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Word rarity: = commonly used = occasionally used = obsolete


Words with two dots are between categories.
Total words in this section: 92

LACED HIS TREE UP

Cowboy saying, meaning "saddled his horse".

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LACING

A rare marking found in some horses, it is also called marbling, catbacked, or giraffe. The horse will have white along the spine, usually starting as a small patch or patches, then the white will increase as the horse ages, spreading out into connected, squiggly lines. Some horses will have large, beautifully patterned backs from this marking-- it really resebles lace or the coloration of a giraffe. Most people who have a horse with this rare marking do not know it is a marking but mistake it for a form of scarring; they think incorrectly the horse had an allergic reaction to something, had some sort of injury, etc.

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LACTATION

The production and secretion of milk by the mammary glands.

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LADIE'S SADDLE

19th century term; a ladie's saddle was a sidesaddle.

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LADINO

An old cowboy term for a vicious cow.

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LADY-BROKE

An old cowboy term for a well-broke, dependable riding horse.

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LAME

A horse which is unable to walk without limping or moving stiffly or erratically (either from pain or injury).

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LAMINAE

(Singular Lamina). Laminae are the soft tissues inside the hoof. There are two types of laminae, sensitive (located between the bone and hoof horn) and insensitive (outer layer of laminae).

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LAMINITIS

Is a bruising or inflammation of the laminae of the hoof (from hormonal imbalance, stress on the hoof, toxic chemicals that enter the hoof, etc.). If left untreated, it can develop into founder. See FOUNDER.

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LAMPAS

A swelling of the hard palate of the mouth, sometimes seen in foals as they start to switch from milk to hay and grain.

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LANCER

A cavalryman who carries a lance or pike (a long spear formerly used by infantry).

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LANDAIS

A breed of French pony.

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LANDAU

A four-wheeled carriage with front and back passenger seats that face each other and a roof in two sections, each of which can be let down separately.

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LARIAT

A long rope with a noose on one end, used for roping cattle or horses. Comes from Spanish "La Reata", meaning "the rope".

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LARYNGEAL HEMIPLEGIA

Partial paralysis of the horse's larynx, which can cause the horse to 'roar', or make a whistling/roaring sound as the horse breaths. It can make it difficult for the horse to breath, especially when being worked hard. It is also called "roaring". It may be hereditary in some horses and seems to affect very large horses (17 hands +) most often. Surgery can correct laryngeal hemiplegia.

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LASH

The long, ropelike end of a whip.

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LASSO

See LARIAT.

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LATERAL AIDS

When the hand and leg of the same side are applied at the same time (for example, right leg and right rein), as opposed to diagonal aids (example, right leg and left rein).

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LATERAL CARTILAGES

The wings of cartilage that are attached to the coffin bone in the hoof.

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LATERAL GAIT

A movement that the horse does with both legs on one side moving together, laterally, as opposed to a diagonal gait like the trot. The front and rear on each side move together or nearly together in a lateral gait. Many gaited breeds do lateral gaits; the pace, running walk, and tolt are all examples of lateral gaits.

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LATIGO

The leather (or sometimes nylon) strap that is tied to the rigging ring on a Western saddle, and is threaded through the cinch ring and pulled tight to tighten the cinch and secure the saddle.

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LEAD

When loping (cantering), a horse is either on the right or left lead. When going to the right, the horse should be on the right lead, meaning his right front leg will land on the ground ahead of his left. When going to the left, the horse should be on the left lead. Most horses will pick up the correct lead because it feels most natural and keeps them balanced. It is harder for a horse to lope on the wrong lead.

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LEADING

Leg- when loping or galloping, the leg that steps out ahead of the other legs and 'leads' them. If a horse is on the right leg, his right front leg is leading; if on the left lead, his left leg is leading. Rein- A long reing which can be attached to the bit of the bridle, and used to lead the horse..

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LEADLINE

See LEADROPE.

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LEAD PONY

In a race, the horse or pony that leads the racehorses (the 'field') to the starting gate.

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LEAD RIDERS

Cowboy term. When moving a herd of cattle, the lead riders are the two cowboys that ride on each side of the front of the herd, and they turn the herd when needed to keep them on track.

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LEADROPE

A long usually cotton or nylon rope that is clipped or tied to the halter to lead the horse with. Unlike with dogs, it is not called a 'leash'. Nylon leadropes are popular, however, when a horse is tied with them, if the horse pulls back suddenly and the leadrope quickly rubs itself, it is possible for the leadrope to melt because of the friction and make it very difficult to untie the panicking horse, even when tied in a slipknot (the knot used to tie horses up).

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LEAD SHANK

A lead line with a chain on one end for more control.

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LEAPING HEAD

The leaping head is a part of the sidesaddle that helps support the rider, especially helps the rider keep her balance when jumping. It is located on the left side (where the legs go) and it curves over the left thigh. Although not all sidesaddles have these, they are good for beginners or jumpers because they give more support.

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LEATHER

A very important material in the horse industry. Most saddles, English, Western, and other types, are constructed partially or mainly of this material; riding boots are mostly leather; headstalls, reins, latigos, back cinches, breastcollars, martingales, and other pieces of tack are also often made of leather. Some halters and leadropes are leather. Leather is tanned/treated hide of cattle, although sometimes sheephide is used.

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LEG AIDS

Signals or cues given by the rider's leg.

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LEGAL CATCH

Rodeo term. In team roping, a legal catch refers to the throw of a rope that has caught the steer in the following manners: Around the horns, around the head, or around the neck. This is also called a 'fair catch'.

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LEG BARS

One of the dun factors, leg barring happens around the knees and hocks of a dun's legs; it is a series of stripes or lines that run horizontally around the leg. In bay duns, buckskin duns, and grullas, they are often black or very dark; in red duns, dunalinos, and other chestnut-based horses, the bars are usually a darker version of the body color. Also called 'zebra stripes', 'tiger stripes', and 'barring'.

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LEGGINGS

See CHAPS.

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LEG PLATE

On a clipper, the lower blade that is coarser to prevent cutting the hair too short. It is sometimes used on hunters.

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LEG UP

To give one a leg up is to help them mount a horse, usually by cupping your hands in such a way that they can step in them like a stirrup then swing up onto the horse.

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LEG YIELD

A movement in which the horse yield's to the rider's leg, moving laterally forward and to the side at the same time (by crossing the front legs). Performed at the walk, trot, or canter.

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LENGTH

Racing term. A 'length' is the length of a horse from nose to tail, approximately equal to 8 feet.

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LENGTHENING

A horse increasing the length of its strides without changing tempo.

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LEOPARD

A coat color that occurs in some breeds of horses which carry the leopard-complex (aka 'appy') genes. Appaloosa, Knabstrupper, Altai, POA, miniature, and Colorado Ranger horses all carry these genes. A leopard is a horse having a spotted coat, usually the body is mainly white with spots occuring all over the body. A 'near' leopard resembles a true leopard, but may have a darker head and legs, not being a true leopard.

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LEOPARD-COMPLEX

A few related genes that give rise to the 'appaloosa' coat patterns seen in the Appaloosa, Altai, Colorado Ranger, Knabstrupper, POA, miniature, and other 'spotted' breeds. These genes consist of the Lp gene and several other modifiers. The Lp gene's effect is to make the skin mottled, a white sclera, and striped hooves. It itself does not make the 'spots'. It also allows modifiers to be displayed on the horse if they are present. If modifiers are present, they may create many different coat patterns, from snowflake (white speckles), varnish ('roany' body appearance), blankets (white over rump), leopard (see above), fewspot (nearly white, with few spots), and combinations of those. Without modifiers, the horse will just have the charactaristics (white sclera, striped hooves, mottled skin) but not 'spots'. With modifers but no Lp gene, the horse could carry colorful spotting genes, but they would not appear on the horse. This is why non-spotted Appaloosas and horses of other breeds can still be useful in breeding colorful horses. Just because a horse doesn't look like it has spots does not mean it doesn't carry spotted genes.

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LEPTOSPIROSIS

An infectious disease of domestic animals (including horses) caused by bacterial spirochetes of the genus Leptospira and characterized by jaundice and fever. It can be transmitted to humans.

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LESSON HORSE

A horse that is well broke and is usually kept for the purpose of giving beginners (either to riding or a particular sport) lessons. Usually dependable and well-trained.

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LETHAL

In genetics, refers to a gene that results in the death of the animal if inherited. The most famous lethal gene in horses is often called "Overo Lethal White Syndrome". The gene that creates the Frame Overo pinto is lethal when homozygous. That means that if the horse has just one copy of the gene, it is normal, and it is a frame overo pinto. If the horse is a homozygous frame, it will die soon after birth because when the foal inherits 2 copies of the gene, the digestive tract is not fully formed in the foal. Every frame overo is, then, an OLWS carrier. If a horse is not a OLWS carrier, then it is not a true frame overo, but a splashed white, sabino, or tobiano. Another very common lethal gene is roan. All living roans are thought to be heterozygous horses (meaning they have one roan gene and will produce 50% roans). A homozygous horse (proven to produce 100% roans) has not been confirmed yet. Lethal roans are probably reabsorbed or aborted very early, and not carried to term like OLWS foals, so they are not thought to be a big problem in the horse world.

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LEVADE

A High School movement and one of the Airs Abovt the Ground. The horse exhibits a controlled half-rear, tucking the front legs up and holding the position for a brief amount of time.

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LEVERAGE BIT

A bit that uses the shank as a lever arm and the curb chain/strap as a fulcrum to multiply the amount of pressure the rider puts on the reins. Generally, the longer the shank, the more leverage.

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LINEBACK

A horse having a dorsal stripe. See DORSAL STRIPE, DUN, DUN FACTORS.

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LINEBREEDING

Breeding to descendants or close relatives of a certain horse, to concentrate the influence of that horse in the pedigree.

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LINE UP

The command given in a show, telling the contestants to bring their horses to the center of the ring and form a line. After this is done, the winner and other placings are usually announced.

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LINIMENT

A medicinal fluid that is rubbed onto the skin (especially on the legs of horses) to help relieve paint and stiffness.

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LINSEED

The seed of flax. It is often fed to horses to produce a shiny coat.

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LIGAMENTS

Ligaments are the tough, fibrous tissues that connect the bones or cartilages to a joint.

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LIGHT BONE

Having slender cannon bones; usually means the horse cannot carry much weight.

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LIGHT HORSE

A light horse refers to the average riding horse, as opposed to a thick-boned heavy (draft) horse.

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LIGHT MOUTH

A horse that has a sensitive, responsive mouth is said to be light-mouthed.

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LIGHTNESS

Dressage term. Refers to balance, collection, and self-carriage; may also refer to response to light aids.

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LINER

Also sometimes called Eyeliner. Some pintos, especially splashed white and frame overos, will have blue eyes. In some cases the blue eyes will be surrounded in pink skin; in other cases, the blue eyes may have a liner or patch of black skin around the eye. Such a horse is said to have liner or eyeliner.

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LINE RIDER

Old cowboy term. A cowboy who would patrol the ranch by riding along the boundries.

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LIP CHAIN

A small chain that is placed under the horse's lip to give the handler control. Since this area is sensitive, placing a chain there can get a horse to behave (it will not pull back or act up because of pain), however, if used incorrectly a lip chain can also damage a horse's mouth.

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LIPIZZANER

A breed of Spanish horse that is famous for being used at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, and being taught High School movements and the Airs Above the Ground. They are predominantly gray, with only a rare bay or black popping up. They are of a Spanish body type and stand 14.3-15.3 hands.

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LIP STRAP

A leather strap on an English curb or pelham bit which attaches to the small rings on the shank and passes through the extra link of a curb chain. It is used to prevent a horse from 'lipping the bit'.

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LIPPING THE BIT

When the horse grabs the shank of a curb bit with its lips, this is called 'lipping the bit'.

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LIST

See DORSAL STRIPE.

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LITTER

UK & Europe term (generally). Litter is the bedding material placed in a stall.

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LIT UP ROAN

A term used by Tennessee Walking Horse people to describe the Rabicano pattern. Although it causes roaning in the flanks, it is not related to true roan in horses. See RABICANO for more information.

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LIT UP ROAN

A term used by Tennessee Walking Horse people to describe the Rabicano pattern. Although it causes roaning in the flanks, it is not related to true roan in horses. See RABICANO for more information.

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LIVER CHESTNUT

A chestnut of a dark chocolate-brown shade.

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LIVER MARKS

Uncommon term for Bend Or spots. See BEND OR.

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LIVERPOOL

A type of jump with water beneath it.

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LIVERY

Official dress or uniform, especially of grooms or coachment. Stable-- see LIVERY STABLE

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LIVERY STABLE

British term for boarding stable-- a place where owners who can't keep their horses on their own property can pay to have their horses boarded.

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LIVIN' LIGHTENING

Old cowboy term for a bucking bronc.

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LIZZY

Old cowboy slang for a saddlehorn.

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LOAD

When a horse 'loads', that means it enters a trailer. To load a horse is to lead one into a horse trailer.

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LOADED SHOULDERS

Heavey shoulders, with thick muscling and fat.

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LOCOED

Cowboy (generally) term for a horse or cow that has become addicted to loco weed. Loco weed causes the animal to loose wait, have trouble seeing, loose muscular coordination, and causes mane and tail hair on a horse to grow abnormally fast. In cattle, the flank hair will grow.

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LOINS

The area on the horse's back behind where the saddle sits but before the hindquarters.

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LOOSE-BOX

A British term for a stall in which the horse is turned loose, as opposed to a stall in which a horse stands tied. In American terms, this is just called a 'stall'. See STALL.

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LOOP

On the end of a lariat, there is a small eye called a 'honda'. The rope is thread through this to make the loop, which slips easily so that when a calf/steer is roped, the loop will tighten around the animal, and so that after being roped the animal can be released easily.

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LOPE

The 3-beat gait that is a notch up from the trot, but slower than the gallop. It is also called the "canter" usually by English riders, and "lope" by western, especially western pleasure riders. Often "lope" is used for the slow western-pleasure like form of this gait rather than the collected 'canter'.

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LONGEARS

Donkeys, mules, and related equines are often called "longears" as a group, because they have larger ears than horses.

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LONGITUDINAL BALANCE

Back-to-front balance.

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LOUNGER

A horse (especially a rodeo bronc) that thrusts with its hind feet forward instead of kicking out high behind.

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LOW SCHOOL

Dressage term for basic training (as opposed to "high school" or "haute ecole", which are advanced training).

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LOW TIME

In a timed rodeo even, the lowest time wins. Thus the "low time" is the winner.

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LUCERN

A UK & European term (generally) for Alfalfa. See ALFALFA

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LUCK OF THE DRAW

In rodeos, cowboys do not get to pick their animals (the steers and calves roped, broncos, and bulls), instead they each draw an animal randomly. The 'luck of the draw' is the animal that is most likely to give the contestant a good score (for example, a calf that is known to be easy to rope, or a bronc that is known to buck hard).

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LUNGE

The act of exercising or training a horse by making it move in a circle around the handler who holds a long lunge line attatched to the horse's halter (or other headpiece). Some people use this for training, although it can teach a horse to pull away from the rider (pulling back the horse will get loose, as it is on a rope). Some people use it for exercise, especially when a roundpen is not available. It is also used to help teach young riders, with a lesson horse being lunged around the instructor while the beginner rides. Lunging is used by a lot of different people and although it does not have the flexibility of roundpenning (training the horse in a round pen without any type of line attached) because the rope limits movement, it is a much more convienient choice for showing or travelling because you do not need a pen to do it, just a lunge line.

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LUNGE LINE

A long rope, somewhat like a leadrope, that attaches to the horse's halter and can be used to lunge the horse. Somtimes callled a 'lunge rein'.

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LUSITANO

A breed of horse from Portugal. It is a noble looking relative of the Andalusian and is well-known for its agility, especially as it is used in Portugese Bull Fighting. In a Portugese Bull Fight, the bull is not killed in the fight, but these horses are used in part of the fight to show off horsemanship. They stand around 15.2-16.2, and come in most solid colors.

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LYME DISEASE

An inflammatory disease caused by a spirochete bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi) that is transmitted to humans, horses, and other animals by the bite of deer ticks, usually characterized initially by a rash followed by flulike symptoms including fever, joint pain, and headache. If left untreated, the disease can result in chronic arthritis and nerve and heart dysfunction.

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LYMPHANGITIS

Inflammation of the lymphatic vessels

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