Is your horse unable to stop and move around quickly? Does he find jumping over obstacles painful? If your horse is facing some issues with movement, it is likely that the problem relates to the hind leg muscles.
In today’s post, we have discussed the horse hind leg muscle anatomy in detail below. Knowing about your horse’s hind muscles will enable you to understand its stride, identify the issues, and help accordingly. Read more!
Structures in a Horse Hind Limb
Hind refers to the posterior part of your equine. The limbs in this part comprise of five prominent structures:
- Bones are the hard whitish tissue that makes up a skeleton.
- Joints are the structure that links or attaches two parts of the skeleton.
- Muscles are the bundle of fibrous tissues that contract and extend to produce movements.
- Tendons are the flexible yet inelastic string made from strong fibrous collagen tissues that attach muscle to bones.
- Ligaments are the short bands of strong and flexible connective tissues that attach two bones/cartilages or hold a joint together.
Together, these structures support the entire horse and enable it to move.
Why Are the Hind Leg Muscles Important?
The hind leg muscles are very important to a horse’s ability to walk, run, and move in general. Since the hind legs are directly attached to the backbone, they provide the most propelling power. This means that hind limbs enable your horse to move forward.
Also, your horse heavily relies on the hindquarter muscles to stop and change directions. Because of this, the muscles take up a lot of shocks and jerks. Sometimes, they hold the entire body’s weight too.
Considering all this, the horse’s hind limb muscles must be healthy and strong. A horse with well-made hindquarters moves speedily and swiftly. It can climb steep hills and jump over hurdles without trouble.
Plus, good hind leg conformation decreases the chances of injuries, and injuries and infections can further lead to serious problems like lameness.
Types of Muscles in Horse Limbs
Also called pelvic hind limbs, there are four fundamental muscle groups in the horse’s hind limbs. These include:
Vastus Muscles
The vastus muscle group runs along the stifle to hip joints. It includes vastus lateralis, Medialis, and intermedius. They give the hind leg the ability to bend the hind leg
Quadriceps
The quadriceps, located on the femur front, also contribute to the forward range of motion and bending of the leg.
Gluteal Muscles
The gluteal muscles are the large muscles in the hip that cause extension of the femur. This group consists of superficial gluteal, deep gluteal, and middle gluteal.
Hamstring Muscles
The hamstring muscle group is present at the back, near the hindquarters. It is made up of the Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, and Semimembranosus. They provide forward movement and the ability to extend the hind leg backward.
Major Muscles in the Horse Hind Limb Muscle
Anatomy
We just discussed the four muscle types in equine hind limbs, however, there are important specific muscles that it would be helpful to be familiar with. The collective action of muscles enables your equine to move.
The horse hind limbs are made up of fourteen unique muscles. Here is an overview of each one:
Pectineus
The pectineus is a small muscle that originates from the accessory ligament, prepubic tendon, and cranial side of the pubis. It inserts into the femur’s medial side. The purpose of muscle is to bring the limb toward the body and flex the hip joint.
Psoas Major
The psoas major is one of the non-weight-bearing, deep muscles. It starts at the ventral surface of the lumbar vertebrae and extends into the lesser trochanter of the femur.
This particular muscle enables the hip to bend the thigh towards the body and rotates the thigh externally.
Iliacus
Located nearby psoas, the Illiacus is also a deep, non-weight-bearing muscle fiber. It begins from the ventral surface of the ilium wing. The muscle also assists in hip movement and thigh rotation.
Gracilis
It is one of the superficial muscles that originate from pubic symphysis and inserts into the medial tibia. The Gracilis muscles cross near hip and knee joints too. Its function is to adduct the limbs.
Adductor
The adductor muscle refers to one that draws a body part towards the median line. In horse pelvic limbs, the adductor muscles originate on the medial surface of; ischium, pelvis, and prepubic tendon. Then, they insert into the caudal to the medial femur and patellar ligaments.
Internal Obturator
One can find the internal obturator within the lesser pelvis. It originates from the pelvic floor and inserts into the trochanteric fossa of the femur.
Its purpose is to provide femur lateral rotation. The internal obturator also allows hip extension and flexion.
External Obturator
The external obturator is much similar to the internal one. However, there are a few notable differences.
It originates from the ventral surface of the ischium and pubis. Also, the external obturator’s function is to abduct the thigh.
Superficial Gluteal
Also called gluteus superficialis, this one begins from the gluteal fascia and tuber coxae. Then, it inserts into the femur.
The muscle is useful in a lot of things, such as hip extension and limb retraction. Also, the superficial gluteal supports the outward rotation.
Middle Gluteal
One of the largest gluteal muscles in the equine limbs is the middle gluteal. The muscle starts from the ilium wing and sinks into the greater femur trochanter. It is present deep to the superficial gluteal and gets divided by a tendon sheath.
The middle gluteal allows abduction and extension of limbs. It also enables the horse to rear up by transferring power from the hind limb to the trunk.
Deep Gluteal
As the name suggests, the deep gluteal lies the deepest in the pelvic limbs. It overlies the hip joint directly. The muscle arises from the lateral ilium and ends on/near the greater trochanter of the femur bone.
Deep gluteal muscle provides middle gluteal support. It also facilitates the extension and abduction of limbs.
Tensor Fascia Latae
The tensor fasciae latae, starting from the tuber coxae, is present within the hindquarter muscles. It inserts into the lateral femoral fascia.
This particular superficial muscle performs hip joint flexion and stifles joint extension. It does so by tensing the fascia latae.
Biceps Femoris
The biceps femoris has its origins in the tuber ischii and insertion in the greater trochanter. It performs the extension and abduction of the hip. Also, the hamstring muscle plays a part in hock joint extension and stifle flexion.
Semitendinosus
The semitendinosus muscle is present between ischiatic tuberosity and tibial/calcaneal tub. The purpose of semitendinosus is to bring about three types of movement. These include stifling flexion, hip extension, and tarsus extension.
Semimembranosus
Another hamstring muscle originating from the ischiatic tuberosity is the semimembranosus. It rises alongside the semitendinosus. Then, it parts ways, sinking into the femur and tibia.
Its function is to enable movement in joints, such as hip, hock, and stifle. Also, it causes internal rotation of the hip.
3-Ways to Strengthen Horse Hind Limb
Good leg conformation and strong muscle fibers are important for a horse to win in an event. What’s more, weak hindquarter muscles not only affect a horse’s stride rate. But, they also cause extreme pain and soreness.
If you wish to make your horse’s hind limbs powerful and healthy, these simple exercises can help. Please note, your horse must undergo vet examination before practicing any of these.
Stretching
Encourage your horse to stretch his front legs both forwards and backward. Try to reach and touch one of the front legs with the back hoof. This particular movement will make the horse stretch the other front leg forward.
For backward, make the horse stretch his legs, as in when you clean the hoofs. Also, stretch hind legs into high flexion that will improve hock and stifle joint motion.
Tail Pulls
Tail pulls are an excellent way to strengthen your horse hind muscles. The exercise stimulates the pelvic muscles and engages the core. It also creates tension within other hindquarter muscles.
To do this exercise, stand at the horse’s hind end and grab the tail. Then, pull it sideways steadily but strongly. Hold each pull for 10-seconds and repeat the exercise 10-times.
Riding
The best way to get some exercise for your horse is to go out riding. Although walking or trotting is good enough, adding in some obstacles for your horse to jump over is great for an extra push.
Doing this regularly will cause all of the leg muscles to become stronger. Riding over steep grounds and hills is also another way to push the workout.
Conclusion
All in all, your horse needs to have healthy hind leg muscles. From vastus to hamstring, these muscles play a significant role in horse movement and stride rate. They perform the following functions:
- Holds up weight
- Acts as a shock absorber
- Provide thrust and other movement types
As a horse owner, you must possess basic horse hind leg muscle anatomy to identify when your equine faces difficulties. Weakened and sore muscles can lead to serious damages, like lameness. You must identify and provide necessary care as soon as possible.
Remember, do not treat your horse without a veternarian prescription. Have a vet or expert examine your horse before using any medication or practicing any exercise.