Horse Anatomy: second in depth analysis

This is the second edition focusing on horse anatomy which follows on from Thursday’s Equestrian World piece. Please see below for further information on the issue of horse anatomy, which has been divided into parts.
The first issue addressed is about how a horse maintains its balance which can be explained by its support structure, the skeleton, which supports all the other main parts: muscles, vessels and nerves.
The bones have two articular heads that are coated with a smooth layer, the cartilage. The ratio of the two articular heads creates a hinge and articulation.
The joint is closed by a joint capsule and is securely held in place by ligaments that, as suggested by the word itself, are alloying elements. The capsule produces a synovial fluid lubricating the cartilage in order to avoid friction and help the joints be mobile.
SPINE
The spinal column or spine is composed of a number of bones which are called vertebrae, which form a column on a sagittal plane. The spine is made up of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar.
The above information comes from Dr. Vittorio Meschia’s veterinary book published by Horse s.r.l.