| Above the bit |
|
When the horse carries it's nose above the rider's hands, reducing the rider's control. |
| Abscess |
|
An infection in the sensitive hoof tissues, often causes lameness, and requires draining. Once puss has been drained from the hoof, the horse will usually recover quickly. If not drained, it will usually work itself out of the hoof, making a hole along the coronet band or at the bulbs of the heels, and will then drain. |
| Accessory Carpal |
|
Pisiform bone, in the back of the knee. It does not support horse's weight, it is a sesamoid bone and functions as a pulley that flexor tendons can use to gain leverage |
| Accumulator |
|
A similar process, in betting, to a double or a treble but concerning more than three horses. |
| Acorn |
|
Fruit of the oak tree that is poisonous to horses. |
| Acre |
|
64 metres x 64 metres (70 yards x 70 yards) of fence/hedge line, this is equivalent to very slightly more than one square acre. |
| Action |
|
The way a horse moves and carries himself as he moves. |
| Against the Clock |
|
Term used in show jumping competitions in which the final round is timed. The winner is the competitor who has the least number of penalty points combined with the fastest time over the course. |
| Aged |
|
A horse over 9 years old. |
| Aids |
|
Used by the rider or handler of a horse to communicate. Legs, hands, and voice are examples of natural aids; spurs, crops, reins, etc., are examples of artificial aids. |
| Airs above the ground |
|
Classical horsemanship movements trained to highly-schooled horses. As the name implies, the movements usually bring the horse above the ground- either partway, such as rearing, or fully, such as the capriole, in which the horse leaps into the air and kicks its hind legs out. The Lipizzaner horses of Vienna, Austria are well known for their airs above the ground maneuvers. |
| Albert Headcollar |
|
The best known pattern of headcollar, with brass mounts and three rows of stitching on the cheek pieces. |
| Albino |
|
A true albino has pink eyes and an entirely pink skin covered with white hair. Many breeds of animals and birds produce pure white specimens, and the White or Albino Horse has since 1937 been fostered and developed in America under an organisation known as The American Albino Horse Club. The foundation horse is said to be 'Old King' foaled in 1906, whose breeding is unknown, though believed to be Arab-Morag. The Club develops a riding horse of pure white. The Albino is not a breed but a colour type. |
| Amble |
|
A slow, lateral pacing gait. |
| Anhidrosis |
|
The inability to sweat. First reported in Thoroughbred racehorses who were taken from temperate to tropical climates, but occurs in any breed of horse. This can be deadly, as the horse cannot regulat its body temperature and can result in overheating. |
| Anorexia |
|
A lack of appetite, usually caused by a disease. The horse will refuse to eat or will eat little, loose weight rapidly, act dull and lifeless, and will have an unhealthy physical appearance. If not treated, the horse will die. |
| Appy |
|
Short for Appaloosa |
| Apron |
|
A garmet made of leather or ballistic nylon worn by farriers to protect their legs from hot shoes or horseshoe nails. |
| Arappaloosa |
|
Cross between an Arabian and an Appaloosa horse.
See detailed information about Arappaloosa horse breed here. |
| Armlets |
|
Numbered armband worn by a racehorse's groom or person leading a racehorse. |
| Arrowhead fence |
|
Jumping an Arrowhead fence. |
Arrowhead fences are cross-country type obstacles found in eventing. They require a great deal of accuracy, due to their narrowness. Arrowheads, as their name suggests, are triangular-shaped fences with the "point" to the ground. They rarely are wider than a few feet. Arrowheads require the horse to be straight between the rider's hands and legs. The horse must be honest, as it is easy for a run-out to occur at this type of obstacle, and the rider must be careful to ride the correct line to the fence.
The overall fence is quite narrow, with the backside being the widest part, an ... more ... |
| Artificial Insemination |
|
The act of impregnating a mare without bringing her in contact with a stallion. Semen is collected from a stud, then shipped to the mare owner, and the mare is impregnated by a vet with the semen received from the stud. |
| Ass |
|
Another name for a donkey. Also, one of these two equines: The African wild ass (Equss asinus) or the Asiatic wild ass (Equss hemionus). |
| Atrophy |
|
A deterioration of body tissue. |
| Avascular Necrosis |
|
A bone disease seen in young, sometimes overworked, horses where the bones die and deteriorate from lack of blood. This disease also goes by other names: aseptic necrosis, osteochrondritis, and ischemic bone necrosis. |
| Azoturia |
|
Also known as 'Monday Morning Sickness', 'Setfast', and 'Tying up', it is a painful condition in which the horse's muscles cramp up. Often happens to horses on rich diets, especially after they have had a day or two of rest. The term 'Monday morning sickness' came about because in earlier years horses would usually get Azoturia on Monday. Why? Because hard working horses were often allowed to rest on the weekends; their owners would also give them a bit extra feed as a treat. The combination of sudden rest and extra feed would cause the muscle to tighten and the horse to come down with Azoturia. |
