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November 2007 • VOLUME 27 • © HORSES For LIFE™ Magazine
Under the Horse’s Skin
Bones: Basic Building Blocks Part I: From Foal to Full-grown There in the main ring stands the champion of champions - power and symmetry - strong, well-muscled, with a good conformation – the apple of our collective equestrian eye. What makes him this way, how can we breed for this, ensure it during his developing years and, most importantly, preserve this throughout his working life? Leonardo da Vinci did it. So did George Stubbs. In order to truly understand the structure – and movement – of both man and animal, they looked beneath the skin. They dissected carcasses (often in secret to avoid censure) to uncover the anatomy that underpins the strength, symmetry and power of the horse, one of the most beautiful creatures on earth. Da Vinci’s anatomical drawings stand the test of time in their exactitude. Stubbs did numerous sketches as preludes to his final work. Far ahead of his time, he drew the illustrations for a midwifery text in 1751 as well as a technical treatise in The Anatomy of the Horse in 1766. Today, with access to numerous books, CD-roms, etc., we need not duplicate the rather grisly studies of these great masters - and no animal needs to suffer! However, for those who are interested, their work is still highly relevant. As horsemen and women (horsepeople? heaven forbid), understanding the basic structure and function of horses can truly help our riding and management of the horse. Anatomists always start with the outside and work in – superficial muscles, deep muscles, ligaments, bones; that is how dissection proceeds. It may help us to work the other way - start with the frame and add the layers. The Moving Frame The skeleton is made up of 205 bones (give or take a few such as in shorter-backed Arabs). Bones may seem dry, dusty and dead material such as the one the dog has retrieved from his cache in the garden. They are actually fascinating living structures and especially important in horses.
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