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Caballero: literally means 'horseman' in Spanish,
but also refers to any man Caballo: the
Spanish word for the horse
Cabriolet: a high, single horse, two-wheeled,
hooded vehicle for two people. It has a rear platform for the Tiger (pygmy
groom) to stand on. Fashionable in the early Victorian era
Cacolet: a structure attached on each side of a
packsaddle to transport an injured man, either in the sitting or lying
position
Cadence: the rhythmic clarity of a gait
Caesarean Section: surgical removal of a foal
from the dam's abdomen, performed under general anesthesia
Calcium-Phosphorus Ratio: the amount of calcium
compared to the amount of phosphorus in the diet. A ratio of somewhere between
1:1 or 2:1 is conductive to proper bone development
Calf-Knee: conformational fault where the horse's
knee has a concave look below the knee; it looks as though the lower leg were
attached a bit under the knee instead of straight on
Calk:
a pointed projection on a horseshoe to prevent slipping; to injure with the
calk on a shoe
Calked Shoes: shoes having projections downward from
the toe or heel to provide better traction
Call: to describe the running of a race. A specific
point in a race at which running positions are recorded. A verbal contract
between a jockey and a trainer
Caltrop: an iron ball with four sharp prongs, thrown
in front of a cavalry to hinder their advance
Camarillo White Horse: This rare breed originated in
Camarillo, California. In 1912, a white Spanish-blooded colt was born; Adolfo
Camarillo, the city's founder, finding this 'stallion of a dream', bought him
and began the breed. Over the next few years, Sultan, as he was called, won
many stock championships throughout California. Adolfo kept him and bred him
to many Morgan mares, and never sold a white horse, but instead would
occasionally give one as a gift. The horses were used in parades, until they
were eventually sold off in 1987 at an auction Canker:
a chronic overgrowth
of the horn-producing tissues of the foot, occurring most commonly in horses
housed under unsanitary conditions Cannons: the lower parts of the horse's legs between
the fetlocks and the knees or hocks
Canter: the
English term for a three-beat gait with right and left leads. The canter has
the same foot fall pattern as the lope, which is the Western term
Cantharidin:
a toxin in blister beetles responsible for blister beetle poisoning in
horses Cantle:
the back of the seat of the saddle
Capel: a heavy draft horse used for farming purposed
in medieval times
Capped Elbows/capped hocks: when a swelling occurs in
either area as a result of direct blow, or chaffing
Capping: if the rear foot of a horse sets down
squarely on the track of the same side front foot as it is set down, the horse
is said to be capping
Capillary
Test: press the gum with your thumb which temporarily restricts the flow
of blood to that area. When you remove your thumb, the blood should
immediately flow back into the capillaries; if it takes longer than normal,
it is a sign of ill health
Capriole:
one of the Airs Above
the Ground moves in which the horse leaps with all
four legs and strikes out with the hind legs in mid-leap
Card: a day's racing program
Carotene: a substance that is converted to vitamin A
in the animals body that is found in green and yellow feeds
Carpal Canal Syndrome: annular
ligament constriction on the back side of the carpus, causing lameness
Carrot: often used as a treat for horses; it's a
good idea to cut them lengthwise to prevent choking
Carriage Horse: an elegant
horse used for carriage-driving; usually with Thoroughbred blood in its
ancestry Cart Horse: a large, heavy horse used for
pulling carts Cartoid: the
main artery in the horse's neck Caslick: the surgical technique in which
the vulvar lips of the mare are cut and sutured so that they grow together,
making the vulvar opening smaller Cast:
when a horse rolls and gets stuck up against a wall or a fence because it's
unable to get its legs under it because it's too close to the wall
Castration: removal
of the testicles of the male animal
Cathedral: a western curb bit with an extremely
high, pointed port. A very severe bit that can hurt a horse's mouth if used
improperly. Not commonly used
Catheter-tip dose
syringe: a large hypodermic syringe with a blunt nozzle tip
Caulk: projection on the bottom of a shoe to give
the horse better traction, especially on a wet track
Cavalletti:
ground rails suspended between two wooden Xs designed to provide three
different heights for working horses; a very small jump
Cavalry: mounted troops that fought from horseback
Cavesson:
leather noseband (customarily used with the English snaffle bridle) that
encourages the horse to keep its mouth closed; a lungeing cavesson is a
leather or nylon headstall with a weighted noseband that has metal rings for
various attachments of the longe line; part of the bridle that goes over the
nose and under the horse's jaw Cecum: the blind gut;
in the horse it is huge compared to other animals, holding five to ten
gallons of ingesta Centaur:
a fictional creature that has the head, arms, and chest of a man, but the
body, legs, and tail of a horse Cervix: the narrow neck or mouth of
a mare's uterus Chalk: the
betting favorite Change of diagonal: when the rider
changes the diagonal to which he is posting
Change of Leg
or Lead: a change of the leading legs at the canter or lope
Chart: result chart that shows all horses and their
positions at various points in a given race along with the time of the race
Checked: a horse pulled up by his jockey for an
instant because he is cut off or in tight quarters
Check
Rein: a strap that fastens to the bit to keep the horse's head up
Chestnut:
a color in which the body, mane, and tail are various shades of brown
Chestnuts: hard hornlike patched on the
insides of the legs, just above the knee and just below the hocks. The shape
of each horse's chestnuts is individual, so can be used for identification
like fingerprints
Cheyenne Roll: a style of cantle where the edge
bends downward to form a rim or lip Chin Groove:
the groove above the
lower lip in which the curb chain of a curb bit lies
Chip:
occurs when a horse puts in a
short, additional stride in front of a fence
Chrome: flashy white markings on the
horse
Chronic: a continually recurring condition or habit
Chukka: In polo, a period of time usually 7 to 7 and
1/2 minutes. Horses can be ridden a maximum of 2 chukkas. A game of high-goal
polo usually has 6 chukkas Chute: in cattle events, the chute is a fenced
lane that contains a single cow behind a gate
Chute: extension of the backstretch or homestretch
to allow a longer straight run at the start
Cinch: a band
that fastens a Western saddle in place; goes under the horse's belly
Cinch Strap: the strap of leather on the near side
that is looped through the cinch to hold the saddle in place
Circuit: tracks whose meets are in sequence,
allowing stables to follow a circuit
Claiming Race: a race where horses are entered for a
specified price and can be claimed (purchased) from the race for that price.
Claimers are horses who generally run only in claiming races
Classic: a race for three-year-olds, such as a Derby
or Oaks, that has a long standing tradition behind it. The American classics
are the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes
Clean-legged: a horse
that does not have any feathering on the lower part of the leg
Cleft Palate: Birth defect characterized by an
abnormal connection between the oral cavity and the nasal cavity; as a result,
small amounts of milk often may be seen dripping from the nostrils when the
foal suckles
Clerk of Scales:
the official who is responsible for weighing the
riders before and after a race to ensure proper weight is carried Cleveland Bay: a
breed of horse originating in England as a carriage horse. Increasingly
popular for crossing with Thoroughbreds to produce versatile sport horses used
in a number of equine sports "Click":
breeding term for a situation in which certain blood lines, if crossed,
produce exceptional offspring Clinches: the
folded-over ends of horseshoe nails on the outside of a shod horse's hooves
Clipping: the act of shaving a horse's hair for a
stylish look or to help the horse from overheating. Also, when a horse
overreaches in its gait, hitting his front hooves with his hind. The horse's
hind shoe clips the edge of the front hoof
Clitoris:
sensitive mound of erectile tissue in the lower portion of a mare's vulva
Clocker: the person who times the morning workouts
Close: to gain ground on the leader
Closer: a horse who runs best in the latter part of
the race, coming from off the pace
Clover:
a legume used for hay and pasture Club
Foot: in horses, a flexural deformity of the coffin joint resulting in a
raised heel: this is not to be confused with the club foot deformity of humans
Clubhouse Turn:
generally the turn immediately after the finish line
and closest to the clubhouse
Clydesdale: a breed of heavy horse originating in
Scotland and often used for heavy draft work
Coach
Horse: a heavier type of horse than a carriage horse, used for pulling
coaches
Coarse: a horse lacking refinement, breeding, and
quality. A course feed has a high fiber content Cobby
type: a horse that has conformation similar to a cob - stocky, sturdy
and strong, with short legs and rounded barrel
Cob: a
small horse Coffin Bone: the distal
phalanx or toe of the forelimb, incorporated within the hoof; also, the small
bone within the hoof. In severe cases of laminitis, this bone can detach and
rotate, causing extreme lameness
Coffin Joint: the joint within the hoof of
the horse between its short pastern bone (second phalanx) and the coffin
bone (third phalanx) also including the navicular bone
Coggins Certificate: a veterinarian's document that certifies the horse free of
the disease, equine infectious anemia
Coggins Test: a
laboratory blood test used to detect previous exposure to equine infectious
anemia or swamp fever, developed by Dr. Leroy Coggins
Coldblood:
a horse, not a pony, of heavy, common or 'cart' blood. The basis of
warmblood breeds Cold-blooded: refers to horses having
ancestors that trace to heavy war horses and draft breeds. Characteristics
might include more substance of bone, thick skin, heavy hair coat, shaggy
fetlocks, and blood that makes it suitable for slow, hard work
Colic:
spasmodic pain in the horse, usually caused by spasm of the intestine; the
reaction of a horse to abdominal pain by kicking, rolling, sweating
Collect:
to coordinate the horse's moving forward with impulsion while shortening the
frame for slow motion Collection: gathered together; a
state of organized movement; a degree of equilibrium in which the horse's
energized response to the aids is characterized by elevated head and neck,
rounded back, "dropped croup," engaged hindquarters, and flexed
abdominals. The horse remains on the bit, is light and mobile, and is ready
to respond to the requests of the trainer
Color: description
or class in which the body coat color and pattern, not conformation, is a
deciding factor
Colors: racing silks, the jacket and cap worn by
jockeys. Silks can be generic and provided by the track or specific to one
owner Colostrum: the first milk of the
mare, containing high protein, sugar, and, most important, globulins that
impart temporary disease resistance to the newborn foal
Colt:
a male horse under four years of age; a young racehorse of either sex the
first year of training Combination: a series of two or
more fences within 39 feet and 4 inches of each other that must be taken as
a pair, an in-and-out Combined Training:
an equestrian competition held over one or three days and including the
disciplines of dressage, cross country and show jumping; combined training is
also known as Eventing Common: an ordinary, plain-looking
horse Complete Ration: a usually pelleted ration,
containing all the necessary nutrients except water
Concentrates: feed low in fiber and with Total
Digestible Nutrients of close to 75%.
Conchas: the decorative round
leather, metal, or silver discs through which pass the saddle strings
Concussion: the jarring caused to
the foot and lower leg by the impact of the horse's foot hitting the ground.
Concussion is greater on harder ground
Condition: the
shape of the horse is in, its state of health, how much work it is
doing, and how much food it is eating. Good condition describes a fit and
healthy horse with good muscle development. Poor condition describes a horse
that is run down, underweight, and with little muscle development. 'Good but
soft condition' describes a healthy horse that is not fully fit and lacks
muscle development
Condition Book: track publication for horsemen
announcing conditions of upcoming races
Conditioned Race: eligibility to enter is determined
by a set of conditions such as age, sex, races won, etc Conditioning: the art and science
of preparing a horse mentally and physically for a particular use such as
pleasure riding, competitive trail riding, or showing
Cone:
a red or orange vinyl traffic cone, used as a marker
Conformation
Hunter: a class judged 40 percent on conformation and 60 percent on
performance Conformation: the physical structure of a
horse, which is compared to a standard of perfection or an ideal
Congenital: an abnormal condition that an animal
possesses at birth
Conjunctiva:
the white membrane that lines the eyelid of the horse
Conjunctivitis:
inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyes
Consignor:
the person who consigns a horse for sale or puts it up for auction
Contact:
the horse's stretching forward into the bit and accepting the taut rein as a
means of communication with the rider
Contracted Heels: heels are pulled close together
due to the frog shriveling. caused by lack of use or disease
Corona: a fancy western saddle pad featuring a
border of alternating colored thick fabric
Coronary Band: the
top of the hoof between hair-covered skin and hoof where growth takes place
Coronary Corium: the part of the corium from which
the hoof wall grows. Tissue containing the blood vessels and nerves, located
at the coronary band (coronet)
Coronet: coronary band. All growth occurs here. Soft
tissue is turned into
the hardened horn of the hoof wall
Corpus Hemorrhagicum: blood clot that fills pit on
ovary immediately after ovulation
Corpus
luteum: a yellow gland tissue that replaces corpus hemorrhagicum
Corral: a fenced-in area to keep horses; usually
round and made of wood. Paddocks are larger, and pastures are grassy fields
for grazing
Corrective Trimming: trimming of the hoof in an
attempt to achieve a desired conformational effect, or to undo faulty trimming
Counter-canter:
when the rider deliberately asks the horse to canter on the lead opposite
the direction of movement. For example, in a circle to the right, requesting
a countercanter would result in a canter left lead
Coupled: two or more horses running as an entry in a
single betting unit
Course:
a prescribed route that the horse and exhibitor must take, usually in hunter
and jumper classes Cover: to breed a mare; the mating process between a mare and a stallion, when a mare goes to stud
to be covered by a stallion Cowboy: someone who makes
his living through working on a ranch with cows
Cow-Hocked:
a conformational fault. When looking at a horse from behind, if the hocks
turn in towards each other it is called 'cow-hocked'
Cow
Sense: a horse with cow sense has a particular aptitude for
working cows, and appears to anticipate the cow's next move
Cow Trot: term used to refer to method of moving the
back end of a horse when trotting. A cow trotting horse is stiff in the rear
joints, and uses the hips for most of the forward movement. A cow trotting
horse will swing its tail side to side and its feet out in an arc as it moves
them forward. A cow trotting horse will not break over in the hocks, but will
swing them side to side in a stiff motion. A cow trotting horse may also be
either long trotting or square trotting
Cradle:
a device put on a horse's neck so it can't reach to bite or lick its sides
or legs
Creep: area mares can't enter, but foals can, where
foals can feed free choice
Cremello: a very light, whitish or cream color coat
that can result from breeding a Palomino with a Palomino or a Cremello with a
Cremello. It two dilute genes, making the light color. These horses also have
blue eyes; they are sometimes mistakenly called 'white' or 'palomino' Cribber: a horse that bites onto something and
gulps air into its throat. This is a very bad habit and should be corrected
immediately Cribbing: a vice whereby a horse anchors
its teeth onto an object, arches its neck, pulls backward, and swallows air.
It can cause the horse to lose weight, suffer tooth damage, and other
physical disturbances. It can be a contagious habit
Crib-bite:
an undesirable vice consisting of the horse chewing on the stable door,
fences, or any hard surface. Persistent crib-biting can develop into
windsucking
Cricket: a copper attachment to a bit's port which
will spin in the horse's mouth as he moves his tongue. By having such a thing
to play with the horses mouth will stay moist and it helps pacify the horse Cross-tie: a means of tying a horse in
which a chain or rope from each side of an aisle is attached to the side
rings of the horse's halter Crossbred: a horse that
has one parent of one breed and the other parent of another breed
Cross Firing: a horse is cross firing when the
inside rear foot hits first, and the inside front foot hits last when the
horse is in the canter or lope
Crossing: breeding horses of different pedigrees
Crude Protein: calculated amount of protein in the
feed based on the amount of nitrogen in the feed
Crupper:
Strap attached to the back of a saddle and encircling the root of a horse's
tail to keep the saddle from slipping forward.
Cryptorchidism:
the retention of one or both testicles in the abdominal cavity
Csikos: Hungarian cowboys. They ride on girthless
saddles (felt pads with leather corners and stirrups, but no cinch or girth to
fasten the pad). They are known for their well-trained horses are excellent
horsemanship skills. They practice "Puszta otos", a trick where the rider will
stand on two horse's rumps and and drive three or more horses ahead of him,
all at a full gallop. This is often practiced by trick riders in circuses
Cue:
a single signal, often made up of several aids, from the rider or handler
that tells a horse what to do. Often used in performing tricks
Culture:
the cultivation of living cells in prepared media ' the technique used
to determine if a mare's genital tract is infected
Cuppy: a track surface which breaks away under a
horse's hoof
Curb
Bit: a bit with a U-shaped projection on the bar which pushes on the
horse's tongue or roof of the mouth when reins are retracted
Curb
Strap: a leather strap that is affixed to the bit below the reins and
lies across the chin groove. When used with a curb bit, it creates pressure
on the chin groove From the leverage action of the shanks. When used with a
snaffle, it prevents the snaffle from being pulled through the horse's mouth
Curb Chain: the chain attached to the bit passing
under the horse's chin
Curb:
an unsoundness of the hind leg
Cured Hay: hay that has been dried to allow safe
storage, without molding Curry Comb: a
metal, plastic, or rubber device with many small teeth, usually in circles,
for cleaning hard-packed filth off a horse
Cushion: the top level of the racing surface
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