Why Understanding Equine Anatomy Matters
- Horses Inside Out
- Jun 4
- 4 min read
For many, the word "anatomy" conjures images of thick textbooks filled with phrases and words that are complicated to understand let alone pronounce. At Horses Inside Out, equine anatomy is anything but dry. Through bright anatomical paintings on real horses, Gillian Higgins bring the horse’s inner workings to life in an engaging, practical, and unforgettable way.
Why should riders and owners take the time to learn about what lies beneath the surface? The answer is simple - understanding anatomy empowers better care, training, and communication.
“Learning the names of muscles and bones and knowing where they are is important,” says Gillian. “Especially when you're talking to your vet or therapist. But it’s so much more than that.”
Understanding how a horse’s body works can dramatically improve their health, performance, and comfort. For example, adding the rider’s weight changes the horse’s posture and puts extra stress on their joints. The back goes into a slightly more extended position when a rider is added. The weaker the horse, the greater the effect. This can influence their balance, joint stress, muscle function, and even growth in younger horses.
This might sound a little depressing, but there’s so much that we can do to help our horses. If we can make sure that they’re as fit and as strong as possible before we start riding them, this is really going to help them stay healthy for much longer.
Regular Horses Inside Out followers will have heard Gillian say one or both of the following - “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” – “To rest is to rust.” Just as in human health, movement is key. Joints need to go through their full range of motion regularly, but to do that safely and effectively, you need to know what normal movement looks like. That’s where understanding anatomy and biomechanics comes in.
Take the horse’s back as an example. The most movement tends to occur around T14–T15 which is right underneath the rider’s seat. Knowing this helps riders understand the impact they’re having on that region and why maintaining a correct position in the saddle is so important.
Two sides of a good exercise programme
Balancing flexibility and strength is essential for a healthy equine body. Flexibility and suppleness come from stretching exercises, while stability and balance require strengthening work. Exercises like polework not only support the musculoskeletal system but also offer variety and mental stimulation.
There’s no shortage of exercises that can benefit your horse. The challenge is identifying the ones that make the biggest difference. If you need some inspiration take a look at the following that's available in the Horses Inside Out Academy.
In our Poles for Posture on-demand recorded webinar, Gillian demonstrates a variety of different exercises and pole configurations which can be performed at walk and trot, in-hand or ridden. She also explains how pole work can develop balance, flexibility, coordination, lateral flexion, strength and control.
Polework and Gymnastic Jumping is an on-demand recorded webinar that looks at polework and jumping configurations, how to ride them and how they benefit your horse.
The Complete Pilates for Horses Programme is a definitive toolkit that helps horse owners to improve and maintain the horse’s posture, core strength, body awareness, control and balance. Incorporating Pilates exercises into your horse's routine will help to maintain their musculoskeletal comfort and performance. This programme guides you through which exercises to chose and how to perform the correctly.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
“We’re all busy horse owners,” says Gillian. “So, if we can work out which exercises are going to have the biggest impact, that’s a good way to use your time wisely.”
Gillian also recommends multi-tasking – are there ways you can incorporate exercises into your usual daily routine? One clever example from her own routine is that she has a series of telegraph poles that she walks her horses over on the way to and from the field. This takes no extra time to do every day.
Even grooming time can be used productively. Small stretches or balance exercises can be woven into the daily routine without adding extra hours to the day.
The benefits of understanding biomechanics extend beyond the horse. Good posture, seat aids, weight distribution, and timing of the aids all rely on understanding how both horse and rider bodies work during movement.
“It really is on us as horse owners and riders to learn as much as we possibly can about the biomechanics of the horse,” Gillian urges.
More than Just Muscles and Bones
Anatomy is not just about muscles and bones. It’s about the internal systems of the horse too. The respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, digestive, endocrine, and nervous systems all play critical roles in horse health and performance.
Take the lymphatic system, for instance. If your horse’s legs swell while standing in the stable, understanding how lymph circulation works can help you manage that effectively. Or consider the respiratory system - did you know that about 14% of horses suffer from respiratory problems? Knowing how the lungs and airways function can help to ensure better stable management, exercise and training choices.
Feeding is another key area. Knowledge of the digestive and endocrine systems can help balance nutrition, especially for horses with metabolic issues. The nervous system, too, plays a role in everything from training to behaviour.
Enhancing Equine Welfare
Understanding equine anatomy isn’t even just about knowing the names of body parts, it’s about applying that knowledge to improve every aspect of horse care and training.
To help riders and owners deepen their understanding, Horses Inside Out offers a range of educational resources.
Anatomy in Action, is a book and accompanying online video course that captures horses in motion - walking, trotting, cantering, jumping all with anatomical insights explained throughout.
For a hands-on learning experience, the Horses Inside Out Anatomy Exhibition in August offers a unique opportunity. This exhibition is really interactive with lots of models and full equine skeletons.
This is a great opportunity to really understand what's going on underneath your horse’s skin in a 3d way, rather than just looking at pictures in a book.
Whatever your discipline or experience, learning about equine anatomy is one of the most valuable things you can do to help ensure your horse’s wellbeing. As Gillian says, “Understanding every single aspect of anatomy can help you to care for and manage your horse better.”
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