CANNON BONE

This long bone is found in all four legs of the horse. It is a major supporting bone, helping to hold up all of the weight of the horse and rider.

CANNON BONE

The third metacarpal in the front leg, or the third metatarsal in the hind. Is located just below the knee. It functions as a lever and plays a direct part in determining the speed of a horse.

If you would like to learn about how scientists believe horses evolved, including how they went from having 3 toes to just 1, visit our Evolution of the Horse Slide Show.

Click Here to just view the evolution of the bones of the leg and the hoof.

To learn more about the hoof, click here.

To see a drawing with labels of a horse's skeleton, click here.

Click on any of the links on this page to open a popup with more information and pictures.