The general idea of bio-mechanically Rectangular Gallopers is based on historical authorities from the Baroque and Cavalry manuals on horsemanship all the way up to Goubaux and Barrier’s Exterior of the Horse. I also owe a lot of people a lot of thanks for their work that allows me to put together the objective bio-mechanically sound anatomical insights included here. Especial thanks to Dr. James R. Rooney DVM Professor Emeritus and founder of equine biomechanics and to The Bone Lady, Sharon May-Davis whose dissection and work on modern equine anatomy offers hope to modern breeders,
However, the compilation of information into a pragmatic useful description for trainers and preservation breeders is my own. Please respect my hard work and credit me when you share this information with others.
Anatomical Traits
The Rectangular Galloper has 90o angles at the shoulder and hip joints that form a forward tilting rectangle. Built to maximize the fly period and minimize the weight and stress of thrust, the Rectangular Galloper is a tall, light bodied, long limbed horse.
- On a Rectangular Galloper, a line across the body of the horse from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock slopes distinctly forward. The slope of the pelvis and the humerus will be 30o, the slope of the shoulder blade and femur will be 60o.
- On a Rectangular Galloper, you can draw a line from the point of the hip through the stifle to the ground slopes backwards towards the line dropped from the point of the buttock to the ground following the line of the hind cannon bones.
- On a Rectangular Galloper, the iliac crest or point of the hip is well developed and occasionally pronounced. The point of the hip is the point of attachment for the large muscles and dense heavy fascia that stabilize the hip joint.
- On a Rectangular Galloper the croup appears level and the tail set if often high. The height of the vertical processes of the sacral vertebra dictate the superficial topline of the horse’s croup. The lumbo-sacral joint has the greatest range of rotation of the horse’s spine at 23o, but speed on the straight away emphasies the vertebra locking into place, not rotating Bone growth is a response to stress. The height of the vertical sacral vertebra process are a response to the stresses put on them by the muscles along the vertebrae that rotate and lock the vertebra into place during movement.
- On a Rectangular Galloper, ideally the relatively long level pelvis and gaskin alternates with a proportionally short femur and cannon of the hind leg is balanced by and reflected in similar proportion of the shoulder and forearm with shorter humerus and cannon bones of the front legs. Because the biomechanics of the Rectangular Galloper emphasize the thrust phase of the stride, a cross section of the cannon bones appears oval as bone is laid down in response to uneven loading
- On a Rectangular Galloper, the functional length of their back is medium, due to the length and slope of their shoulder blade. The number of cervical(6) and thoracic (18) vertebrae are the same as all horses. Research into the number of lumbar and sacral vertebra concludes that the total number of vertebrae is 12, six lumbar and six sacral. Horses that have long been selected for a proportionally long croup as well as sprinting ability will tend to have 5 lumbar and 7 sacral vertebra. The vertebra of the sacrum are always fused in horses, as the sacrum functions to absorb and redirect the forces of impact and thrust from the hindlegs into forward motion. In horses long selected for sprinting ability, the wings of the lumbar vertebrae may also be faceted, allowing them to lock into position.
- On a Rectangular Galloper, the chest is deep. Their long shoulder blade ideally has a 60o slope, and rests well forward on the rib cage.
- On a Rectangular Galloper, the 60o slope of their shoulder is reflected in the 60o angle of the pastern and hoof. The hooves of the Rectangular Galloper have a substantial sole, large frog, dense hoof wall and sufficient heel to protect the inner structures of the foot from the forces f thrust and impact.
- On a Rectangular Galloper, the neck is long and light with a distinct joining into well-defined withers and shoulder.
- On a Rectangular Galloper, their long light neck and small narrow head allows them to fully extend their head and neck to achieve maximum speed
- On a Rectangular Gallopers tend to have smaller heads with straight to dished profiles and large flaring nostrils that allow them to vent heat produced by the muscular exertion of galloping.
- On a Rectangular Gallopers, the ears are set high and close together on the top of the poll.
sara annon 