Abandoned – a race meeting that has been cancelled possibly due to bad weather
Age – all horses have their birthdays on 1st January
Allowance – inexperienced riders (apprentices, conditionals & amateurs) are allowed a weight to compensate for their lack of experience. This is usually 3lbs, 5lbs or 7lbs
All out – a phrase used when a horse is giving everything and not holding back
Amateur – a non-professional jockey who doesn’t receive a fee for riding in a race
Apprentice – a trainee flat jockey connected to a stable/trainer. We use Hector Crouch a lot
Backward – a horse that is weak and may require some time
Ballot mark – a number given to a horse at an entry stage during a race to determine how many horses they will need to drop out of a race in order for them to get a run
Bitless Bridle – a range of headgear that controls the horse without using the bit
Black Type – term used to determine a horse that has won or been placed in Group/Listed races
Blinkers – a hood with cups around the eyes, designed to reduce distraction
Bloodstock agent – someone who does all the research and buys horses at the sales for a client
Bloodstock sales – the sale of horses at auction
Blow up – a horse that suddenly finishes weakly through lack of fitness
Book 1 Bonus – a type of race eligible for horses bought at the Book 1 Tattersalls Sales where if they win this race then can win up to £26,000
Boxed in – a horse cannot overtake as they are blocked by other horses around them
Breather – easing off a horse for a short distant to help fill their lungs during the race
Breeze – galloping a horse at a moderate speed, usually over 3 furlongs
Breeze up sales – public sales for 2-year old horses usually held early in the turf season
Bridle, won on the – won easily without being ridden hard or under any pressure from other horses
Broodmare – when a mare is kept at Stud for breeding
Bumper – a flat race under jump rules. Horses in this race can never have raced on the flat before. It is commonly called a National Hunt flat race
Bungee – used on a horse at home to ensure they use themselves properly and are settled
C&D winner – this term means course and distance winner so the horse has won at a particular course and over a particular distance
Carrying condition – when a horse is carrying weight. It can be a good or bad thing
Cheekpieces – strips of sheepskin designed to make a horse concentrate. They particularly obscure the rear vision
Clerk of the Course – racecourse official responsible for the racecourse management, including the preparation of the racecourse surface
Closing stages – the final few yards of a race
Colours – silks worn by the jockey to identify a horse which runs in it’s owners colours (this is registered with Weatherbys)
Colt – a young uncastrated male horse, in particular one less than four years old
Conditional jockey – an apprentice National Hunt jockey
Cover the ground well – a horse that strides out nicely and moves effortlessly
Cut in the ground – a description of the ground where the surface has been softened by rain
Daisy cutter – a phrase used by Gary Moore to describe the way a horse moves. Their feet are so close to the ground it can ‘cut the daisies’
Dam – a horse’s mother
Dual purpose – a trainer/horse that does both flat and National Hunt
Even break – when horses all get away from the stalls on level terms
Fast work – a horse is fully stepped up in their work at home, the next step is the racecourse
Filly – Female horse 4-years old or younger
Forward sort – a horse that is learning/progressing quickly
Fresh – a horse that is feeling very well, it might have the odd buck and squeal!
Full brother/sister – two horses have the same father and mother
Furlong – 220 yards, an eighth of a mile
Gallops – training ground where the horses are exercised
Gelding – a castrated male horse
Going – the condition of the racing surface. Ranges from heavy to firm ground
Green – used to describe an inexperienced horse. Commonly used with 2-year olds
Group/Graded races – are the highest level of races in horse racing
Guineas – currency used at the sales
Hairline fracture – is a stress fracture which is a crack in the bone
Half brother/sister – when two horses have the same mother (Dam.)
Handicap – a race where each horse is allocated a different weight to carry according to the official handicap ratings which are determined by the BHA handicappers
Handicap mark/rating – once a horse has run 3 times, they are given one of these which is used to determine its weight if it runs in a handicap. If a horse runs well the handicap rating will increase; if it performs badly it will go down
Well handicapped – a horse that is capable of more than its official rating
Badly handicapped – a horse that has a rating too high and struggles to win off this mark
Handicapper – official responsible for allocating the handicap ratings which are reassessed every Tuesday
Hanging – this is when a horse hangs their head either inwards or outwards, can be because a horse is feeling uncomfortable, is tired or ungenuine
High draw – stall on the outside of the track, commonly called a ‘wide draw’
High head carriage – some horses naturally carry their heads quite high but it can be a sign that the horse is uncomfortable
High knee action – the way a horse moves, which indicates it would prefer the softer ground
Hock – is the equivalent to a human’s ankle
Keen/pulling – a horse is not settling during their race and in turn using unnecessary energy
Level weights – when all horses carry the same weight
Listed races – the next step down from Group races.
Low draw – nearest stall to the inside of the track. Usually the preferable draw for prominent runners
Mare – female horses aged 5-years old and above
Non runner – a horse is no longer running in a race due to various reasons ie. ground, lame
Off the boil/sour – when a horse has overdone it at home and isn’t showing it’s usual zest for racing
Off the bridle – a horse being pushed along and losing contact with the bit in its mouth
One-paced – a horse has no gears and is unable to quicken the pace in the closing stages of the race
On his toes – a horse is prancing around, bouncing off the ball of his foot. You usually see this from excitable horses at the races and/or at home
On the bridle – a horse running comfortably during their race
Owners Viewing Area – the area of a racecourse that owners can use to watch their horse’s run
Pedigree – like a horse’s family tree! Their breeding table
Penalty – a horse carries one of these if they have won a race and are then racing again before their new handicap mark is published. It is usually a 6lb penalty
Plenty left in the tank – when a horse still has speed/stamina to finish their race strongly
Plenty of cover – a horse needs to be surrounded by as many horses as it can
Plus 10 Bonus – a type of race eligible for a certain horse. If they win one of these races they can win a £10,000 bonus prize money
Progressive – developing gradually or in stages
Quarters – the hind parts of a horse
Racing Club – the club is the owner of the horse. Members of the club will have no ownership rights
Racing Plates – the aluminium shoes on a horse’s feet when they are racing
Racing Syndicate – a syndicate member or partner shares the ownership of the horse with others in the party
Registrations – the inital set up to racehorse ownership. This includes registering your colours, horse’s name, insurance etc
Ring Bit – part of bridle that encircles the horse’s lower jaw giving the rider great steering for horses that tend to lug in or bear out
Schooling – training a horse for jumping
Scope – a horse has the ability to clear a fence with ease
Scratchy stride – this is when a horse doesn’t extend their front legs very well
Sire – father of a horse
Sound/soundness – a horse with no injuries or soreness
Starting stalls test – something horse’s have to do if on two occasions they refuse to load into the starting stalls at the races
Stayer – a horse that specialises in racing over longer distances
Staying on – when a horse is running on strongly
Stick their toe out – when a horse really reaches for the ground and strides out well
Stewards – officials responsible for enforcing the BHA orders and rules of racing
Stewards enquiry – usually happens immediately after the race where stewards will investigate an objection/suspected infringement of the Rules of Racing
String – a group of horses that goes out each morning, can vary in number
Stud – a farm where horses are mated
Swinging canters – means the horse is still on the bridle but the reigns are slacked early on so the horse can stride forward that bit quicker
Tattersalls – the oldest and bloodstock autioneers in the world, and the largest in Europe
Top line – a term used to describe the muscle cover over the top of the horse’s neck, back and rump
Turn of foot – a horse’s ability to accelerate in the closing stages of a race
Unplaced – a horse that finishes outside of the main placings, which is usually the first three home
Unsaddled – happens after the race where the horse’s tack/headgear etc is removed
Unsaddling enclosure – the area of the racecourse in which a horse is unsaddled if they don’t finish in the frame
Upsides– a horse canters/works alongside another horse. It is a common training method to determine how two horses compare
Visor – similar to blinkers but has small slits in both eye-cups to allow for some lateral vision
Weighing room – jockeys ‘weight out’ their total weight combined with the saddle which must meet a set limit for a particular horse
Whip in the wrong hand – when a jockey is causing the horse to go in the wrong direction due to the direction of his whip
Withers – the ridge between the shoulder blades, it is the standard place to measure a horse’s height
More links
Become an owner – shares for sale
Our success – our winners
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