- Breaking: more
The process of training a horse to be ridden or for work.
- Chestnut
- Small, horny excrescence on the inside of all four legs
- The chestnut is what remains of the third inner toe of hyracotherium, the ancestor of the modern horse. See the video Equus for more info.
- A rich red brown colored horse
- Coldblood:
The generic name for heavy European horse breeds descended from the Forest Horse.
- Dam:
A horse's mother
- Feathering:
Long hair on the lower legs and fetlocks. More prominent on certin breeds like the Clydesdale than on others.
- Foal:
Colt, Gelding or filly up to a year old.
- Frog:
A rubbery pad on the underside of the hoof.
- Gelding:
A castrated male horse.
- Girth:
The Circumference of the body measured from behind the withers around the barrel or chest.
- Hand:
The standard measurement used to determine the height of a horse.
One hand is equal to 4 inches (10.16 cm), measured from the ground to the top of the withers.
- Hotblood:
Term describing Arabians, Barbs, and Thoroughbreds.
- Hybrid:
Cross between a horse and an ass or zebra.
- Loins:
The area on either side of the spine just behind the saddle.
- Lope:
Slow western canter where the horse is allowed to hold it's head in a natural position.
- Mare:
A female horse age four or over.
- On the bit:
When a horse carries the head in a near-vertical plane, the mouth a little below the riders hand.
- Overbent:
The mouth held close to the chest to evade control.
- Pinto:
Body color of white with patches of any other color.
- Roached Mane:
A mane that has been shaven to a Mohawk ridge.
- Stallion:
An uncrasted male horse of four years old or more.
- Stud:
A breeding male horse, also a Stallion.
- Tack:
The gear used in equiping a horse, including saddle, bridle, etc.
- Warmblood:
Generally referring to breeds which are a cross between Hotbloods and other horses.
- Withers:
The highest part of the back, at the base of the neck, of a horse, cow, sheep, etc.
