Do you know more than one language? Languages such as English, Spanish, and French are spoken by many people from many parts of the world. Pretend that someone came to talk to you in a language you didn't understand. How would you feel? Could you figure out what they were saying and respond appropriately?

Now think about horses. Picture people coming to talk to you about horses, using the correct term for horse body parts - croup, flank, muzzle, pastern, etc. Would you be able to understand them? Picture yourself speaking to your 4-H club about your horse. Would you know the correct terms necessary to describe your horse? In this activity, you'll learn the parts of a horse! Check out this great online resource to get you started!

After you've identified all the parts of the horse, play a fun game with family or friends to test your knowledge!

The Mane Event

Do you remember the game "Pin the Tail on the Donkey?" Here, we will be playing "Pin the Star on the Horse!" Create a simple full-size ourline of a horse on a large piece of paper and tape it on a wall. Also, create a large star that can be pasted on various parts of the horse. Blindfold one person, spin them around three times, and have them place the star anywhere on the horse diagram. Remove the blindfold, and have that person identify the part of the horse closest to the star. Keep guessing until the correct answer is identified.

Stable Talk:

Once you have completed the quiz, discuss the following questions:

Horsin' Around (Share what you did)
- What new parts did you learn? Are any of these parts similar to parts of a human?
Bits & Pieces (Process what's important)
- Why is it important to know the parts of a horse?
Horsepower (Apply to your life)
- In this activity, you learned about horses in a variety of different ways. How do you like to learn new things?
Galloping Ahead (apply what you learned)
- List three other ways you can learn parts besides playing a game.
Riding into the Sunset (Careers)
- List three careers where knowing the parts of a horse might be useful

Horse Sense: Putting the Pieces Together

When working with horses, you first need to learn the parts of a horse. Without this knowledge, you will have trouble talking to "horse people" and veterinarians, saddling a horse, and diagnosing horse problems, to name a few. Learning the names of horse parts is a basic skill you need and will use every day while working with horses. Don't worry if it takes a little time to learn all of the basic horse parts. Practice makes perfect!

Spur You On:

1. Using a poster, identify and explain the parts of a horse to your horse club.

2. Create a group game and have a relay race to post horse parts on a poster.

3. Check out the "Horse Anatomy: Equine 3D" iOS by Real Bodywork. Here you can practice identifying bones and muscles in 3D. Here is a free version of the skeleton.