Objective: Know the Proper terms to use

when talking about horses. Be able to recognize some of the

different color patterns of horses.

Horse Terms

Monday Morning Disease Equine exertional

rhabdomyolysis/ Azoturia/ Tying up

loins and quarters harden resulting in cramps and muscular stiffness when exercised

Hard working horse gets rest

Hindquarters: Rear of flank – top of tail – top of gaskin

• Highest point: poll• Weakest part of back: loin behind saddle• Top of hindquarter hip – tail: croup• Hock – Stifle: Gaskin• Withers: horse’s height is measured

Barrel

Pronounced croup: jumper’s bump

Hind cannon: shank

• Bony part of tail where hair grows: DOCK

Fistulous Withers (ridge btw shoulder blades):Inflammation of bursa

terms

Drive horse harnes

Farrier Skilled Craftsperson whoShoes horses

• Shoes distributes the weight of the limb over a larger surface area and moves the breakover point further back on the foot

• Shoes reduce the stress on the lamellar tissue along the front of the foot while consistently supporting the sole of the foot

Laminitis Transient ischemia:

coagulopathy breakdown and

degeneration between the horny and sensitive laminae

Illustration by Dr. Gheorghe Constantinescu

Laminitis stance/ Founder

Hoof

Frog: rubber pad on the sole, shock absorber

Fungal/bacterial infection in cleft of frog

Mare Female horse 4 yrs and older (after

3rd birthday) Usually after having an offspring.

Filly Young female horse< 4 yrs old (2-3 yrs old) Female foal: Filly foal Feathering Yearling: Colt or filly

btw 1-2 yrs

Brood Mare Mare that is used strictly for

breeding

Stallion Male horse STUD Uncastrated male horse Also calledEntire Intact male after 3rd birthday

Colt Young male horse Uncastrated Male horse 4yrs Old (2-3 yrs old)

Gelding Male horse castrated before

reaching sexual maturity

Foal

Young Horse male or female

Birth – weaning: 4-7 months Up to 1 yr old

Colt filly gelding (castrated)

Jack Male donkey

Jennet (Jenny) Female donkey

HYBRIDS

Mule Offspring of a

mare mated to a jack

More common than hinney

All male mules and most female mules are infertile

Hinney Offspring of a jenny mated to a

stallion

Zony Offspring of a pony mated to zebra

stallion

Zorse Offspring of a stallion zebra mated

to a mare

Hand Unit of measurement for horses A hand is equal to 4 inches. The height of a horse is

measured at the withers.

Light Horses Most horses, usually

riding breeds; small bones and thin legs

Above 14.2 hands 900 – 1200 lbs. AQH, Arabian,

Thoroughbreed, Morgan, Standarbreed,Tennessee walking….

Draft Horses

Was developed in Northern Europe as war horses

Above 16 hands 1,500 – 2,500 lbs Large bones and thick Percheron,

Clydesdale, Belgian

Pony A breed of horse

that is under 14.2 hands.

<800 lb. Welsh, Pony of

Americas, Shetland

Breed registries with color requirements Color is not breed Pinto, Palomino, Buckskin,

American paint horse, Appaloosa and Friesian are breeds with distinct color

Horse Colors

Horse Colors Continued

Bay Red – reddish brown, with black mane and tail

Brown

Black and tan

Sorrel

Reddish brown – brownish orange with same color mane with lighter extremities (if only red: chestnut)

Dapple Gray

"dapples", which are dark rings with lighter hairs on the inside of the ring, scattered over the entire body of the animal

Paint

Spotted

PalominoPale cream – gold with whitish mane and tail

Pinto

• White with patches

of another color• Piebald:

white/black• Skewbald:

white with any color except black

Buckskin

Light yellowish with black tail and mane

White

Roan

Base color: red, black or brown with white hair that give speckled look, usually darker in head and lower legs

Chestnut

Dark red or brownish red

Brindle horse

Patient Identification Signalment Breed, coat color Point markings

6: 4 legs, head, tail Standardization is limited:

Sock – stocking? Coronet – pastern?

Draw/ camera

Star

A star is any white marking on the forehead of the horse. A star can be small, large, regular or irregular in shape, in the center of the forehead or off to the left or right side of the forehead.

Stripe or Strip (small marking)

A stripe or strip is a white marking on the bridge of the horse's nose, below the level of the eyes and above the level of the nostrils

Connected Star and Stripe

A star is often connected to a stripe and is described as a connected star and stripe.

A stripe or strip can be long, short, wide, narrow, centered on the face of the horse or off to the left or right side.

Snip A snip is any white

mark that is located between the nostrils of the horse.

A snip may be small, large, centered or extend into one or both nostrils. A snip is often connected to a stripe, and many times with a star and stripe.

Blaze A blaze is a wider

white marking that usually covers the region of a star, stripe and snip, but extends to the width of the bridge of the horse's nose.

Bald A bald face is a

very wide blaze that extends to and may cover the eyes, nostrils, and upper lip

Bald face with white extending to lower lip.

Distal limb joints

Fetlock joint:Lowest joint on the horse’s leg

Shorter cannon bones better conformation

(shanks)

Pastern: connect hoof to

fetlock

Heel.-Horses will commonly have a white marking that covers one or both heels.

Coronet.- White covering the coronary band or coronet

Half Pastern White extending approximately half way up the pastern

Pastern A white marking which includes the entire pastern.

Fetlock or Ankle A white marking that extends to and covers the fetlock.

Sock A white marking that extends half way up the front or rear cannon. Often called a Half Stocking

Stocking A white marking that extends from the coronet to the knee or hock

References http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/ http://www.thehorse.com/Glossary.aspx?L=A http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/resourcesmag/summer98/

one_horse.html http://www.horsecolor.com/basics/starting_point.htm http://www.vet.upenn.edu/Research/

BasicandClinicalResearch/SpeciesBasedResearch/LaminitisInstitute/LaminitisFAQs/tabid/1322/Default.aspx

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/90722.htm

http://www.aaep.org/laminitis.htm