swaybacks

Horses with dips

Swaybacks are horses or other animals with an abnormally curved, sagging spine—the back dips downward between the shoulders and hindquarters.

The condition, common in older horses, gives them a characteristic hollow-backed silhouette.

By extension, swayback describes any similar concave curvature: a swayback old sofa, the swayback of the porch roof.

equine

horses

Large domesticated hoofed mammals

lordosisAbnormal spinal curvature inward
saddleMounted rider's seat
spineColumn of vertebrae

conformation · mares · geldings · veterinary · posture · aging · riding · dip · hollow · weakness

postural

lordosis

Abnormal spinal curvature inward

lumbarOf the lower spine
curvatureDeviation from flatness
spineColumn of vertebrae

posture · pelvis · tilt · alignment · weakness · core · muscles · correction · therapy · standing

structural

sagging

Bending downward weakly

beamsRays or supports
roofsUppermost building covers
floorsWalking surfaces inside

bowing · joists · load · weight · collapse · deterioration · support · repair · reinforcement · architecture

Opposites

spinal curvature

swaybackshumpbacks

Singing migratory whales

postural quality

swaybacksupright

Vertical or morally sound

erect · ramrod straight · sturdy

Family

swayback, swaybacked

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G