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Horse Behavior Information

In nature, horses function as prey animals. They have a natural tendency to flee from danger, though they will fight if cornered. Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads, providing a wide field of view while grazing (slightly less than 180 degrees to each side, overlapped in front and leaving a blind spot in the rear). Even domesticated horses startle easily and must, for the safety of riders, undergo careful introductions to strange objects and situations.

Horses live in family groups in primarily grassland habitats. These normally consist of a mature stallion, his harem of about one to ten mares, and the mares' offspring. Once young males reach breeding age and begin to attempt to breed with mares or to challenge the herd stallion, the stallion drives them out of the herd to form "bachelor bands" with other young stallions. A stallion is not usually successful in acquiring his own mares from other stallions until he reaches 7 or 8 years of age.

Specialized Vocabulary Information

Because horses and humans have lived and worked together for thousands of years, an extensive specialized vocabulary has arisen to describe virtually every horse behavioral and anatomical characteristic with a high degree of precision.

The English-speaking world measures the height of horses in hands. One hand is defined in British law as 101.6 mm, a figure derived from the previous measure of 4 Imperial inches. Horse height is measured at the highest point of an animal's withers. Perhaps because of extensive selective breeding, modern adult horses vary widely in size, ranging from miniature horses measuring 5 hands (0.5 m) to draft animals measuring 19 hands (1.8 m) or more. By convention, 15.2 hh means 15 hands, 2 inches (1.57 m) in height.

Information on Words Relating to Horses

Bronco - a wild, untamed horse, typically used in reference to the American mustang.

Brumby - a wild or untrained Australian horse

Charger - a medieval war horse of lighter build not to be confused with a destrier

Cob - any horse of a short-legged, stout variety, with short legs, and a compact body, neck and back

Colt - an unaltered male horse from birth till the age of 4.

Destrier - a heavy, strong medieval war horse not to be confused with a charger or palfrey

Draught horse - heavy, muscular beast of burden

Filly - female horse from birth till the age of 4.

Foal - infant horse of either sex

Garron - small and disdained horse

Gelding - a castrated male horse of any age

God dog - how the Apaches referred to horses

Green - a term used to describe an inexperienced horse

Hack - A horseback ride taken for the purpose of pleasure, either for horse or

Rider. Not a trail ride or schooling ride. Generally used only by English-style

Riders. E.g. I'm going out on a hack."

Hackney - a specific breed of flashy, elegant driving pony

Hand - a unit of measuring used frequently to measure a horses height. One hand is equal to 4 inches (approx. 10 cm)

Horse - adult equine of either sex over 14.2 hh (58 inches, 1.47 m)

Jenny - a female donkey

Mare - adult female horse

Mustang - a feral horse found in the western plains of North America. According to BLM, though, a mustang is an unclaimed, unbranded, free-roaming horse.

Nag - A rude term used to describe old horses, 'ugly' horses (but beauty is only skin deep) or skinny, sickly horses.

Palfrey - a smooth gaited type, a riding horse, often used incorrectly to mean a woman's horse, but in fact, was ridden by knights and ladies and instead refers to the light build of the riding horse’s body. The word being derived from the Latin for 'light horse'.

Pony - equine 14.2 hh or less (58 inches, 1.47 meters)

School Horse/Pony- A horse owned by a riding academy Shelt or Shelty - a Shetland pony

Stallion - adult, male horse that is able to produce offspring

Weanling - a young horse that has just been weaned from their mother (usually 6 months or a little older)

Yearling - male or female horse one to two years old In horse racing the definitions of colt, filly, mare, and horse differ from those given above. Thoroughbred racing defines a colt as a male horse less than five years old and a filly as a female horse less than five years old; harness racing defines colts and fillies as less than four years old. Horses older than colts and fillies become known as horses and mares respectively.

Withers -- The highest point of the shoulder seen best with horse standing square and head slightly lowered. The tops of the two shoulder blades and the space between them define the withers.

Mane and forelock -- long and relatively coarse hair growing from the dorsal ridge of the neck, lying on either the left or right side of the neck, and the continuation of that hair on the top of the head, where it generally hangs forward.

Dock -- The point where the tail connects to the rear of the horse.

Flank -- Where the hind legs and the stomach of the horse meet.

Pastern -- The connection between the coronet and the fetlock. Made up of the middle and proximal phalanx.

Fetlock -- Resembles the ankle of the horse. Known to anatomists as the metacarpophalangeal joint.

Coronet -- The part of the hoof that connects the hoof to the pastern.

Cannon -- Resembles the shin of the horse. Consists of metacarpal III.

Muzzle -- The chin, mouth, and nostrils make up the muzzle on the horse's face.

Crest -- The point on the neck where the mane grows out of.

Poll -- The portion of the horse's neck right behind the ears.

Hock -- Hindlimb equivalent to the Heel, the main joint on the hind leg.

Stifle -- Corresponds to the elbow of a horse, except on the hind limb.

Gaskin -- Also known as the "second thigh," the large muscle on the hind leg, just above the hock, below the stifle.

Jowl -- The cheek bone under the horse’s ear on both sides.

Chestnut -- On the inside of every leg.

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