Horse croup

Croup is one of the most important parts of a horse, the assessment of which allows you to offhand introduce the horse breeder the main characteristics of the horses. This part of the body is primarily responsible for motor ability, so quite often all kinds of pathologies of the department lead to the ruthless rejection of even the most pretty horses. And although today the assessment of horse croup for unprofessional horse breeding is becoming an optional measure, sports can not do without it. From the article you will learn what a horse’s croup is, as well as about the main ways to evaluate it.

What parts does a horse consist of?

A horse is one of the most complex, from an anatomical point of view, and at the same time perfect animals, which is distinguished by a rather large body. Traditionally, it is divided into three zones: head, trunk and limbs. The head of the horses consists of the following departments:

  • muzzle;
  • nose;
  • teeth;
  • eyes;
  • ears
  • ganache;
  • the back of the head.

Did you know? The ancient ancestors of modern horses were quite miniature in size. The so-called propaleotherias (praloshadi) that lived on Earth about 50 million years ago reached a height at the withers of only 30-60 cm.

The body of the horses is divided into the following parts:

  • neck;
  • withers;
  • back;
  • croup;
  • macklock;
  • shoulders
  • rib cage;
  • belly;
  • tail;
  • mane.

You will probably be interested to know how many horses live on average.

The limbs, in turn, are divided into front and rear. In the front, there are such departments:

  • forearm;
  • wrist;
  • metacarpus;
  • elbow joint;
  • put joint;
  • whisk;
  • hoof.

Anatomy of a horse's hoof and human arm. The hind limb of a horse consists of:

  • hips
  • the knee;
  • lower legs;
  • hock joint;
  • metatarsus;
  • puta (grandmother);
  • hooves.

What is croup

Croup is one of the most important components of the hip zone of horses. He is responsible for the motor ability of the hind limbs, as well as for their strength. In the end result, a developed and properly formed croup enables the horse to show excellent results not only in the duration of the race, but also in the duration of the jump during the run. That is why this area is one of the most important when evaluating thoroughbred trotters.

Did you know? From among the animals existing in our time, oshadi are distinguished by one of the most durable skeletons. The bones of horses can withstand 2–3 times the load than granite slabs, and their tensile strength is close to brass and cast iron.

The croup is based on the pelvic and sacral bones (bottom, sciatic, ilium), three caudal vertebrae, trochanteric femoral bone and sacral-ischial ligament, which during the development of the body of the horses grow together in a strong but dynamic formation. The muscular section is the muscles of the right and left gluteal zones.

It consists of the following muscles:

  • the upper layer is the superficial gluteal muscle, vertebral heads of the semi-membranous, semi-tendon and biceps muscles, tail muscles, anus lift;
  • the central layer is the middle gluteus muscle;
  • lower layer - obturator muscles, iliopsoas, double, deep gluteus maximus.

Read about how to choose a name for the horse. Due to this structure of cereals, from a mechanical point of view, it can be considered as a lever, the impact of which is directed to the rest of the spine. That is why the size of this department directly affects the repulsive ability of the horse’s legs and its running speed.

How to evaluate cereals

Evaluate this department through a thorough inspection of the back of the horse. Ideally, the length of this zone should be about 35% of the total body size. But often this value is found only in selected breeds, since most domestic horses for harnessing have croup, corresponding to 18–20% of the body length.

However, the main parameter that is used to evaluate the croup is its angle of inclination relative to the absolute horizon. It is defined as the degree of inclination of a straight line passing between the front protrusion of the macloca and the sciatic tubercle. Thanks to this, it is possible to identify the direction of the pelvic bones, which directly affects the power and speed indicators of animals.

Important! To determine the length of the croup correctly, you should measure the opening between the sciatic tubercle and the anterior protrusion of the macloca. In veterinary medicine, the following types of cereals are known, based on the angle of its inclination:

  • straight line - the sacral section is parallel to the horizon, the line between the tubercles and macloca reaches a rise of 30 °. This form is a reference for horses of all directions and breeds;
  • horizontal - the sacral zone is parallel, but the line between the macloca and the tubercles rises to an angle of 20 °. This form is a pathology, as it develops in animals over time, under the influence of weights or injuries;
  • deflated - the angle of inclination of the line between the macloc and the sciatic tubercle of the bones exceeds 35 °. This species is a pathology, however, the animals possessing it are indispensable in jumping, as such a slope provides an excellent lever for jumping up.

Horse croup: a) straight; b) horizontal; c) deflated. In addition, to assess the croup, it is also necessary to determine its shape, which indicates the degree of muscle development. The following species are most commonly found in horses:

  • moderately convex - indicates a high power performance, such horses are ideal for racing purposes;
  • narrow, not pronounced - occurs in animals with a lack of physical activity and muscular dystrophy;
  • roof - shaped - formed in individuals with natural pathologies of the muscles of the hind limbs, but can also be found in weakened and depleted animals;
  • bifurcated - such horses are not able to run fast, but in a harness they can carry almost any cargo;
  • round and wide - such horses are true heavy trucks, but are not able to develop high speed when running.

Croup: a) normal; b) roof-like; c) divided. Important! These standards are appropriate for animals with an age of at least 2-3 years. In young foals, indicators can have all kinds of deviations.

Croup is the main department in the body of horses that are responsible for the strength indicators of their limbs, so before buying a horse, you must definitely pay attention to it. It is not difficult to assess this zone on your own, it is even for people without specialized education. The main thing that you should pay attention to when evaluating croup is its size and shape, which directly affect both power and speed indicators of animals.

Interesting Articles