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Word rarity: = commonly used = occasionally used = obsolete


Words with two dots are between categories.
Total words in this section: 56

BACK CINCH

A cinch near the back of a Western saddle that keeps it from tipping up when the horse stops or turns suddenly. Often seen in fast events or ranch horses. It goes just in front of the flank and is much looser than the front cinch.

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BACK-BREEDING

The act of breeding certain horses back to relatives to bring out a desirable trait.

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BAG BALM

A brand of balm that is made for the udders of cattle, to prevent discomfort or chaffing. Also good for rough hands and skin on people, and can be used on mare's udders or horse's skin to prevent painful cracking.

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BAGGING UP

Means that a mare's udders are filling with milk.

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BAKE

Old cowboy term. To overheat a horse by riding it too hard/long.

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BALANCE

The distribution of the rider's weigh evenly on the horse's back.

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BALD FACE

A large white marking that covers most of the horses head; like a blaze that extends to muzzle and over eyes.

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BALE

A square bundle of hay that is tied with strings. Also refers to the large round bales of hay that are for cattle and are poisonous for horses. Also, the act of packing cut grass into bales.

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BALING TWINE

A The twine that is used to keep bales of hay together. It is usually orange, blue, yellow, or grass-colored.

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BALK

Stopping or refusing. When a horse disobey's the riders signals to move.

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BAND

A herd of horses. Used by most horse people, but esp. cowboys.

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BANGTAIL

Old cowboy term for a wild or feral horse.

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BARBED WIRE

A type of wire that consists of a twisted strand of wire with sharp barbs occuring periodically along the strand. This type of wire is a poor choice for horse fencing as it is unsafe and can cause serious injuries to horses. Barbed wire was invented in the 1870s by Joseph F. Glidden of Dekalb, Illinois. After its invention, some people protested it because it seemed like a harsh type of fencing. It was called "The Devil's Rope" by some.

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BARDOT

French for the foal of a horse or pony crossed with a female ass.

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BARDS

Armor covering for the breast and flanks of a war horse; also sometimes used for an ornamental horse covering.

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BAREBACK

Riding a horse without a saddle or other piece of tack on its back.

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BAREFOOT

An unshod horse.

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BARN SOUR

A very bad habit a horse can aquire from poor riders or owners, or can aquire from being left in pasture too long. The horse will refuse to leave its barn or paddock because it is afraid to leave or has learned it can boss the rider. Sometimes the horse will leave but will pull on rider every once in a while or try to rush back to the stable. However, the horse can be taught not to do it.

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BARREL

A horse's midsection, between the withers or girth and the hip.

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BARREL RACING

A popular equestrian event held in rodeos, horse shows, and at jackpots. A trained horse and rider must race around 3 barrels in a cloverleaf pattern as quickly as possible.

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BARS

The area in a horse's mouth where the bit sits. It is a naturally smooth toothless area on each side of the horse's mouth.

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BASCULE

A term used for the ideal outline and arc of a horse as it jumps over an obstacle.

BAT

Another name for a crop. A small whip carried by english riders to correct the horse with.

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BAY

A horse coat color. Reddish or dark brown hair with black mane, and some black on legs and ears.

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BAYO COYOTE

An old cowboy term for a dun colored horse.

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BEDDING

The material placed on the floor of a horse's stall to soak up waste and cushion ground.

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BEDOUIN

People of the Arabina desert who bred and lived among Arabian horses.

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BELL MARE

In some places the lead mare of a herd is caught and a bell is fastened around her neck. That way the herd can be found by listening for the bell.

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BEND OR

Also called smut spots, beauty marks, oil spots, or candy spots. These are dark spots that can occur on any color, but most commonly occur on chestnuts and palominos. They are darker 'smutty' looking spots that can range in size from smaller than a dime to a few feet across. Generally, they are no larger than the palm of your hand. They are called Bend Or spots after a Thoroughbred racehorse of that name who had these spots.

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BIG ANTELOPE

Old cowboy term for another person's steer that had been killed for food.

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BISHOP-ING

Obsolete term. Description as found in a 19th Century book: "Fraudulent dealers with the view of deceiving the unwary occasionally simulate marks on the incisors by means of caustic or the hot iron. The fraud is readily detected, because though it is easy to make a black mark on the crowns of the teeth, yet it is impossible to restore the wall of pearly enamel, with surrounds the natural mark. The ideas are to make the horse appear younger than he is."

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BIT

The mouthpiece of a bridle that is used to guide the horse. There hundreds of different types and designs for different uses.

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BLACK

Black refers to a horse that is black. Black horses genetically carry one or two black genes and no Agouti (bay) genes. Black horses may fade to a brown color in the summer (the sun often bleaches hair lighter), however their coat will normally be a fully black color. Dark bay or seal brown horses are sometimes confused with black.

BLANKET

A pad or cloth that goes beneath the saddle to protect the horse's back and prevent rubbing. In Western riding they can come in many colors, patterns, and sizes, but in English they are usually white or an off-white color. The English and Western styles are shaped differently to fit under the saddle type; they vary in thickness according to use. Some modern blankets are even gell-filled or air-filled to cool and cushion the horse's back. A blanket is also a cloth fastened over horse that keeps the horse warm, protects it from flies, keeps it dry, or clean. This type of blanket varies in thickness according to use. APPALOOSA: When talking about Appaloosa horses, this can also refer to the white marking around the horse's hips and rump.

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BLAZE

A white marking running down the horse's face. It is larger than a stripe but smaller than a bald face.

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BLEEDING

Some high-performance horses may experience lung bleeding. It is common in racehorses and may occur in other athletes too that are under stress. Some horses appear to be more susceptible and are known as 'bleeders'. Drugs and herbs are used to control the condition.

BLEEDER

A horse that is known to have lung bleeds.

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BLINDING/BLINDFOLD

To cover a horse's eyes. Old cowboy way to calm a horse when saddling. Also, may be used on any type of scared horse to calm the animal down, or to make the horse behave, such as during a barn fire when a horse may be afraid to move. If blinded or blindfolded, he may be able to be lead to safety.

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BLINKERS

A piece of equiptment that is put on the horse's head to prevent the horse from seeing out the sides. Done to some racehorses so they will not spook or jump to the side when they see things out the sides of their eyes, but run straight ahead.

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BLOW A STIRRUP

Cowboy term. To loose a stirrup (have your foot come out).

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BLUE ROAN

A coat color. The body is black with white hairs mixed in, giving a slightly blue look.

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BONNET FACE

A white facial marking that is usually wide around the horse's forehead and may cover both eyes, but then is narrower down the bridge of the nose and toward the nostrils. Often seen in some pintos or minimal pintos, usually frame overos.

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BOOTS

The footwear worn by people near or around horses. They have a heel that prevents the foot from slipping into the stirrup too far; they are usually made of leather, and go up to about half of one's calf. Some have laces, some are very short, and some are very tall and go almost up to the knee. However, they are normally more like 'cowboy boots'. Also, the boots put on a horse to protect its legs. Rodeo, jumping, and horses doing fast sports usually have these on. They prevent the horse from cutting itself with its own hoof (overreaching), hitting its leg on a rock or object, and straining the leg.

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BOT

Small, yellow eggs that are laid by Gadfly flies onto the horse's legs, chest, and belly area mainly, although sometimes they may be laid on the mane and other parts of the body. When hatched, the larvae may climb into the horse's nose and enter the digestive tract where they will spend part of their life cycle. Bots must be removed from the horse to prevent this.

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BOT KNIFE

A knife-like scraping tool designed to remove bots from horses. Usually has a slightly sharp, serrated end that is scraped along the leg to dislodge the bots.

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BOTTOM SIDE

On a pedigree, refers to the maternal side, which geometrically is placed beneath the paternal side on a pedigree.

BRAND ARTIST

Old cowboy term. A rustler who is good at changing brands. l

BREAKAWAY HALTER

A safety halter which has a replaceable crownpiece made of leather or other material that is designed to break if a horse gets caught or tangled in his halter. Breakaway halters are used when a horse has to be turned out or left unattended with a halter on.

BREAKAWAY ROPING

A calf roping event that women compete in, usually during rodeos. The calf is roped but instead of jumping off the horse and tying the calf, the rider stops the horse and lets the calf jump forward and break the rope, which is tied to the saddle with a piece of brightly colored string or ribbon. The timer is stopped when the rope breaks from the saddle horn.

BREAKAWAY HONDA (Hondo/Hondu)

A hondo (also called a hondu/honda) that is placed on a rope so one can practice roping, or train a roping horse. The hondo snaps open and releases the calf after it is caught. You snap it back when you're ready to rope again.

BREAKING

The act of training a horse. Probably became a horse term because you would also have to 'break in' a new saddle or pair of boots. To break in a saddle you'd have to ride in it, oil it, and work in it to get it soft; with a horse, you have to work with it to get it 'broken', to the point where it is no longer afraid and is rideable. Other terms are training, gentling, and starting. They all mean the same thing.

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BREAKING THE BARRIER

In some rodeo events, such as calf roping, a rope is stretched across the starting line. The calf will exit the chute and this rope will snap off. However, if the rider starts from the chute too quickly (before the calf), then he will 'break the barrier' and get a time penalty.

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BREASTCOLLAR

A leather y-shaped piece of tack that runs from the D-rings of a saddle and is clipped to the cinch. It helps keep the saddle from slipping back, and in some cases it is decorated and used as an ornament.

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BREED

A specific strain of equine having certain charictaristics that are passed on to offspring (such as Quarter Horse, Andalusian, Percheron). Also the act of breeding horses.

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BRIDLE

A leather piece of tack that fastens around the horse's head and holds the bit in place. Its design, size, and shape varies for different uses and riders.

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BRINDLE

A rare color pattern in which a horse is streaked with black (or very rarely white) stripes that appear to drizzle over the horse's body. This color is more common in cattle and dogs, but in horses is extremely rare.

BROKEN-IN

Also called broke. Refers to a horse that is trained and can be ridden and handled. An 'unbroke' or 'green broke' horse is one that has no or very little training. Also refers to tack that is soft, supple, and usable- tack that has been, like a horse, 'broken' so that it can be used.

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BRONC

A bronc or bronco is a horse that is untrained and enjoys bucking. It usually refers to a rodeo bronc, which tries to buck cowboys off because it has not been trained do to otherwise, and thinks this is acceptable. A rodeo bronc, or 'bucking' bronc, works less than 5 minutes a year, and its work consist of only bucking and running, natural movements. They have one of the best lives, as they do little work, get plenty of exercise, and get all the same care as a working horse. When they are not travelling in rodeos they live on ranches most of the year. They are bred when they are not being used or if they can no longer buck. Many have elaborate names, and they are very expensive animals. A good bucking bronc can go for $10,000-50,000.

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BRONC REIN

A rope that is attached to a saddle bronc's halter that runs to the cowboy's hand. It provides a place for the saddle bronc rider to hold on to. It is usually 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter and longer than 6 1/2 feet.

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BRONC RIDING

A rodeo sport where a cowboy must ride an untrained horse, or 'bronc', for 8 seconds. Cowboys get injured and sometimes even die; however, this is a much safer sport for the horses, which are hightly valuable animals.

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BROODMARE

A mare that is used for breeding.

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BUCK

When a horse puts its head down and kicks it hind legs into the air. Usually considered a vice when horse does this when being ridden, and horses are usually trained not to buck. However, in rodeos broncs are allowed to buck. A horse will buck when it is excited or hyper, or will sometimes buck and kick another horse if it is angry.

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BUCKING BRONCO

See BRONC.

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BUCKING STRAP

Also called a flank strap. A soft leather belt lined with sheepskin that goes around a rodeo bronc's belly as a cue to buck. The fuzzy wool tickles them so they will buck. It is worn looser than a cinch and it is softer than a cinch; it goes a little father back than a back cinch would go on a Western saddle. Though people are often mislead into thinking it is cruel, it in fact does not cause pain or injuries at all.

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BUCKSKIN

A golden-tan coat color, like a dun, but usually without a dorsal stripe. Buckskin is the result of the cream gene acting on a bay basecoat. The cream gene on a chestnut base coat produces palomino.

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