GLOSSARY – EXAM 1 & Lab Exam 1

Abaxial	Away from the central axis of a structure.
Abduction	A drawing away from the medium plane of the body
Accessory Carpal bone	Disk-shaped bone forming the sharp ridge at the back of the knee
Adduction	Drawing toward the medial plane of the body
Adductor muscles	Group of muscles that draw the thigh inwards.
Albino	Term used to indicate lack of pigment. True albino horses have pink skin, white hair coat and pink eyes.
Allowance Race	A race in which eligibility is based upon amounts of money won or earned, or number of races a horse has won over a specified time.
Amble	The slower form of the lateral pacing gait. (See Pacer)
Andalusian	Elegant breed of horse originating in the Iberian Peninsula. Known in Portugal as the Lusitano.
Anterior	At or toward the head of the body.
Appaloosa	Breed of horse exhibiting one of a number of distinct coloration patterns of spots on the body. Developed by the Nez Perce Indians and named for the River Palouse. Coloration patterns include leopard spot, blanket, snowflake, frost.
Appendix	A horse registered in the Appendix of the American Quarter Horse Registry. Quarter Horse/Thoroughbred cross.
Arabian	Ancient and graceful breed of horse, originating in the deserts of the Middle East and having a strong influence on many other breeds, including the Thoroughbred.
Arthritis	Inflammation of a joint.
At The Post	A term commonly used signifying the horses have arrived and are ready to be loaded into the starting gate.
Back at the Knee	A conformational fault where the upper leg is set back in comparison to the lower leg. This fault is more serious than over at the knee because it places additional strain on the tendons running down the back of the lower leg. Back-breeding: The practice of breeding back to a certain stallion to preserve a particular desirable trait.
Backside	The stable and training area of a racetrack.
Backstretch	Straight or far-side of track between turns.
Balance(Hoof)	A condition which exists when the weight placed on each leg of the horse is distributed equally over the foot of that leg. A horse's foot is said to be in balance when viewed from the front or rear if the medial axis of the leg, pastern, and foot are in a straight line. The foot is said to be in balance when viewed from the side of the medial axis of the pastern coincides with the axis of the foot which is parallel to the hoof wall at the toe.
Bald-Faced	US term used to describe a horse with a predominantly white face.
Barrel Racing	An exciting race against the clock in which exhibitors follow a course consisting of three barrels in triangular "cloverleaf" pattern. Riders choose to circle either the right or left barrel first, race to the opposite barrel and complete the course after circling the third barrel and racing down the center of the three barrels to stop the timer. Knocking over a barrel carries a five second penalty.
Barrel	The area of the horse's body between the forelegs and the loins.
Bars	On bottom of horse's hoof, continuation of the horny wall running forward from the heels between the sole and the frog. Also refers to open spaces on the jaw between the incisors and cheek teeth.
Base narrow	Conformational fault in which there is less distance between the horse's legs at the bottom than at the top.
Base wide	Conformational fault in which there is a greater distance between the horse's legs at the bottom than at the top, caused by improper angulations at the elbow or the stifle.
Baskir Curly	Breed of horse exhibiting a unique curly coat. Also called simply the Curly Horse.
Bay	Coat color - deep reddish brown with black mane and tail.
Belgian Draft Horse	Breed of heavy horse, originating in Belgium and used for heavy draft work. Also known as the Brabant.
Bench knees	Conformational defect in which the cannon bone is offset to the outside of the axis of the forearm bone above it.
Best Bet	Term used by track handicappers, tip sheets, selectors, etc., to signify the horse they feel most likely to win that day.
Bilateral	On both sides. For instance both hooves of a pair.
Black type	Bold-face type used in sales catalogs to distinguish horses that have won or placed in a stakes. If a horse's name appears in all upper case bold-face type, he has won one stakes race. If it appears in upper/lower case bold-face type, he has placed in at least one stakes.
Blanket Finish	Finish in which two or more horses are very close at finish (one can "Throw a blanket over them"). Very common in American Quarter Horse racing.
Blaze	Elongated white marking down the front of the horse's face. (Also called a stripe)
Blemish	Minor conformation fault, either occurring congenitally or caused by an injury that is considered undesirable but does not interfere with the horses soundness
Blind spavin	Arthritis of the lower joints of the hock where the bone has degenerated but there is no visual projection. A horse suffering from this condition will be lame without showing external signs of spavin.
Blinkers	A hood placed over a horse's head with cups sewn onto the eye openings. The cups prevent a horse from seeing anywhere but straight ahead, thus preventing distractions. The size of the cups are varied to allow a horse more or less peripheral vision.
Blood Horse	A Thoroughbred horse.
Blood Spavin	An enlargement of the saphenous vein on the medial side of hock.
Bloodstock:	Thoroughbred horses bred for racing.
Bog spavin	Swelling of the hock joint capsule due to excessive joint fluid. May result from sprain, stress or faulty conformation. Caused by: Faulty conformation; strains; sprains resulting from rapid turning and quick stops; deficient nutrition; insufficient levels of vitamins A and D, calcium and phosphorus.
Bone spavin	Bone enlargement or destruction on the inner surface of the hock.
Bone	The measurement around the leg, just below the knee or hock. This measurement determines the horse's ability to carry weight; therefore a light-boned will be limited in weight carrying capacity.
Bow legs	Conformational fault in which the hocks are set too far apart, frequently causing interference between the hind feet as they pass each other in travel.
Bowed tendon	Thickening of the superficial flexor tendon, generally between the knee and the fetlock Caused by: Overexertion; muscular fatigue; misstep
Bow-hocks	Bandy-legged, where the hocks turn outwards. The opposite of cow-hocks.
Boxy hooves	Narrow, upright hooves with a small frog and closed heel. Also called club foot.
Breakaway Roping	A timed competition, rather than a scored event, for Amateur and Youth contestants. In breakaway roping, the rope is attached to the saddle horn with a heavy string allowing it to break when a legal catch is made. All other calf roping rules apply.
Breed	An equine group bred selectively for consistent characteristics over a long period of time.
Breeder	The breeder of an American Quarter Horse is considered to be the owner of the dam at the time of service, while the breeder of a Thoroughbred is the owner of dam at time of foaling.
Brindle Horse	Breed of horse exhibiting a distinctive marbleized coat coloring, similar to that seen in brindle dogs.
Broken Winded	Term used to describe horses having an abnormal breathing pattern due to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Also known as heaves.
Bucked knee (over at the knee)	Persistent forward bending of the horse’s knee due to contraction of Ligaments or scar tissue behind the joint.
Bucked shin	Inflammation of the front to the cannon bone, associated with Microscopic stress fracture.
Buckskin	Coat color - body can range from crème to dark bronze, mane, tail; legs and tips of ears are black or dark brown. Horses showing similar coloration, but with a dorsal stripe, are called dun.
Bursa	Sac or cavity filled with fluid located in a joint or other place where friction is likely to occur; provides lubrication between the ligaments, tendons, or the bones over which they run.
Bursitis	Inflammation of a lubricating space (bursa) under a tendon or a ligament.
Buttress foot	Form of low ringbone, an abnormal bone growth in which the horse’s foot becomes pyramidal in shape. Pushes up the front of the coronary band
By	The father of a horse.
Calcification	Tissue hardening due to calcium-salt deposits.
Calf knees	Conformation defect in which the carpus is angled behind the ideal straight line of front leg construction when viewed from the side.
Calf Roping	A class that tests a horse's ability to follow a calf at great speed, giving the rider the best opportunity to catch the calf. The horse is judged on how quietly he waits for the calf to be released; how well he runs to the calf; how he rates his speed and position so that the rider can rope the calf; and how well the horse stops and works the end of the rope, keeping the slack out but not dragging the calf. There is a one minute time limit for all roping events.
Camped Behind	A "camped behind" horse stands like a saw horse with the hooves behind the vertical.
Camped out	Conformation fault in which the hind legs are too far behind the horse. A straight line from the point of the hip to the ground, perpendicular to the ground, will not touch the point of the hock and will end forward of the middle of the hoof.
Cannon bone	Leg bone above the fetlock or ankle joint.
Capped elbow	Soft, often fluid filled swelling over the point of the elbow caused by bruising of skin and underlying tissues.
Capped hock	Soft, often fluid filled swelling over the point of the hock caused by bruising of skin and underlying tissues.
Carpal	Pertaining to the carpus.
Carpitis	Popped knee.
Carpus	Knee" joint of the horse, equivalent to the human wrist.
Carpus valgus	A conformation defect in which the fore limbs deviate laterally below the knee. Sometimes associated with a knock kneed appearance. Knock knees.
Carpus varus	A conformation defect in which the fore limbs deviate medially below the knee. Sometimes associated with a bow-legged appearance. Bow Legged.
Carriage Horse	A relatively light and elegant horse used for carriage driving.
Cart Horse	Usually a coldblood draft horse.
Caudal	Towards the tail.
Cervical	Pertaining to the cervix (the neck of the womb), or the neck (cervical vertebrae).
Chestnut	1. The small rubbery protrusion on the inside of all four legs. 2. Reddish-brown coat color (also see Sorrel).
Chin Groove	The groove above the lower lip in which the curb chain of a curb bit lies.
Chondritis	Inflammation of cartilage.
Chrome	US term used by auctioneers and in sales ads to describe the white markings of a horse.
Chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease	Forced expiratory effort in horses due to narrowing of the small airways in the lungs.
Chute	The straightaway extension to the oval section of a track. Generally, the typical one mile track will have a 440-yard or 1 1/4-mile chute entering the homestretch and a 3/4- and/or 7/8-mile chute entering the backstretch.
Claim	Claiming races are the most common type of race, constituting approximately 70% of all races run. In these races, horses are entered for a specific price and can be purchased or "claimed" by any licensed owner at the track for that price.
Claimer	A horse which consistently runs in claiming races.
Claiming price	The price for which a horse is running in a claiming race.
Claiming Race	A race in which the conditions provide that each entry may be bought by a licensed owner, either directly or indirectly, through a trainer. The claim can only be made until a few minutes before post time, at which time the claiming box is closed. A claimed horse becomes the property of the new owner when the race starts, but the purse winnings from that race go to the previous owner.
Class	A horse showing all the best qualities in breeding, conformation, ability and stamina.
Clean-legged	Without feathering on the lower legs.
Clerk of Scales	A racing official whose responsibility is to sequester all jockeys each racing day, check their assigned riding weights versus their actual weights, report all changes and weigh all riders out and in from races.
Cleveland Bay	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.
Clocker	Person responsible for accurately timing the workouts of a horse. These times are published for the benefit of the public. All workouts are taken during the morning training hours.
Clubfoot	An extremely upright hoof with a very broken-forward pastern-hoof axis. May be caused by flexor deformity. In extreme cases, the digit may be folded back, with the animal bearing weight on its dorsal surface. In congenital club feet, the slope of the heels is usually more upright than that of the toe.
Clydesdale	Breed of heavy horse originating in Scotland and used for heavy draft work.
Coach Horse	A powerfully built horse, capable of drawing a heavy coach.
Cob	A type of horse, rather than a breed, a cob is a horse of stocky appearance, well-adapted to carrying heavyweight riders in all circumstances.
Coffin bone	The major bone within the hoof, shaped like a miniature hoof.
Coffin joint	Lowermost joint of the leg located where the short pastern bone meets the coffin bone and the navicular bone within the hoof.
Coldblood	The name used to describe the heavy European breeds of horse descended from the prehistoric Forest Horse.
Combined Training	Equestrian competition held over one or three days and including the disciplines of dressage cross country and show jumping. Also known as Eventing
Common digital extensor tendon	Main extensor tendon in the front leg. It passes down over the front and slightly to the outside of the leg and attaches to the long pastern, short pastern and coffin bone. The widest point of attachment is at/on the extensor process of the coffin bone. It is joined on each side of the pastern by branches of the suspensory ligament. It is responsible for extending the leg.
Compensation	Adjustments a horse makes to try to keep an even gait despite a sore or lame leg.
Condition	The qualifications or eligibility rules for horses to be entered into a race. Also a term used to indicate a horse is ready to race.
Condition Book	A booklet written by the Racing Secretary and published for the horsemen by the racing association usually every two weeks, which lists all races, conditions and other information pertinent to the race meet.
Conformation	Physical inherited construction of a horse. The overall way in which a horse is put together and also the relationship of specific parts of the horse in regards to its proportions.
Connemara	One of the nine breeds of ponies native to the British Isles. Originating in Ireland.
Contracted heels	Term describing condition in which the heels of the hoof are too close together and too upright for normal conformation of the hoof.
Contracted tendons	Abnormal condition of the flexor tendons at the back of the leg preventing normal extension of the fetlock and or coffin joint.
Coon-footed	Conformation fault in which, at rest the pastern is parallel to the ground.
COPD	Abbreviation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or heaves. Brought on by allergies and characterized by abnormal breathing pattern and reduced tolerance to exercise. See also broken winded.
Corium	The deep tissue beneath the coronary band, which produces the horn.
Corn	A bruise of the hoof sole between the wall and the bar, usually caused by leaving shoes on too long. Caused by: Concussion on hard surfaces, frozen rough ground, rocky terrain, gravel, etc.
Coronary band	Area where hair stops and hoof growth begins at the bottom of the pastern.
Coronary coronet	The hair surface of the coronet. Part of the hoof farthest from the basal surface of the hoof at any given point.
Coronary crack	A sandcrack which starts at the top of the hoof and splits down.
Coupled Entry	Two or more horses belonging to the same owner or trained by the same trainer are said to be coupled, as they run as an entry comprising a single wagering interest.
Cow hocked	Medial deviation of the tarsal joints. Usually results tin toeing out with a base wide conformation.
Cracked Heels	Inflammation of the heels, resulting in cracked skin and discharge of pus. A condition wherein the tissue covering the bulbs of the heels cracks open, leaving the heels susceptible to infection. Primarily caused by chronically wet heels due to moist footing. Also known as "mud fever."
Croup	Top line of hindquarters; rump.
Curb	Thickening of the plantar ligament at the back of the hock, resulting in an enlargement below the point of the hock. Caused by: A rupture due to injury or strain.
Cut out under knee	A horse with "cut out under the knees" has a cannon bone that while vertical is slightly towards the back of the knee, and not directly below the upper leg. Shelf knees is a synonym but over at the knees is not the same thing.
Cutting	Pits a Horse against a cow in a battle of wills. Horse and rider must move quietly into a herd of cattle, cut one cow from the herd, drive it to the center of the arena and "hold" it away from the herd. The horse is scored on its ability to keep the cow from returning to the herd, cow sense, attentiveness and courage. There is a 2-1/2 minute time limit.
Daily Double	A type of wager in which one must select the winners of two races in succession.
Dales Pony	One of the nine breeds of horse or pony native to the British Isles. Originating from the Pennines, from Derbyshire to the Scottish border.
Dally Team Roping	A judged (instead of timed) competition whe