Equine Anatomy

The Parts of a Polo Pony

A polo pony's eyes and ears reveal his temperament. Large kind eyes with no white showing, and ears that are up and alert, usually indicate an easily managed horse.

1. Muzzle - The forward, projecting part of the head including the mouth, nose, and jaws.
2. Poll - The highest point on the top of a horse's head.
3. Crest - Top of the horse's neck where the mane grows.
4. Withers - The slight ridge on a horse's back just before the mane begins. The point used to measure a horse's height.
5. Back - The backbone or spine extends from the base of the withers to where the last rib is attached.
6. Loins - Weakest part of a horse's back.
7. Croup - Top of the hindquarters from the point of the hip to the tail.
8. Dock - The top of a horse's tail.
9. Point of Hock - The bony protuberance at the back of the hock.
10. Hock - The knee of a horse's hind legs.
11. Thigh - The leg area above the hock and below the stifle.
12. Stifle - The stifle is the joint at the end of the thigh corresponding to the human knee.
13. Chestnut - A bony protrusion on the inside of a horse's forearm on each foreleg.
14. Ergot - Thick callus growth on the back of the fetlock joint.
15. Coronet - Surface of the hoof.
16. Pastern - The area between a horse's hoof and fetlock joint on each leg.
17. Fetlock - Ankle joint of a horse's leg.
18. Cannon - Bone of the lower foreleg between the knee and the fetlock. Also called the shin bone.
19. Forearm - The upper part of the foreleg above the knee of a horse.
20. Point of Elbow - A bony prominence lying against the chest at the beginning of the forearm.
21. Shoulder - Measured from the point of shoulder to the withers.