Irish National Stud

Glossary of Horsey Terms

Bit – apparatus to help you control the horse, attached to the bridle

Bridle – headgear which controls a horse

Coat – the skin of a horse

Colostrum – the first few drops of milk that a mother feeds her foal which is full of goodness

Colours – Grey, Chestnut, Black, Bay (a light brown), Brown are most common in

Colt – a male horse under the age of four

Farrier – someone who puts shoes on a horse or pony

Feedstuff – food which is fed to horses such at cubes(nuts), maize, bran, corn etc

Filly – a female horse under the age of four

Foal – a horse under a year old

Haylage – dried grass which can be fed to a horse

Head collar – a collar to which you can attach a rope and lead a horse around

Horse – an animal over 14.2 hands high (147 centimetres)

Mare – a female horse over the age of four

Nursing – when a mare feeds and nurtures her foal

Pace – the way a horse moves it legs at different speeds

Pedigree – the parentage of a horse, like a family tree (who their mother was, father was, grandfather etc).

Sales Preparation – when a horse is conditioned to go to a horse sale

Stallion – a male horse older than four years

Tack – the saddle, bridle and other equipment used on a riding pony

Thoroughbred – a very fast breed of horse used for horseracing around the world

Weaning – when a foal is encouraged to leave its mother

Yearling – a horse which is one year old

Youngstock – young horses, usually below two years old