Muscling in Horses
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| By Kelly Bell |
Published
05/4/2006
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Selection & Buying Horses
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Muscle is the tissue which contracts and relaxes to cause your horse to move. Muscling refers to the length, definition and volume od muscling in your horse.
Muscle Definition
Long, smooth muscles are more desireable than short, buncy muscles. Long muscles give the horse a longer stride and more endurance. Bunchy muscles tire more quickly and give your horse less endurance.
Muscle Length
You can easily see the outline or definition of each muscle beneath the skin of your horse. A horse that is overweight has little muscle definition because it is difficult to see the muscles. A horse that is in good condition (neither underweight so the ribs show or overweight so there is little little muscle definition) will show the best muscle definition.
Muscle Volume
This is the amount of muscle. The greater the volume of muscle, the greater the strength of the horse. |
Where Do You Look for Muscling?
|  | To find the amount of muscling on your horse, look in the follwing areas. Evaluate the amount of muscling and determine if it is desireable.
1. Chest
2. Shoulder, arm and Forearm
3. Loin and Croup
4. Buttock and thigh
5. Stifle and Gaskin | Stallions should look masculine and, when compared to geldings and mares, show: - heavier, more powerful muscling
- a larger and broader head
- a larger Muzzle and jaw
- a thicker more muscular Neck
- more substance / larger bone
Mares should look feminine. Compared to stallions and geldings, Mare show more refinement around the head and neck. Compared to stallions, mares are not as heavily muscled and have less substance of bone.
Geldings should look more masculine than the mare, but less masculine then a Stallion. The volume of muscling and substance of bone in a Gelding will be about the same as in a mare. | | Author Kelly Bell's knowledge of horses grew in local 4-H and open shows competing in Western pleasure, Western equitation, English Pleasure, English Equitation, Trail, Showmaship and Halter classes. Kelly competed with two horses over her showing career; a sorrel Quarter Horse mare, Double D Fashion and a Sorrel Overo Paint mare, Little Partee Sis. |
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