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Albino
Albino describes an animal with a complete or near-complete absence of melanin, the pigment responsible for color in skin, hair, and eyes. In horses, true genetic albinism, as defined by a non-functional tyrosinase gene, is extremely rare and may be lethal in homozygous form. Most horses described colloquially as albino are actually carrying the dominant…
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Cannon Bone
The cannon bone is the long bone between the knee or hock and the fetlock, running down the front of the lower leg. It carries weight directly and has little soft-tissue covering, leaving it exposed to splints and knocks. A flat, clean cannon is one of the marks of good lower-leg conformation. See also: joint…
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Poll
The poll is the point at the top of a horse head, just behind the ears, where the skull meets the first neck vertebra. It is a sensitive, flexible junction central to how a horse carries its head and yields to the bridle; pressure here from a poorly fitted crownpiece or a harsh hand is…
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Pastern
The pastern is the sloping region between the fetlock above and the hoof below, made up of the long and short pastern bones. Its angle and length act as a shock absorber: too upright transmits more concussion, too long and sloping strains the tendons. Pastern conformation is a key thing buyers and judges assess. See…
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Frog
The frog is the soft, V-shaped, rubbery structure on the underside of a horse hoof, pointing forward from the heels toward the toe. It cushions impact, aids traction, and helps pump blood back up the leg as the hoof flexes under weight. A healthy frog is firm and full; a shrunken or foul-smelling frog often…
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Forelock
The forelock is the lock of mane that falls forward between a horse ears and down the forehead. Anatomically it is the forward continuation of the mane, but it serves the horse by shading the eyes and helping keep flies off the face. See also: the hair the forelock extends from, the bony point the…
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Gastric: Definition in Equine Medicine
Definition Gastric is an adjective meaning of or relating to the stomach. The term derives from the Greek gaster, meaning stomach. In equine medicine, it appears most commonly in the diagnosis of gastric ulcers , erosions of the stomach lining caused by prolonged exposure to stomach acid , and in the broader category of the…
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Arch
In horse anatomy and conformation, an arch is a curved or bowed structure. The term is applied to several distinct anatomical regions, each with its own conformation standards and clinical significance. The arch of the neck refers to the crest, the dorsal curvature from poll to withers formed by the nuchal ligament and overlying crest…