Glossary ACTION - The way a horse moves its body AGED - A horse of nine or more years AGING - Estimating the age of a horse by its teeth AIDS - Signals made to the horse by the rider BAULKY - Stubborn BLEMISH - Permanent mark caused by a previous injury or disease BLINKERS - Flaps on the bridle to keep the horse looking only straight ahead BLOOD STOCK - A racing Thoroughbred BLUE FEET - Blue-black coloring of the horn of the horses hoof on some breeds BONE - Circumference around leg beneath the knee. Used in the term "big-boned" BREAKING IN - Initial training of a horse BREED - A selectively bred group having particular features and recognized because of them BRIDLE - Equipment used to control a horses head BROOD MARE - A mare used for breeding BRUSHING - When the hoof or shoe strikes the opposite fetlock BUCK - Leaping into the air, back arched and landing on stiff forelegs CARRIAGE HORSE - A light horse used for pulling carriages CHESTNUT - Horny, oval-shaped area on the inside of the forelegs and hocks COLD-BLOODED - Horses with ancestors from the cold climates of Northwestern Europe COLLAR - Part of the harness worn by heavy horses for pulling COLT - Ungelded male horse, under 4 years old CONFORMATION - The shape and proportion of the body CROSSBREEDING - Mating two horses of different breeds CRUPPER - Strap attached to the back of a saddle and encircling the root of a horse's tail to keep the saddle from slipping forward. DAM - Mother horse DORSAL STRIPE - Dark hairs extending down the back towards the tail DRESSAGE - Systematic training of the horse. In testing, the rider and horse are judged on performance, style and the horse's obedience. ENTIRE - Uncastrated EQUIDE - Family of animals comprising the horse family, included zebras, ponies, asses and horses ERGOT - Horny growth located on the back of the fetlock FARRIER - Someone who makes horseshoes and/or shoes a horse FEATHER - Long silky hair on horses lower legs FETLOCK - A tuft of hair that grows behind the horse's "ankle" FILLY - A female horse under four years old FOAL - A horse under one year old FORELEGS - The front two legs FROG - The triangle shaped pad on the bottom of the foot GAIT - The way a horse moves GELDING - Castrated male GIRTH - Circumference of the horse measured from behind the withers HACK - A light weight riding horse or "to go for a hack" means to go for an undemanding ride, a walk or slow canter HANDS - Unit for measuring a horse. Each hand equals four inches HARNESS - Equipment used to control a draft horse HAUNCHES - Hips and buttocks HINNY - Offspring of a male horse and a female donkey HOCKS - Bones forming the knees on the rear legs HOT-BLOODED - Horses with ancestors from hot climates in the Middle East LIGHT-FRAMED - slender in bone structure MANE - Long hair growing along the crest of the horse's neck MARE - female more than four years old MARKINGS - Standard types of pattern on the coat MARTINGALE - Tack used to control a horses head or to alter the pull of the reins MEALY - used to describe pale colored muzzles MULE - Offspring of male donkey and female horse NEARSIDE - The left side of a horse NUTS - Concentrated horse feed packed into small cylindrical pieces. (This is British; in the US, they call these pellets.) OFFSIDE - The right side of a horse PACER - A horse who instead of trotting moves both legs on the same side at the same time in unison. PACES - The four universal movements of a horse. They are the walk, trot, canter and gallop PADDOCK - Fenced in area of grassland, usually smaller than one acre. PEDIGREE- The ancestry of an individual horse POINTS - External features of a horse PONY - Horse not exceeding 14.2 hands high PURE-BRED - A thoroughbred REINS - Straps attached to bit and held in rider's hands SADDLE PAD - Pad placed under saddle to prevent rubbing SIRE - Father horse STALLION - Ungelded male horse over four years old STUD - Stallion kept for breeding STUD BOOK - A breed society's record, listing pedigrees TACK - All riding, driving and saddlery equipment TYPE - A horse that fulfills a specific function, rather than a breed. Example: Hunter Type WARMBLOOD - Horses that are part or half-bred resulting from thoroughbred and Arabian crosses with other breeds WITHERS - Part of the horse above the shoulders where the neck joins the body

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