The term forehand refers to the front half of a horse's body.

Balance

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

's "motor" is located in his hindquarters, and a horse that is heavy on the forehand (weight primarily on the forehand) is not able to properly move forward with impulsion. For good impulsion, a horse must either be balanced or have most of its weight tilted back toward its hindquarters. Good riding aims to help transfer some of the animal's body weight back, getting the horse "off the forehand," but some riding disciplines require a greater amount of this transfer of weight (or " collection") than others. Sports such as

dressage Dressage ( or ; , most commonly translated as "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrianism, equestrian sport defined by th ...

and

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ar ...

require some of the greatest transfers of weight, while others, such as western pleasure, require a great deal less. However, it is beneficial for all horses to not travel "on the forehand," as this decreases the concussion placed on the front legs and their joints, thereby decreasing the risk of concussion-related lamenesses such as sidebone,

ringbone {{No footnotes, date=February 2020 Ringbone is exostosis (bone growth) in the pastern or coffin joint of a horse. In severe cases, the growth can encircle the bones, giving ringbone its name. It has been suggested by some authors that such a co ...

, and others. Certain conformational faults will encourage a horse to travel on the forehand, thereby making it more difficult for a rider to attain the shift in weight (although talented riders can usually train any horse to travel better with enough time). Horses that are built "downhill," with their hindquarters especially high, will be harder to collect.

Anatomy of the forehand

Muscles, tendons, and ligaments

The ''

masseter In anatomy, the masseter is one of the muscles of mastication. Found only in mammals, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter. The most obvious muscle of mastication is the masseter muscle, since it is the ...

'', or cheek muscle, opens and closes the

jaw The jaws are a pair of opposable articulated structures at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth ...

and allows chewing. The ''Brachiocephalicus'' is a wide strap-like muscle that begins at the base of the

skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

behind the jaw and ends below the point of the

shoulder The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder m ...

to the

humerus The humerus (; : humeri) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius (bone), radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extrem ...

. This muscle moves the head from side to side, pulls the

scapula The scapula (: scapulae or scapulas), also known as the shoulder blade, is the bone that connects the humerus (upper arm bone) with the clavicle (collar bone). Like their connected bones, the scapulae are paired, with each scapula on either side ...

forward, raises it in collection, and swings the

foreleg A forelimb or front limb is one of the paired articulated appendages ( limbs) attached on the cranial (anterior) end of a terrestrial tetrapod vertebrate's torso. With reference to quadrupeds, the term foreleg or front leg is often used instea ...

forward. It is well developed for good movement, and too strong a rein contact inhibits free forward movement. The ''Sternocephalic'' begins at the jowl and ends at the

sternum The sternum (: sternums or sterna) or breastbone is a long flat bone located in the central part of the chest. It connects to the ribs via cartilage and forms the front of the rib cage, thus helping to protect the heart, lungs, and major bl ...

. This muscle moves the head and neck. In ewe-necked or bull-necked horses, this muscle is overdeveloped, and is difficult to get into a relaxed shape. The '' Rhomboideus'' begins at the ''

Nuchal ligament The nuchal ligament is a ligament at the back of the neck that is continuous with the supraspinous ligament. Structure The nuchal ligament extends from the external occipital protuberance on the skull and median nuchal line to the spinous p ...

'' and ends at the scapula. It lifts the shoulder and forehand, and pulls the scapula forward. The ''

Splenius The splenius muscles are: *Splenius capitis muscle *Splenius cervicis muscle Their origins are in the upper thoracic and lower cervical spinous process Each vertebra (: vertebrae) is an irregular bone with a complex structure composed of bo ...

'' begins behind the

poll Poll, polled, or polling may refer to: Forms of voting and counting * Poll, a formal election ** Election verification exit poll, a survey taken to verify election counts ** Polling, voting to make decisions or determine opinions ** Polling pla ...

and ends at the beginning of the ''

Trapezius The trapezius is a large paired trapezoid-shaped surface muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the human spine, spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It moves the scapula and ...

''. This muscle turns and extends the neck, and makes up the topline if well developed. The ''Trapezius'' is a flat, sheet-like muscle that begins at the

Occipital bone The occipital bone () is a neurocranium, cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone lies over the occipital lob ...

and ends at the spines of the 7th cervical and all the thoracic vertebrae. It lifts the shoulder and forehand, and if this muscle is well developed, the horse will work in a good outline. The ''Nuchal'' ligament begins at the poll and ends at the withers, and helps the muscles in the neck support the head. The ''

deltoid Deltoid (delta-shaped) can refer to: * The deltoid muscle, a muscle in the shoulder * Kite (geometry), also known as a deltoid, a type of quadrilateral * A deltoid curve, a three-cusped hypocycloid * A leaf shape * The deltoid tuberosity, a part o ...

'' begins at the scapula and ends at the humerus. The deltoid flexes the shoulder joint, and will load the shoulder if overdeveloped. The ''

Supraspinatus The supraspinatus (: supraspinati) is a relatively small muscle of the upper back that runs from the supraspinous fossa superior portion of the scapula (shoulder blade) to the greater tubercle of the humerus. It is one of the four rotator cuff m ...

'' begins below the ''trapezius'' and ends at the point of the shoulder; it maintains the shoulder in extension. The ''

Latissimus dorsi The latissimus dorsi () is a large, flat muscle on the back that stretches to the sides, behind the arm, and is partly covered by the trapezius on the back near the midline. The word latissimus dorsi (plural: ''latissimi dorsi'') comes from L ...

'' begins at the lower thoracic vertebrae and ends at the back of the humerus; it flexes the shoulder and pulls the foreleg back. The ''Triceps'' flex the shoulder and extend the elbow; the ''Biceps'' flex the elbow and extend the shoulder. The pectoral muscles help pull the foreleg forward. The ''Triceps Brachii'' extend the elbow joint; the ''

Biceps Brachii The biceps or biceps brachii (, "two-headed muscle of the arm") is a large muscle that lies on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle bell ...

'' flex the elbow joint. The ''Extensor carpus'' extends the knee. The ''Flexor carpus'' flexes the knee. The ''Digital extensor'' extends the toe and knee. The ''digital flexor'' flexes the toe and knee and extends the elbow.

Reference Links

Rara Equus
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008123457/http://www.raraequus.com/articles/horse_heavy_forehand.htm , date=2007-10-08

Horse anatomy

Balance

Anatomy of the forehand

Muscles, tendons, and ligaments

See also

Reference Links