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  Discussion on Size of loin
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Member:
Maggienm

Posted on Saturday, Apr 8, 2006 - 12:40 pm:

I keep hearing about how the size of the loin is important to the strength of the back.
My question is; how to tell is the loin is strong and of good size for the size of the horse?
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Saturday, Apr 8, 2006 - 6:58 pm:

The horse should look balanced, for one thing, with the length of the back and loin area looking "right" for the size of the horse, not being extra long for the height of the horse, or for the size of the shoulders. The work the horse is to do makes a difference also. For a reining horse, for instance, you wouldn't want a long back and loin area as it would make it hard for the horse to get under itself and do the maneuvers required for a reiner. An endurance horse could use a longer back and loin area as it allows the horse to take a longer stride. However, if the loin is overly long and not well muscled it can lead to a sore back.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Apr 9, 2006 - 11:30 am:

First let us be clear, there are no objective studies on how the conformation of the loin effects performance and strength so we all go off what with experience, what we have been told which is a sort of inductive "common sense", plus some aesthetics thrown in.

The loin "couples" the thorax to the hind end. From an anatomical point this would be the lumbar vertebrae and its associated epaxial musculature. Interestingly this is one of the most variable portions of the spine with variable numbers of vertebrae, hemivertebrae (1/2 a vertebrae), and fused vertebrae.

Sara comments are what are accepted as the effects of the loin:
  • the shorter the loin the stronger it is and the more agile a horse is in a turn. However in combination with a overall short back and long legs may result in interference.
  • a longer loin is weaker and more prone to injury but in combination with long legs gives a horse more scope and a longer reach at the gaits where the front legs and hind legs come together.
The problem is that there are horses without the ideal loin confirmation for their work that excel at their work. For instance as I look at a conformation photo of Secretariat as a two year old right in front of me, he appears to be a very short coupled horse yet his stride length was legendary. Stop action photos show that at a full gallop he would reach way up under himself with the hinds and with the lead leg between the two hinds where during the suspension phase the hind feet enclosed his lead leg's knee! He was a big horse though.

In any horse you look for balance not only at rest but while in motion. I find it very hard to put what that looks like in words but in References » Equine Illustrations » Leg Anatomy and Conformation » Conformation: The Whole Horse and Balance try to give images that help. Coupling would best be demonstrated in the image of big circles and the overlap between the middle and hind circle.
DrO
Member:
Maggienm

Posted on Sunday, Apr 9, 2006 - 12:09 pm:

Dr. O, Sara, what you say makes sense, this mare does have long legs, a shorter back likely would cause interference. Overall she does look balanced and she does stride under herself indicated by her hind hoof stepping over the track of her front hoof.
This could be an illusion but it appears that she takes shorter steps than I would expect with her front legs.
If I viewed her from above her loin would only be a few inches wide, compared to my arab whose loin is easily a large hand width, she is 15h.
The other mare is 16h but in her defense is very underweight.
I don't have the experience to know how adequate weight would change her back shape.
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