What are horses stats? This concept refers to the anatomical formations of the animal’s body, which perform one or another function. When evaluating horses, priority is given to gender, age, and general health. To become a horse is determined not only by individual anatomical features, but also as a whole, given the physique and how typical certain characteristics appear for a particular breed.
What is the exterior?
When determining the exterior of a horse to become a horse, experts are guided by some general criteria. They relate primarily to the proportionality of the structure of the animal’s body. A well-built horse has a better balance of anatomical formations. Such animals are less prone to developing diseases and are considered more suitable for specific tasks. As practice shows, the presence of pronounced defects in the exterior leads to the fact that the horse becomes unable to implement certain techniques according to the owner’s command. Such animals, as a rule, have an "intractable" character.
Head
Assessing how to become a horse, experts note how the presented anatomical formation is light and dry, whether it is in harmony with other parts of the body, and especially with the body. It is believed that a large, massive head disfigures a thoroughbred animal, visually adds extra weight to it. Indeed, with this feature, the load on the front legs increases. As a result, the general balance of the horse’s article is disturbed. An obvious minus is the presence of an animal disproportionately small head.
When determining the quality of a horse’s article, experts look at the dimensions of the slap — the distance between the branches of the lower jaw. The indicator is reflected in the nature of the animal’s breathing during exercise. Ideally, it should be clean and deep. Here, the presence of wide and large nostrils is also highlighted as an advantage.
Ears should have a symmetrical position. It is necessary that their value comply with the standard requirements that apply to the breed. For example, in Arabian horses, the ears have a lyre shape and are somewhat curled inward. Akhal-Teke breed animals have straight and long auricles.
When evaluating the article of the horse, the structure of the head, attention is paid to the eyes. In healthy horses, they have a clean structure without turbidity and spots, whitish formations. In a professional horse breeding environment, it is believed that the real decoration of the animal is the presence of wide open large eyes. Inexpressive, somewhat sunken and small eyes, experts are often called "pork."
Of particular importance in assessing the exterior of an animal is the condition of the teeth. The age of the horse is determined by their shape, shade and length. Young individuals possess incisors widely spaced according to a semicircle. In older horses, the arcade of teeth narrows, anatomical formations bend in the frontal direction and lengthen.
Neck
Considering the question, what kind of things do horses value, it's worth talking about the neck. This anatomical formation plays a crucial role in preserving the animal's proper balance when moving. Horses that are bred by selectors to ride in teams and move heavy loads have a short and massive neck. In high breeds it is refined and long. The norm is considered if the neck of the animal is set at a slope of 45 about in relation to the horizon.
Croup
Croup is called the back of the horse. Part of the body forms the pelvic and sacral bones. The most powerful and important muscle structures are attached to the latter. So, its agility, lifting and traction force depend on the degree of development of the gluteal and femoral muscles of the horse.
Assessing all the characteristics of the horse, experts look at the presence of a wide, at the same time long and fleshy groats. In this case, the presence of short legs is considered a disadvantage. After all, with this body structure during movement, the animal is forced to swing to the sides to maintain balance. An obvious minus is also a narrow and short croup. In this case, the so-called hind limbs are observed during movement.
The high “quality” of a thoroughbred animal is indicated by the presence of well-developed, massive, clearly visible muscles in the croup. On the contrary, the roof-shaped shape of this part of the body indicates muscle poverty. After all, such outlines of croup are formed when the sacral bones protrude.
Back
Presented anatomical formation is evaluated according to width, length, massiveness and shape. Racing horses must have a strong and short back. This feature of the body structure contributes to the optimal load distribution from the forelimbs to the hind limbs. At the same time, the disadvantage is the presence of too short a dorsal part. At the same time, poor mobility of the animal and shaking gait are observed.
Chest
This part of the horse’s exterior is made up of the thoracic spine, ribs and sternum. The performance of the animal directly depends on the length, volume, width and depth of the presented anatomical formation. Allure horse breeds have a more developed chest according to depth. In this case, the ribs are slightly tilted back. Such a structure helps to create the optimal lever for the graceful movement of the limbs. Heavy breeds have the widest and shortest chest.
shoulder blades
The scapula is formed by a massive bone of a flat shape, which contains prominent muscles. This part of the body is responsible for the movement of the front limbs of the animal. When evaluating a horse’s article, attention is paid to how oblique the scapula is. Experts also look at its length. The range of the horse’s progress, grace and beauty of the movements depend on these parameters.
Sports breeds have more inclined and longer blades. In freight horses, the anatomical formation presented is shorter and more direct in relation to the hull.
Limbs
The muscles of the front legs of the horse are much less developed compared to the hind legs. When evaluating limbs, attention is paid to the degree of development of the femur. They should be long and contain textured, noticeably protruding muscles. In this case, the horse demonstrates a wider step.
The character of the lower leg is of importance. It can be long or short. The presence of a muscular tibia is considered a dignity of any individual, regardless of breed. In trotting, galloping horses, the part of the body represented is much longer compared to heavy trucks.
Put
The fetal composition connects the shins and hooves, is responsible for the depreciation of the animal during movement. The more developed this anatomical structure, the harder the horse and the softer its course. Normally, the forelegs should be tilted at an angle of 60 ° relative to the horizon. The disadvantage of an individual is the presence of direct and short put. After all, this feature leads to increased rigidity.
Hooves
During evolutionary development, the front finger of the animal was transformed into a keratinized support structure. The base of the hoof is formed by the shuttle and coronary bones. On the front legs of the horse, they are usually more massive. The hooves of the heavy truck are the largest and contain an elongated arrow. Sport horses have steeper support structures with a smaller arrow, elastic and dense internal filling.
Individual breeds of horses can have a variety of hoof colors. They are as dark as possible, striped, mixed according to the shade and almost white. The lighter these anatomical formations are, the less durable they are.
Cubit
Assessing the main article of the horse, experts also look at the elbow. The advantage is given to individuals in whom such an anatomical formation is well developed and tightly pressed to the chest. An elbow that stands out on one side indicates an insufficiently qualitative development of the musculature of the shoulder of the animal. The presence of a deficiency leads to the marking of the limbs in the process of movement. The pinching effect can lead to injuries that occur during arbitrary hits of one leg against the other.
