue, which means that it is constantly changing even when we stop growing It is made up of cells known as osteocytes, osteoblasts and osteoclasts Osteoblasts make new bone and osteoclasts resorb bone
Functions of the Skeleton Support soft tissue, and maintain the animal's body shape Protect the delicate organs e.g. the ribcage protects the heart and lungs Attach muscles and tendons Enable movement through joints, e.g. to move a limb forward Provide a site for forming blood cells (in the bone marrow) Store calcium and phosphate in bones until they are needed by the body Structure of the Equine Skeleton The axial skeleton includes the skull, backbone, ribcage and tail The appendicular skeleton includes the bones of the fore and hind limbs
The Skull The skull is the complex set of 37-38 bones in the head of the animal Most of the bones are connected by immovable joints The only freely moveable joint is that of the lower jaw (mandible) There are three main groups of skull bones: 1. Bones of the cranium these bones surround and protect the brain. Internal bones are not visible from the outside, whereas external bones can be recognised on the animal 2. Bones of the ear these bones are all hidden 3. Bones of the face. These bones give shape to the face The Backbone (Vertebral Column)
The backbone is made up of a series of irregular shaped bones called vertebrae which extend from the skull to the tail. It is divided into five regions Vertebrae do not have individual names, instead they are numbered within each region from head to tail. E.g. C7 is the seventh cervical vertebrae Region Area of body Number Cervical Neck 7 Thoracic Above the chest 18 Lumbar Above the abdomen 6 Sacral Above the pelvis 5 Coccygeal Tail 18-20 ACTIVITY Working as a team, tie together the 5 regions of the equine backbone together in the correct order The Chest (Thoracic Cage) The bones of the chest include vertebrae and the breastbone (sternum) which forms the front of the thorax Horses generally have 18 pairs of ribs, although this can vary with breed Joints between the vertebrae and ribs, and cartilage between the ribs and the breastbone allow the ribcage to expand and contract as the animal breathes
The Forelimb The forelimb includes the bones from the shoulder blade down through the limb to the phalanges in the lower leg and hoof Unlike humans there is no collar bone (clavicle) to link the forelimb to the backbone, instead the attachment is achieved through muscles and tendons We are used to seeing horses without collar bones so if they did have collar bones they would look very strange to us! The Forelimb Scapula Humerus Ulna Radius Knee (Carpus) Cannon bone (Large metacarpal) Long pastern (P1) Short pastern (P2) Coffin bone (P3) The Hindlimb The hindlimb is directly connected to the backbone through the pelvis This avoids the need for a sling of muscles and tendons used to connect the forelimb to the backbone This also leaves room in the abdominal cavity for the reproductive, digestive and urinary structures The Hindlimb Pelvis Hip Joint Femur Patella (Knee cap) Tibia Tarsus (Hock) Cannon bone (Large metatarsal) Long pastern (P1) Short pastern (P2) Coffin bone (P3) Equine vs Human Skeleton Conclusion The equine skeleton consists of around 205 bones, which provide a structural shell for all of the other biological systems in the horse Without bones, your horse would look like this guy (below) all of the time! There are many differences between the human and equine skeletal system and it is important to understand these Having a good knowledge of the anatomy of your horses skeleton will help you to understand how muscles and tendons that attach to the bones make your horse move the way it does Any Questions?