Outer body form – shape and general appearance of horse and dog

Outer body form – shape and general appearance

of horse and dog

The following drawings (Figs. 1-G and 1-I) illustrate the outward appearance of

the horse and the dog. Opposite each drawing is another drawing which shows

the skeleton of the species in relation to the outer shape of its body (Figs. 1-H

and 1-J).

The purpose of these drawings is to illustrate:

(a) the general organization of the skeleton as it relates to each species; and

(b) how the skeleton contributes as a protective and supportive element to the

overall shape of each animal.

Study each of these pairs of pictures, therefore, so that when you see an animal,

you will be able to envisage the arrangement of its bony framework. Take particular

notice of those areas that appear to have bone as protection and which

appear to be supported by the skeleton.

There are also a few lay terms with which human anatomists may not be familiar,

but which owners of these animals will inevitably use. These are explained in

this section illustrating general appearance of the horse and dog. Take particular

note of the following:

a) The carpus of the horse is generally referred to as the “knee”; in the dog,

some will use the term “knee”, others “wrist”.

b) The tarsus (human ankle joint) is referred to in all animals as the “hock”.

c) The femorotibial and femoropatellar joints (which form the true knee joint

in humans) are referred to together in all animals as the “stifle”.

d) The part of the forelimb of the horse below the carpus and tarsus (which is

in fact the metacarpus and metatarsus respectively), is referred to as the

cannon (or shin, in the forelimb). An old term for this region of the hind

limb is “shannon”, but this is usually also referred to as cannon.

e) The metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints in the horse are

referred to as the “fetlock” joints.

f) The proximal interphalangeal joints in the horse are referred to as the

“pastern” joints, and the region between the fetlock and the hoof in which

this joint is situated is referred to generally as the “pastern”.

g) The distal interphalangeal joints in the horse are referred to as the “coffin”

joint.

Figure 1-G: Points of a dog (outward appearance)

Figure 1-H: Skeleton of the do(Rg e-drawn from Popesko)

Figure 1-I: Points of the horse (outward appearance)

Figure 1-J: Skeleton of the hor(sRee -drawn from Popesko)