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A term used in human anatomy to refer to the tendon connecting the gastrocnemius muscle of the leg (gaskin) to the calcaneus. The achilles tendon complex in the horse is more commonly known as the common calcaneal tendon and includes tendons from the gastrocnemius, biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles.
A medical term referring to a disease or disorder that is rapid in onset and has a short, usually severe course. The opposite of chronic.
A term used in functional anatomy describing a movement which draws a limb in towards the mediansagittal plane of the body. It is the opposite of abduction.
Signals with which the rider aims to instruct the horse. Traditionally, the term refers to signals the rider gives with his/her seat (e.g. tilting of the pelvis, 3 dimensional movement), legs (e.g. encouraging the horse to move forward, away from legpressure), and hands (e.g. elasticity or firmness of contact to the horses mouth through the reins). However, aids can also be given through the posture of the body (during groundwork, not ridden), voice, or through the use of a whip or spurs.
A genetic disorder causing a total lack of colour pigment throughout the body, this manifests in the skin, the hair and the eyes. In horses genetically only a heterozygous albino is possible (the albino gene comes from only one parent), as a homozygous albino (the albino gene comes from both parents) is not viable due to a malformation of the digestive tract.