Cold Hosing

The act of using cold water from a hose on the lower legs of a horse after exercise to prevent in injuries or to reduce inflammation.

Gray or grey

Gray is a mixture of white and any other color of hair. A gray is born solid- or almost solid-colored and gets lighter or greyer with age and as more hair sheds out and grows.

A Cradle

A Veterinary product. Used on a horse in order to keep the horse from biting, licking or further injuring a wound. Usually made from wood. Placed on the neck. Similar to the plastic collars placed on dogs/cats to keep the head/neck immobilized.

Bringing Up/In

Refers to bringing a horse into a stable from previously living at large or pastured or randomly with a herd.

dun

The body color is sooty yellow to sandy red, with each hair the same color. The mane and tail may be , brown or red, . Duns may exhibit a dorsal stripe, a transverse stripe over the withers, and zebra stripes on the legs.

Banbury Action

Banbury action refers to the action of the shanks in a curb bit. Banbury action is on curb bits with moveable shanks, or when the cheek pieces move independently of one another and separate from the mouthpiece.

Bottom Line

Bottom Line refers to the underbelly line of the horse. The bottom line is lacking (meaning needs muscle development) or the bottom line is good (meaning that the muscle development is strong & well developed).

Buckskin

The buckskin is a type of dun with body color a shade of yellow or gold. The mane and tail are black. Black is on the lower legs from the knee and hock down. A buckskin may or may not have a black dorsal stripe down the spine.

Blue Roan

A blue roan is a uniform mixture of black base coat with white hairs..

Horse - Facial Markings

Facial Markings

Specific terms are used when identifying a horse's facial markings. The illustration depicts locations of face markings. True white markings are distinguished by pink or light-colored skin beneath the white hair. These white markings are evident at the time of foaling and do not change throughout the life of the horse. Be careful not to confuse roaned areas with white markings.
Star: A star is always found on the forehead and may be of any size or shape.
Stripe: A stripe is a vertical marking found below eye level and above the imaginary horizontal line connecting the top of the nostrils. Any mark in this area regardless of size is referred to as a stripe.
Snip: A snip is any mark found below the top of the nostrils, down to and including the lower lip. Snips can enter into one or both nostrils, or extend to the lip.
Blaze: A blaze is a large or wide marking which connects a star, stripe and snip. A blaze is always a combination of all three of these marks and therefore will never end above the nostrils. It extends close to the eyes, wide over the center of the face and bridge of the nose, and either extends almost the width of the nostrils or over part of all of each nostril.
Bald Face: A bald face refers to a very large blaze, which can extend outside of the eyes in the forehead and/or center of face. It will generally cover the width of the nose and the entire muzzle. A horse with a bald face will often have a large snip on the lower lip which can extend to the under lip area or chin.

Bay

The body color ranges from sandy red through deep red to reddish-brown. The mane and tail must be black. Black is also found on the lower legs (from the knee or hock down).

Bail

A Bail is often used in standing or temporary stalls. It is the plank of wood or arm that allows for the adjustment of the stall divider. Either fixed on the wall of the front of the stall, or from the ceiling.

Cast (Veterinary/In Stall or Paddock)

A horse is said to be cast when he is in either his stall or a paddock and he is lying down, and is unable by himself to get back up again. Usually this is due to the fact that the horse has lain too close to the wall or fence or from a hoof or leg being caught up in something.

Palomino

The body color is a shade of yellow or gold . The mane and tail are white, yellow or gold.The legs are same as body color. Palominos do not have dorsal stripes like the similarly colored dun horse. Palominoes can be quite faded and light or quite vivid and dark with the dappling even being almost dark brown. This was the color of Roy Rogers Trigger, an American Quarter Horse, and Mr. Ed, an American Saddlebred Horse.

Breaking Out

Refers to a horse breaking out into a sweat after he has been cooled out after exercise.

Concussion To The Rider

Concussion in the Rider refers to a head or brain injury. This is usually from a fall. Why helmets are a must~! Helmets should be manditory.

Cast (Farrier/as in a Shoe)

Cast is referring to the loosing of a shoe. The horse has cast a shoe. Meaning the shoe has come off by accident.

Check To

Check To is used in Hunting. This is a term that the Master Huntsman uses to alert the others that the hounds have lost the scent; and the field is to calm or steady their horses while the hounds relocate the scent.

Bottom

Is used in reference to low growing vegetation in a pasture.

Bale

A Bale is either of straw/shavings for bedding; or of hay for feed. Referring to the bound measures of the item....either shavings, straw or hay.

Gruella, Grulla, grullo

The body color is smoky or mouse-colored (not a mixture of black and white hairs, but each hair is mouse-colored). The mane and tail and legs will be black or darker than the body

A Double Bridle

A Double Bridle is a bridle with 2 bits, and two sets of reins. A double bridle must never use a connector strap whichs reduces two reins to the use of one rein.

Tobiano Paints

Tobiano (pronounced: tow be yah´ no)

Is a paint or pinto horse color term referring to a horse with a solid base coast color with white, poured from above and not crossing the centerline of the belly


Generally, the spots are regular and distinct in large areas that extend down over the neck and chest and back .

Head markings are like those of a solid-colored horse--solid, or with a blaze, strip, star or snip.

A tobiano may be either predominantly dark or white.

The tail is often two colors.

Calkin

A Calkin is a raised & squared thickening of the metal of the hind shoe at the outer edge of the heel. This will increase the grip. A similar effect can be created on the inside of the heel by thickening the metal into a wedge shape (wedge heel) which is less likely to cause brushing than will a calkin.

Tovero

Tovero (pronounced: tow vair´ oh)

refers to a paint or pinto horse whose overall color is a combination of both the tobiano and overo color patterns within paint and pinto horses

Circuit Breaker/Breaker Box

An Electrical Box or Devise fit into a wall or onto a wall where all the electrical connections meet. When too many wall outlets are in use, this box will internally flip a switch on the panel board. This is to prevent electrical shock from too many circuits in use.

Single or Snaffle Bridle

Uses one bit, and only one rein. Can use two reins when using a pelham, a Tom Thumb, or a Kimberwick with a shank. Often when using any one of these bits, a connector strap will be used so that only one set of reins is necessary.

Overo

Overo (pronounced: oh vair´ oh) this term is a color of body where white does not cross the centerline of the back between the withers and the tail. Generally the white is irregular, and is rather scattered or splashy. An overo may be either predominantly white or the base coat color..

Action

The action is the way in which a horse is moving at the walk, trot or canter. Is the action restricted, open and freeflowing, stilted, short?

Clench or Clenches

Clench or Clenches is the nail end that is remaining after the farrier has twisted off the protruding point of the nail. The metal is then bent over and squeezed in order to secure the shoe to the hoof/sole.

Colors of Horses - Chestnut or Sorrel

The body color is dark red to a light reddish brown. The mane and tail are usually dark red or reddish brown, but in the sorrel will be flaxen ( pale yellow) or white.

Concussion To The Horse

Concussion in the horse is referred to as the jar that the hoof/legs receive when a horse is working on hard or solid ground.

Red Roan

A red roan is more or less a uniform mixture of white thoughout a red or chestnut base coat. The mane and tail may be red or also roaned.

Bone

Used in reference to conformation. Refers to the circumference of the bone below the horse´s knee or hock joint. If the measurement is generous, the horse will be considered to be of "great or plenty of bone". If the measurement is smaller, the horse will be referred to as "lacking or short of bone".

Bounce

A Bounce is when two or more obstacles are consecutive with no chance for the horse to take a stride between. Used in training for horse/rider to learn eye for distance, balance, strengthening upper body, and developing lower leg security.

Capped Elbow

A soft swelling under the skin on the point of the horse´s elbow, usually caused by either lack of bedding, rubbing from the heel or shoe on the elbow when the horse is lying down.

Cheek Piece

On a bridle, this is the short piece that connects one side of the bit to the bridle. The adjustment piece that shortens or lengthens the bit to fit the horse´s head.