Equine Terminologies

• ACTION: The way a horse moves
• AIDS: Signals given to the horse with hands, voice, legs and weight
• APPALOOSA: A breed of horse and color of horse
• APPY: Short for Appaloosa
• ARAB: Short for Arabian
• ARABIAN: A breed of horse
• ARRAPPALOOSA: Cross between Appaloosa and Arabian
• AT GRASS: A horse that is pastured year round and one source of nutrition is grass
• 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 is raced around 3 barrels and is timed
• BAY: A chestnut or sorrel horse with black legs and tail Brown body with black legs and tail
• BIT: The metal part of the bridle that goes in the horse’s mouth
• BLAZE: A wide white marking that goes down face
• BLUE ROAN: A black horse with white hairs speckled
• BOX TO: To lead a horse up the ramp and into a horse box or trailer
• BREAK: The act of training or gentling a horse
• BREED: A particular type of horse
• BREAST COLLAR: A leather piece of tack that goes a cross the horse’s chest, helping to keep the saddle in place, or just to be decorative
• BRIDLE: The piece of tack that goes on the horse’s head and is used help control the horse
• BROKEN-IN: A horse that can be ridden and handled
• BRONCO: A horse that works in the rodeo, bucking off cowboys
• BROOD MARE: A female horse kept for breeding
• BUCK: When a horse kicks hind legs into the air with front legs on ground, usually out of joy
• CANTER: The three-beat gait that is faster than trot but slower than gallop
• CANTLE: Back part of the saddle seat
• CHAFF: Finely chopped hay used to add bulk to the feed
• CHESTNUT: A color type where the horse has reddish brown body, mane and tail
• CINCH: The strap that goes around the horse’s midsection to hold the saddle on
• COLT: A male horse under 4 years old
• CONCUSSION: Continuous banging of the horse’s feet on hard ground
• 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, usually its fence or stall, and swallow air. It is a bad habit that is hard to correct
• CROP: A short riding whip
• CRUPPER: a piece 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 separate
• DAM: A mother horse