Basic Terminology To Know

These are some basic terms to know when it comes down to working with horses:

Mare: A fully mature female horse.

Filly: a young female horse under the age of four that has yet to foal.

Colt: a young male horse under the age of four

Foal: young horse especially under 1 year of age or still nursing mare. This can apply to either a filly or colt.

Suckling: foal that is still nursing

Weanling: a young horse under 1 year of age that has been removed or weaned from it mother (dam)

Covered by a stallion: A term that means a mare was bred by a stallion.

To foal: to give birth

Stallion: an intact adult male horse, esp. one used for breeding

Gelding: a castrated male horse

Dam: the mother of a foal

Sire: the father of a foal.

Short yearling/Long yearling: short yearling is a yearling horse that is just turned a year old. A long yearling is a horse that is closer to two than one year of age. Note: registered horses change age with new calendar year, not on their birth date. For example, a foal born in January and a foal born in August will be considered the same age in January when they are called yearlings.

Maiden: this term is used with race horses and is a horse that has never won a race

Maiden Mare: female equine over 2 years of age that has not been covered by a stallion. The term filly could also be used with the female that is 2 or three years of age.

Open Mare: a mare that has had foals previously but is not pregnant now

"In foal": pregnant female

Castration: to remove the testicles of a male

Intact: a male horse that has it testicles and has not been castrated.

Cryptorchid: failure of one testicle (unilateral) or both testicles (bilateral) to descend into the scrotum.

Equine Flehmen Response: This horse is exhibiting the flehmen response, which horses do in response to several stimuli. Most frequently this response can be seen in stallions when they smell the urine of a mare in heat. This response can also be seen in response to other smells as it allows the horse to clearly smell, analyze and process the scent. The lifting of the upper lip helps a horse more clearly smell, analyze, and process a scent in their environment.

High Flanker: a male in which the testis descend into the inquinal canal but not into the scrotum.

Estrus/in heat: time during the estrous cycle when the mare is receptive to the stallion

Diestrus: the time during the estrous cycle when the mare is not receptive to the stallion

Estrous Cycle: the entire cycle including estrus and diestrus.

Anestrus: a phase where the mare is not showing an estrous cycle. Typically associated with the winter season.

Barren: bred several cycles in a season without pregnancy or lost pregnancy

Halter and lead rope: made of rope, nylon or leather. Used to catch and lead horse

Horse: typically considered to be an equine over 14.2 hands

Pony: Typically considered to be an equine equal to or shorter than 14.2 hands

Hand: measurement used to calculate horse height. Equal to 4 inches. Measured vertically from withers to ground.

Cribbing: An obsessive-compulsive behavior horses exhibit by grabbing a stationary object (fence rail) with the top teeth, extending the neck by pulling backwards, while swallowing air and grunting. It is thought this activity releases brain chemicals that make the horse feel better.

Flake/leaf of hay: one section of hay