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Dictionary-C
Dictionary Main
Word rarity: 
= commonly used  =
occasionally used 
= obsolete
Words with two dots are between categories.
Total words in this section: 47
| CABALLERO |
| Literally
means 'horseman' in Spanish, but also refers to any man. l |
| CABALLO |
The Spanish
word for the horse.
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| 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. |
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| CACOLET |
| A structure
attached on each side of a packsaddle to transport an injured
man, either in the sitting or lying position. |
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| CADENCE |
| A horse
moving with rythmic impulsion, creating an 'elastic' gait.
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| CAECUM |
| In the
digestive system of the horse. It is a sac where the digestion
of cellulose (fiber) takes place. Cellulose is indigestible
by most animals and humans; therefore many grazing animals,
such as horses, have bacteria in their digestive tract that
will break down the complex fiber molecules into materials
that can be used by the body. After being digested, these
broken bits are passed to the liver. |
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| CAESAREAN SECTION (C-section) |
| Surgical
removal of a foal from the dam's abdomen, performed under
general anaesthesia. |
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| CALF-KNEE |
| A 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. |
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| CALTROP |
| An iron
ball with four sharp prongs, thrown in front of a cavalry
to hinder their advance. |
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| 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.
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links:
Camarillo White Horse Association |
| CANNON BONE |
| Also called
the Large Metacarpal. It is the large, sturdy bone that is
located below the knee, and connects into the pastern bone.
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| CANTER |
| A gait
of the horse. The 3rd of 4 gaits done by regular horses, it
is faster than a trot, and slower than a gallop. It is comfortable,
'rocking-chair' gait, much like a gallop but slower, and smoother
than a trot. |
links:
Gaits of the Horse
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| CAPARISONS |
Another
word for "BARD". See "BARDS".
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| CAPEL |
| A heavey
draft horse used for farming purposes in medieval times. |
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| CAPRIOLE |
| An airs
above the ground movement where the horse leaps into the air
with its front legs tucked and kicks out with its hind legs.
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| CARROT |
| Often used
as a treat for horses; it's a good idea to cut them lengthwise
to prevent choking. |
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| CARTOID |
| The main
artery in the horse's neck. |
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| CARTHORSE |
| Refers
to a horse that pulls a cart. |
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| CAST |
When
a horse is on the ground an unable to rise, usually because
the horse rolled too close to a fence or wall and is unable
to get its feet under it to rise. A cast horse can suffer
brain damage and can also suffocate if down for more than
an hour. |
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| CATHEDRAL BIT |
| 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. |
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| CAVALLETTI |
| A type of
jump made of wood. It is low and adjustable, and used in training
a jumping horse or rider. It is not used that much today because
it could roll beneath the horse if it is hit. |
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| CAVALRY |
| Mounted
troops that fought from horseback. |
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| CENTAUR |
| A fictional
creature that has the head, arms, and chest of a man, but
the body, legs, and tail of a horse. |
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| CHESTNUT |
A reddish-brown
coat color that is very common in many breeds. Genetically
a horse with two red genes and no black or dilute genes. Also
called sorrel (although some regions have different terms
for different shades of this color, genetically all chestnut/sorrels
are the same).
Also: the horny growths on the inside of all four legs of
a horse. |
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| CHIFFNEY BIT |
A bit that
is used for controlling a horse while leading, more commonly
used in the Racehorse industry. It is not used for riding.
It consists of a solid metal loop that snaps to the halter,
with one side that is flat and goes into the horse's mouth.
It applies pressure to the horse's jaw and helps to control
difficult horses, but must be used with care.
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| CHIFFNEY BIT SNAP |
The
snap that attaches the Chiffney bit to a halter.
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| COB |
| A type
of horse known for its stout build. |
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| C.O.B. |
| COB is
a grain mixture that stands for Corn, Oats, Barley. "Dry
COB" is just these 3 grains, while "Wet COB"
or "Sweet COB" is coated with molassas. |
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| COFFIN BONE |
| See PHALANX. |
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| COGGINS TEST |
| A blood
test done to determine wether a horse has EIA (Equine Infectious
Anemia) or not. Most states require one to be done before
the horse will be allowed to enter the state. Many horse shows
and events require one, as well as most Stallion owners. If
the result is negative, then all is well. If positive, most
states require that the horse be euthanized or quarantined
for the rest of its life. |
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| COLD-BLOODED |
Draft,
or heavy horses, are often called 'cold-blooded'.
Arabians and light, quick, spirited horses are often called
'hot-blooded', and most other horses (QH, Appy, TB, Paint)
are called 'warm-blooded'. |
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| COLIC |
| Techincally,
'colic' is a term for any stomach disorder in the horse. It
can range from impactions, to gass, to enteroliths (intestinal
stones), to intestinal tears, twists, and more. Colic is the
number one natural killer of horses. The symptoms are sweating,
pawing, lying down, then getting up, restlessness, rolling,
kicking belly, biting belly, groaning, and change of attitude.
Click the link below for more info. |
links:
Colic Article
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| COLT |
| A male
horse under the age of 4 years old. People also used to call
any foal, regardless of sex, a colt, but today this word is
usually used for the male foal, and female foals are called
'fillies'. |
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| COLOSTRUM |
| The first
milk made by a mare; usually thick and yellowish in color.
This milk contains important antibodies and proteins that
is essential to a foal. The colostrum should be smooth and
free of debris, lumps, or stringy material; the presence of
this idicates that the mare may have an infection or other
problem. |
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| CONFORMATION |
This term
describes the overall body shape, size, and proportion of
the horse. A horse with ideal proportions, a nice body, good
balance, and no deformities or faults, is said to have good
conformation. Conformation is a very important factor when
choosing a horse; incorrect conformation not only looks bad,
it can also lead to injuries of the horse, or make him unable
to do some things. It can also cause a rough gait and poor
movement, since the horse may not have correct legs or balance.
Good conformation varies within breeds; An Arabina with the
conformation of a champion Quarter Horse would be considered
to have poor conformation, and vice versa. |
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| CORRAL |
| A fenced-in
area to keep horses; usually round and made of wood. Paddocks
are larger, and pastures are grassy fields for grazing. |
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| COW HOCKS |
| A conformational
fault in which the hocks turn inward toward each other. |
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| CREMELLO |
A very
light, whitish or cream colored horse with blue eyes and
pink skin. Genetically a chestnut with two cream genes.
One cream gene dilutes red pigment to golden, making a chestnut
into a palomino; two cream genes (homozygous) dilute the
hair further, and also dilute the pigment in the eyes and
skin. A cremello will always pass on one cream gene to its
foals, making it a 100% color producer.
Cremellos are sometimes mistakenly
called 'white' or 'albino' (albino horses do not exist).
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| CREST |
The area along the
top of a horse's neck, from which the mane grows. |
| CRIBBING |
| Also called
crib biting. A very bad, hard-to-cure habit formed by bored
horses. A horse, when confined in a small stall or not given
sufficient exercise has a tendancey to develop this or other
bad habits. When a horse cribs, he grasps an object, usually
wood, with his teeth and sucks and swallows air. Cribbing
is unheard of in wild horses; it is either learned from another
horse, or is developed out of boredom. However, a horse in
a large pasture will not usually develop the habit, even if
he watches other cribbers, because he is content and not bored.
Once learned, however, it is very difficult to break; even
when turned out, a cribber will usually crib. Cribbing can
cause tooth damage, internal damage, and colic (from the wood
splinters). |
links:
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| CRIBBING |
| Also called
crib biting. A very bad, hard-to-cure habit formed by bored
horses. A horse, when confined in a small stall or not given
sufficient exercise has a tendancey to develop this or other
bad habits. When a horse cribs, he grasps an object, usually
wood, with his teeth and sucks and swallows air. Cribbing
is unheard of in wild horses; it is either learned from another
horse, or is developed out of boredom. However, a horse in
a large pasture will not usually develop the habit, even if
he watches other cribbers, because he is content and not bored.
Once learned, however, it is very difficult to break; even
when turned out, a cribber will usually crib. Cribbing can
cause tooth damage, internal damage, and colic (from the wood
splinters). |
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| CROP |
A
small whip with a handle on one end that loops around the
rider's wrist, and a leather popper or stringy stinger on
the other end. |
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| CROUP |
The area along the
horse's hindquarters from the highest point down toward the
tail. |
| CROW BAIT |
Old cowboy slang for
a poor-quality horse. |
| CROWN PIECE |
The piece on a halter
or bridle that goes behind the horse's ears, over the top
of the head. |
| CURRY COMB |
Rubber
or Plastic- A rubber curry is used to remove tough dirt spots
on the horse's coat. Used in a circular motion it loosens
dirt. This is not used on the sensitive parts of the horse,
however.
Metal- A metal curry is used for cleaning other brushes and
NEVER for cleaning a horse's coat. The metal prongs will hurt
the horse, and may bruise or cut his skin, so it is never,
ever used on a horse, but only for cleaning brushes. |
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| CLYDESDALE |
| A heavy
horse breed developed in Scotland used for draft work. Stands
16.2-18 hh, and usual coat color is bay, but this breed also
other solid and roan colors. Preferred markings are a blaze,
and 4 knee-high socks. |
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| 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 circuises. |
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