Horse Skeleton
​SCIENCE CONCEPT
My topic is the skeletal system of a horse. The skeletal system of a horse is a very unique type of structure. It has three major functions in the body. It protects vital organs, provides the framework, and supports soft parts of the body. Horses typically have 205 bones. A horse’s body is completely developed after three years. The vertebral column helps stabilize the torso and facilitate flexibility for quick changes in direction. Long bones connect to each other at joints, which allow limb flexion. Did you know that horses don't have collarbones? If horses had collarbones, they would struggle to jump or carry a rider. ​
APPLICATION
You should study the skeletal system of a horse so you can know how they move, why they move that way, and how to help them if something is wrong with their bones. Horses have many capabilities of issues happening with their body. If a horse trips, they could break their leg and that could lead to having to put down the animal because if the horse breaks its leg, then the horse can’t run or do anything, so then they are considered useless to the owner, so they have to be put down. There are also events at State Fairs or auctions called judging. People will bring in a horse and judge the horse's body, being compared to the “perfect horse”. A perfect horse should have a neck that is one and a half times the length of the head. The neck should also tie into the horse’s body fairly high and provide fairly high chest space. The shoulder and pastern angles should be between 40 and 55 degrees. The head should also be almost the same size as the rear, the rear should be a perfect square. A horse can move best with a short back and long neck. ​
​CAREER
A career in skeletal studies of horses is an Equine Chiropractor. Equine Chiropractors practice spinal manipulation and other manual therapy on horses. Equine Chiropractors usually work with veterinarians to provide a better approach to equine health. Most equine chiropractors are also veterinarians. Equine chiropractors offer paths to heal certain ailments and musculoskeletal issues without the use of drugs or chemicals. While traditional veterinary medicine focuses mostly on diagnosing and treating illnesses, diseases, and injuries, Equine chiropractors focus on restoring balance to a horse’s body and helping the body to heal naturally. 

    Equine chiropractors are extremely helpful in treating horses who struggle with: Difficulty bending or flexing, obvious neck or back pain, signs of resistance, such as bucking, rearing and tail swishing, uneven gaits, stiffness, and changes in behavior. Equine chiropractic therapies use manual force on different points of the horse’s body to bring the underlying structures back into normal alignment. This helps with the area of focus to normal function and range of motion. The expected salary of Equine chiropractors ranges from $75,000 to more than $150,000.
​SCIENTIST
A scientist in the field of my topic is Konstanze Kruger. Konstanze Kruger was born on January 22nd, 1968 in Cologne, Germany. She is a German zoologist and behavior researcher. She is a Professor of Horse Management at Nurtingen-Geislingen University of Applied Science and her special field of research is the social system of horses. She completed her studies in 1996 and accepted a position as a scientific assistant at the Institute for Animal Anatomy and Histology at the LMU in Munich. Her research focus is the social cognition of horses, the social ecology of horses, and the innovative behavior of horses.