Arm bone length and angle

[DianneC]

I'd be interested to hear opinions on the length and angle of the arm bone, which goes from the point of the elbow to the point of the shoulder at the chest. I read once that this determines how easily (and high) the front feet are able to come off the ground. I was struck by this mare's arm bone.
Thanks to Sarah for the picture! Hope its OK to use it here. I'll try to find some others.

[barbhorses]

Yes, you are correct. That is one aspect of conformation that does aid in how much knee action the horse has. The bone you are referring to is called the humerus. If the humerus is greater than a 90 degree angle then you will be getting more knee action.

[sbutter]

It's definitely ok to use my pictures for educational purposes...as long as you don't make any money off of them If you do, spread the love

This is an interesting topic. Do you have any other reference pictures of horses that have higher knee action? I wonder how often horses are an exception to that rule?

[Michelle Clarke]

It's not quite as simple as saying 90 degrees gives you more knee action - there is a lot more to it. The long humerus will give you more scope (in general) to the stride - no matter what angle. JP Giacomini told me you want long, closed angles in the shoulder and hip, that unfold as the horse moves. This gives you the most scope of reach and lift (and power). There are many factors that determine what the front end does; yes, conformation certainly plays into it but whether or not a horse is built downhill, if they are on the forehand, if the saddle is pinching the shoulders, etc - all play into it. Not to mention the horses natural flexability and effort they put out.

Our mare, Mari, is built much like the pictured mare here - she is all knee action!

[grullagirl]

Mari definately has some showy action at the trot LOL. This is an awesome thread maybe we can post pictures of horses standing still and then try and guess what type of action they have at the trot?