Equine Terminology
Learn what all those horsey words mean! Here is a whole equine dictionary! If you don't see a word that you think should be listed, click here to add it! Be sure to use correct spelling and type a clear definiton.
A
ACTION: The way a horse moves
AIDS: Signals given to the horse with legs and hands
APPALOOSA: A breed of horse
APPY: Short for Appaloosa
ARAB: Short for Arabian
ARABIAN: A breed of horse
ARRAPPALOOSA: Cross between Appaloosa and Arabian
B
BALK: When a horse refuses to move or do what the rider wants
BARREL: The horse's midsection
BARREL RACE: A rodeo event where the horse races around 3 barrels
BAY: A chestnut or sorrel horse with black legs and tail
BIT: The metal part of the bit that goes in the horse's mouth
BLAZE: A white pattern on face
BREAK: The act of training or gentling a horse
BREED: A particular type of horse
BREAST COLLAR: A leather piece of tack that goes acrossed the horse's chest, helping to keep the saddle in place, or just to be decorative.
BRIDLE: The peice of tack that goes on the horse's head and is used help controll the horse.
BROKEN-IN: A horse that can be ridden and handled
BRONC: A horse that enjoys bucking, and usualy does it for a living at rodeos
BROODMARE: A female horse kept for breeding
BUCK: When a horse kicks hind legs into the air with front legs on ground, usualy out of joy.
C
CANTER: The three-beat gait that is faster than trot but slower than gallop
CANTLE: Part of the saddle
CHESTNUT: A reddish brown color or the scaly growths on the inside of the horse's leg
CINCH: The strap that goes around the horse's midsection to hold the saddle on
COLT: A male horse under 4 years old
CONDITION: A horse's overall health and fitness
CONFORMATION: The way a horse's body is put together
CORONET BAND: Where the hoof meets the hair on the leg.
CREST: Along the top of the horse's neck where the mane grows
CRIBBING: When a horse grabs on something, usualy its fence or stall, and swallow air. It is a bad habit that is hard to correct.Usualy caused by horse being bored or kept in stall.
CROP: A small riding whip
CRUPPER: a peice of leather under tail to keep the saddle from sliding forward
CUTTING HORSE: A horse trained to 'cut' one calf out of a herd and keep it seperate
D
DAM: A mother horse
DAPPLE GRAY: Gray coat pattern
DEWORMER: Used to kill worms in horses
DOCK: Around the area where the tail meets the body
DOCKED: When a horse's tail has been cut off
DORSAL STRIPE: A black stripe down the back of the horse
DRESSAGE: An event where horse and rider perform complex movements
DUN: A yellowish coat color with a dorsal stripe down back
E
ENGLISH: A style of riding
EQUINE: A horse, or having to do with horses
EQUESTRIAN: Someone that rides or interacts with horses
EQUUS CABALLUS: The scientific name for the horse
F
FARRIER: A horseshoer
FETLOCK: The joint between the knee and hoof
FEATHER: The tuft of hair on the horse's fetlock
FENDER: The area above the stirrup on Western saddles
FILLY: A female horse under 4 years old
FLY SPRAY: Insecticide or herbacide used to kill or repel flies
FLYING LEAD CHANGE: When a cantering horse changes leads without slowing down.
FOAL: A baby horse
G
GAITS: The different ways that horses travel. The mane gaits are walk, trot, canter, gallop.
GASKIN: The muscle above the hock in the horse's hind leg
GALLOP: The fastest of the equine gaits.
GELDING: A nuetered male horse (also act of nuetering a horse)
GIRTH: Another name for the cinch, usualy used by English riders
GROOM: The act of cleaning a horse
H
HORN: A part of the saddle
HACKAMORE: A bitless bridle
I
**no listings for 'I' yet**
J
JOG: A slow canter
JOHDPURS: Strechy english pants
JOCKEY: A person that rides racehorses
JUTLAND: breed of horse
K
KATHIWARI: breed of horse
KABARDIN: A breed of horse
L
LOPE: A slow, western-style canter
LEADROPE: A rope used to lead and tie horses
LOUNGE: Exersicing a horse on the end of a lounge line
M
MARE: A female horse over 4 years old
MANURE: What you muck out of the stall
N
**no listings for 'n' yet**
O
NAVICULAR BONE: A small bone in the hoof, just behind the coffin bone.
NAVICULAR DISEASE: When the navicular bone
P
POLL: The highest point of the horse, located in between ears.
PLEASURE RIDING: Riding for pleasure, not showing.
PAINT: A colored breed of horse
PINTO: A colored breed of horse
PALOMINO: A coat color. Palomino is NOT a breed, but palomino horses can be registered as 'palominos'.
Q
QUARTER HORSE: A breed of horse
QUICK: The act of nailing the shoe in wrong, causing pain to the horse. Pl. quicked.
R
RACING: An event where horses run to see which is the fastest
REINING: A Western event
ROPING: A Western event where a calf is roped.
S
SADDLE: A piece of tack used to ride horses
SADDLEBRED: A breed of horse
SETTING A TAIL: Cuting muscles in the tail, breaking it, then bandaging it up so it stays erect. Done in Tennesee Walkers.
SHOWING: Competing for money, ribbons, or points with horses.
STALLION: A male horse over 4 years of age
STUD: A male horse used for breeding
T
TACK: Equipment used to ride and train horses
TENNESEE WALKER: A breed of horse
THOUROGHBRED: A breed of horse
TRANSITION: Making the horse change gaits.
U
**no entries for 'u' yet.**
V
**no entries for 'v' yet**
W
WARMBLOOD: A breed of horse
WELSH COB: A breed of horse
WELSH PONY: A breed of pony
WORMS: Parasites that can injure or kill horses.
X
**no entries for 'x' yet. I doubt there will ever be any!**
Y
YEARLING: A horse that is 1 year old.
Z
**no entries for 'z' yet**
