"extended periods of time. Miniature horse Miniature horses are found in many nations, particularly in Europe and the Americas. The designation of miniature horse is determined by the height of the animal. Depending on the particular breed registry involved, is usually less than as measured at the last hairs of the mane, which are found at the withers. While miniature horses fit a height-based definition to be considered a very small pony, many retain horse characteristics and are considered ""horses"" by their respective registries. They have various colors and coat patterns. Miniature horses are generally bred to be friendly and"
"very low withers, making it far more difficult for a saddle to stay in place. Withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle are normally measured to the top of the hips. The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the 3rd through 11th thoracic vertebrae (most horses have 18 thoracic vertebrae), which are unusually long in this"
"Withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle are normally measured to the top of the hips. The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the 3rd through 11th thoracic vertebrae (most horses have 18 thoracic vertebrae), which are unusually long in this area. The processes at the withers can be more than long. Since they do not"
"move relative to the ground as the horse's head does, the withers are used as the measuring point for the height of a horse. Horses are commonly measured in hands – one hand is . Horse heights are extremely variable, from small pony breeds to large draft breeds. The height at the withers of an average thoroughbred is , and ponies are up to . The withers of the horse are considered in evaluating conformation. Generally, a horse should have well-defined withers, as they are considered an important attachment point for the muscles of the torso. Withers of medium height"
"Horse length A horse length, or simply length, is a unit of measurement for the length of a horse from nose to tail, approximately . The length is commonly used in Thoroughbred horse racing, where it describes the distance between horses in a race. Horses may be described as winning by several lengths, as in the notable example of Secretariat, who won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths (). More often, winning distances are merely a fraction of a length, such as half a length. In British horse racing the distances between horses are calculated by converting the time between"
"hands are commonly used in the measurement of miniature horses, miniature ponies, miniature mules, donkeys, and Shetland ponies. A horse is measured from the ground to the top of the highest non-variable point of the skeleton, the withers. For official measurement, the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra may be identified by palpation, and marked if necessary. Miniature horses, but not miniature ponies, are measured at the base of the last true hairs of the mane rather than at the withers. For international competition regulated by the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) and for USEF competition in the US, a"
"to measure the height of horses, ponies, and other equines. It is used in the U.S., and also in some other nations that use the metric system, such as Canada, Ireland and the UK. In other parts of the world, including continental Europe, and in FEI-regulated international competition, horses are measured in metric units, usually metres or centimetres. In South Africa, measurements may be given in both hands and centimetres, while in Australia, the equestrian regulations stipulate that both measurements are to be given. In those countries where hands are the usual unit for measuring horse height, inches rather than"
"horse can be measured with shoes on or off. In the United Kingdom, official measurement of horses is overseen by the Joint Measurement Board (JMB). For JMB purposes, the shoes must be removed and the hooves correctly prepared for shoeing prior to measurement. Hand (unit) The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length standardized to . It is used to measure the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was originally based on the breadth of a human hand. The adoption of the"
"during group riding instruction or at a horse show. In reporting result of horse races winning margins are commonly abbreviated: Horse length A horse length, or simply length, is a unit of measurement for the length of a horse from nose to tail, approximately . The length is commonly used in Thoroughbred horse racing, where it describes the distance between horses in a race. Horses may be described as winning by several lengths, as in the notable example of Secretariat, who won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths (). More often, winning distances are merely a fraction of a length,"
"Mane (horse) The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck. Heredity plays a role, giving some horses a longer, thicker mane, and others a shorter, thinner one. Some horses, such as those used in circuses or in mounted displays such as Cavalia, have manes allowed to grow down to their knees. Others have their manes deliberately"
"stated in units of hands and inches: one hand is equal to . The height is expressed as the number of full hands, followed by a point, then the number of additional inches, and ending with the abbreviation ""h"" or ""hh"" (for ""hands high""). Thus, a horse described as ""15.2 h"" is 15 hands plus 2 inches, for a total of in height. The size of horses varies by breed, but also is influenced by nutrition. Light riding horses usually range in height from and can weigh from . Larger riding horses usually start at about and often are as"
"also traditional in the USA that male horses would have an odd number of braids, and even number for mares. However, this rule is rarely, if ever, followed by modern braiders. Mane (horse) The mane is the hair that grows from the top of the neck of a horse or other equine, reaching from the poll to the withers, and includes the forelock or foretop. It is thicker and coarser than the rest of the horse's coat, and naturally grows to roughly cover the neck. Heredity plays a role, giving some horses a longer, thicker mane, and others a shorter,"
"must clear the withers, and the bars of the saddle should be the proper width to be comfortable on the horse. The seat is measured for the rider in three places: Length, from the front of the fixed pommel to the end of the cantle; width across the widest part of the seat; and the distance across the narrowest part of the seat, called the ""neck"". To determine the correct seat length, which is based on the length of the rider's femur, a person sits on a stool or chair with their back and hips against a wall or flat"
"the bit (from where the mouthpiece hits one ring, to where it hits the other), and the thickness of the mouthpiece. Theories as to fitting the snaffle vary between horse owners, but the most common theory of fitting the snaffle is to adjust it so that it creates one or two wrinkles in the lips at the corner of the horse's mouth. The best way to determine how high a snaffle should be is to begin with the bit just touching the corners of the horse's mouth, forming one wrinkle. If the rider holds the cheekpieces of the bridle and"
"based on pedigree and phenotype, no matter its height. Some full-sized horses may be called ponies for various reasons of tradition or as a term of endearment. For many forms of competition, the official definition of a pony is a horse that measures less than at the withers. Horses are 14.2 or taller. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports defines the official cutoff point at (just over 14.2 h) without shoes and (just over 14.2-1/2 h) with shoes, though allows a margin for competition measurement of up to (14.3 h) without shoes, or (just under 14.3-1/2 h) with shoes. However,"
"horse when the horse is on the bit. The horse is always relaxed over the poll, giving it a relaxed look when going about its job. When, for example, the third vertebra (C3) is the highest point on the neck, rather than the poll, it is a clear sign of incorrect work. Poll (livestock) The poll is a name of the part of an animal's head, alternatively referencing a point immediately behind or right between the ears. This area of the anatomy is of particular significance for the horse. Specifically, the ""poll"" refers to the occipital protrusion at the back"
"top of the horse's head), is often trimmed farther down the neck than in other disciplines in order to show off the clean throatlatch, length, and elegance of the horse's neck. While most show horses in the United States have a short bridle path (a bridle path less than six inches long or equal in length to the height of the horse's ear is a common rule of thumb), saddle seat horses often have a bridle path 8 to 12 inches long, depending on current fashion. There are variations in bridle path lengths: Arabian horse exhibitors are particularly prone to"
"is . The International Federation for Equestrian Sports, the world governing body for horse sport, uses metric measurements and defines a pony as being any horse measuring less than at the withers without shoes, which is just over 14.2 h, and , or just over 14.2 h, with shoes. Height is not the sole criterion for distinguishing horses from ponies. Breed registries for horses that typically produce individuals both under and over 14.2 h consider all animals of that breed to be horses regardless of their height. Conversely, some pony breeds may have features in common with horses, and individual"
"withers about two inches behind the horse's shoulder blade, then shaped to fit across the withers. The shape is then traced onto heavy paper or cardboard. An average horse can be fitted with just this measurement by comparing the angle of the wither tracing to the angle of the piping at the front arch of the saddle. However, horses with an unusual shape are measured in three locations, the second measurement approximately two inches behind the first one, and the last measurement nine inches behind the withers. Often for accurate measurements, a professional saddle fitter may need to be consulted."
"of the hip) to the ischium (point of the buttock)of the pelvis. After the point that is made by the sacrum and lumbar vertebrae, the line following is referred to as the croup. While the two are linked in terms of length and musculature, the angle of the hip and croup do not necessarily correlate. But it is desirable for a horse to have a square to slightly pear shaped rump. A horse can have a relatively flat croup and a well-angled hip. Racehorses do well with hip angles of 20-30 degrees, trotting horses with 35 degrees. Once a horse"
"has good and bad points of its conformation and many horses (including Olympic caliber horses) excel even with conformation faults. The standard of the ideal head varies dramatically from breed to breed based on a mixture of the role the horse is bred for and what breeders, owners and enthusiasts find appealing. Breed standards frequently cite large eyes, a broad forehead and a dry head-to-neck connection as important to correctness about the head. Traditionally, the length of head as measured from poll to upper lip should be two-thirds the length of the neck topline (measured from poll to withers). Presumably,"
"divided by four, then the remainder is added after the radix point. Thus, a horse that measures 60 inches is 15 hands high (15 x 4 = 60) and a horse halfway between 15 and 16 hands is 15.2 hands, or 62 inches tall (15 x 4 + 2 = 62) Because the subdivision of a hand is a base 4 system, a horse 64 inches high is 16.0 hands high, not 15.4. A designation of ""15.5 hands"" is not halfway between 15 and 16 hands, but rather reads 15 hands and five inches, an impossibility in a base 4"
"on the basis of height, especially for competition purposes. However, height alone is not dispositive; the difference between horses and ponies may also include aspects of phenotype, including conformation and temperament. The traditional standard for height of a horse or a pony at maturity is . An animal 14.2 h or over is usually considered to be a horse and one less than 14.2 h a pony, but there are many exceptions to the traditional standard. In Australia, ponies are considered to be those under . For competition in the Western division of the United States Equestrian Federation, the cutoff"
"Center of balance (horse) In horsemanship, the center of balance of a horse is a position on the horse's back which correlates closely to the center of gravity of the horse itself. The term may also refer to the horse's center of gravity. For the best performance by the horse, as well as for better balance of the rider, the rider must be positioned over the center of balance of the horse. The location of the horse's center of balance depends on a combination of speed and degree of collection. For a standing or quietly walking horse, it is slightly"
"horse to horse. The upper curvature of a horse's withers, back, and loin is called the ""topline."" The line of the belly from elbow to flank is the ""under line"" or ""bottom line."" In terms of the back, both are important; a long underline with a relatively short topline is ideal. The underline is where the abdominal muscles are, which, like in humans, can provide tremendous support to the back when well-conditioned. The topline will vary in length and in curvature, with some relationship between the two. When being ridden, a horse's back may either be stiff or relaxed as"
"in the mouth and the chain to pinch. The curb bit places pressure on the bars, the palate (especially if the port of the curb bit is fairly large), and via the curb chain, the poll and chin groove. It is used to regulate vertical flexion (cresting the neck and collecting the body through an arched spine), and the poll pressure asks the horse to lower the poll and telescope the neck to raise the base of the neck. If the horse tries to push his nose outward without permission from the rider, the curb reins will automatically come into"
"reason, overall shank or ""cheek"" length, from the top of the cheek ring to the bottom of the rein ring, usually cannot exceed inches for most horse show disciplines. The relation of the upper shank (""purchase"")—the shank length from the mouthpiece to the cheekpiece rings—and the lower shank or lever arm—the shank length from the mouthpiece to the lowest rein ring, is important in the severity of the bit. The standard curb bit has a "" purchase and a "" lower shank, thus producing a 1:3 ratio of purchase to lower shank, a 1:4 ratio of purchase to full shank,"
"However, the dorsal surface of the neck should have a clear arch. This prominent crest accentuates the arch formed between the head and neck when the horse is flexed during riding. In a relaxed state, the balance of the face and neck from the side view can be evaluated by drawing a tangent from the points of maximal curvature. In the case of balanced conformation, the tangents should intersect roughly one inch in front of the ears (in the forward alert position). The weight range for Campolina stallions and geldings is and for mares. In well-bred, well-conditioned animals, the chest"
"width between the wither strap and the withers. The breast strap should be have some slack, and care should be taken that its buckle doesn't rub the sensitive skin in the area. It should also be adjusted so that the chest straps lie above the point of the shoulder so that the horse's motion is not restricted. The breastcollar consists of a chest strap, which buckles to one billet of the saddle, runs around the horse's chest, and attaches to the first billet on the other side. It also has a wither strap, which is used to adjust the height"
"Noseband A noseband is the part of a horse's bridle that encircles the nose and jaw of the horse. In English riding, where the noseband is separately attached to its own headstall or crownpiece, held independently of the bit, it is often called a ""cavesson"" or ""caveson"" noseband. In other styles of riding, a simple noseband is sometimes attached directly to the same headstall as the bit. A noseband may have been one of the first tools used by humans to domesticate and ride horses. The bit developed later. The noseband was originally made of leather or rope. After the"
"the specific riding discipline and bit design involved . The adjustment of the noseband depends on the type used, but needs to be snug enough to be effective, yet loose enough to avoid discomfort. The throatlatch is adjusted each time the bridle is put on the horse, loose enough to not interfere as the horse flexes at the poll. A standard throatlatch measurement is that the width of three or four fingers should be able to fit between the throatlatch and the horses’ cheek. It is unsafe to tie a horse using a bridle for two main, seemingly contradictory, reasons."
"Chambon A chambon is a piece of horse tack. It is a strap that runs forward from the bottom of the girth or surcingle, and forks. The forks continue to a ring on either side of the bridle or halter, at the base of the crownpiece. Running through those rings, the forks follow the cheekpieces to the bit. They may attach to the bit or pass through the bit rings and attach to themselves below the horse's neck. A chambon prevents the horse from raising its head beyond a fixed point. Raising the head causes the length of the chambon"
"for most horses is from 4 to 6. The system is based on both visual appraisal and palpable fat cover of the six major points of the horse. The system is used by law enforcement agencies as an objective method of scoring a horse's body condition in horse cruelty cases. The Henneke scale describes body condition scores as follows: The average horse is healthiest with a body condition score between 5 and 6, which indicate that the horse has a proper balance of feed to exercise. An easy keeper or hard keeper should be watched closely as they are prone"