Glossary
Adopt-A-Horse Program:
For more information write: Bureau of Land Management, 411 Briarwood Drive, Suite 404, Jackson, Mississippi 39206. Tel (601) 977-5430. Andalusian:
The name given to Spanish bred horses, chief descendants of the Barb. Appaloosa:
Selectively bred for spotted coat pattern by the Nez Perce: generally larger than other Indian horses and now a recognized breed.
Arabian:
One of the oldest breeds, regarded as the foundation stock of Thoroughbreds. Noted for speed and stamina; characterized by a fine, concave head with small muzzle and large, expressive eyes. Bachelor Band:
A temporary grouping of- young stallions, who have been exiled from the harem band after reaching sexual maturity. Some older, unsuccessful stallions also seek out bachelor bands. Barb: North African horse, a major foundation breed in Spanish horses and the Mustang. Spare and hardy, with a long, straight or convex head. Bay:
A reddish brown coat color with black points mane, tail, legs. Breed: Category of horse sharing characteristic size, color, conformation denoting a common ancestry. Domestic breeds are selectively bred long enough to ensure consistent production of defined stock, and are registered by a governing society. Bunchgrass:
A hardy, native perennial of the semi-arid grasslands. The dominant grasses like grama, little blue stem, and buffalo grass are nutritious forage plants, adapted to dryness with large root systems. In some areas, over-grazing has destroyed the native grasses Cheatgrass (Brome):
An opportunistic and imported annual grass, usually considered inferior forage, which has replaced native grasses throughout the West. Colt:
A young male horse. from less than a year until sexual maturity. Conformation: The size, shape, and proportions of a horse, a specific way of describing the animal. Cow Hocked:
Refers to hind legs which turn in, like a cow's, instead of straight when viewed from the rear. Frequently seen among mustangs, may serve some adaptive purpose. Dorsal Stripe:
A stripe of dark hair, from neck to tail, regarded as part of the primitive color pattern of the horse. Draft Horse:
One of the descendants of heavy northern horses, whose broad, thick proportions allow for exertion of great strength. Examples are Clydesdale, Belgian, etc.
Dun:
Color pattern found frequently among mustangs, usually marked by dorsal stripe, black points, and sometimes zebra stripes on lower legs. Basic colors vary from Buckskin (yellow or tan); Grulla (bluish gray); to red.
Ecosystem:
The system of linked animals and plants that have evolved together in a certain environment; usually, all elements of an ecosystem are mutually dependent for survival.
Eohippus: 'The Dawn Horse', the evolutionary ancestor of the modern horse, a small browsing animal which existed sixty million years ago in North America. Equus:
The modern horse (Equus caballus) evolved in recognizable form one million years ago. Migrated from North America to all the world's grasslands and developed into many different breeds and types.
Filly:
A young female horse, from less than a year until sexual maturity. Flehman:
Part of an olfactory or smelling response; involves stretching the neck, raising the head, and rolling the lips back toward the nostrils. Displayed by stallions during breeding season.
Foal:
A young horse, from birth to usually one year of age. Forbs:
Perennial herbs with broader leaves than grasses; drought resistant, these include sunflowers, goldenrod, loco weed, and clover.
Gaits:
The natural paces or speed and pattern of movement; the four gaits of a horse are walk, trot, canter and gallop. Gelding:
A castrated male horse, surgery usually done before sexual maturity as a method of population control or to gentle a horse colt. Gene Pool:
Refers to the genetic heritage of a group or individual; the governing code of life, mapping the basic structure of an organism.
Grooming:
One of the social behaviors of the mustangs, when members of a band stand and, using their teeth, clean and rub one another. Also used as courtship display by stallions and as part of bonding ritual between mare and new born foal. Grulla:
A 'primitive' or dun color, dark or light blue-gray with black points. The mustang bands, like those in the Pryor Mountains, which have many grura horses, are thought to be closer to the original Spanish horses. Grulla coloring usually includes black points, dorsal stripe, and zebra markings on legs. Habitat: The place or community where a plant or animal lives and grows. Harem Band: Mustang family group, consisting of a dominant stallion, mares, and juveniles. The natural and basic social unit of the mustang. Height [Hands]:
Medieval unit of measurement based on the width of a man's hand; equals four inches. Horse height is measured from withers (the highest point of the back) to the ground. Mustangs can vary in size but average 14 hands high. Herd: A large group of grazing animals who occupy the same habitat. Mustangs form herds occasionally, usually when under pressure because of weather or when forced to by crowded conditions. Mustangs are not territorial, but nomadic, and are generally found in family units known as bands. Migratory animals, such as elk, form large herds only when moving from mountains to valleys in the fall. Horse Culture:
Prefers to the brief period of American history from the 1500's to 1900 when the horse was the preferred transport. In the west especially, the mounted Indians, cowboys, soldiers and settlers live in popular imagination. Longevity:
Mustang life spans vary, but rarely exceed 20 years. Th e average life span of domestic horses is 25 years. Mare:
A fully mature female horse, capable of reproduction, about age four and over. Mestena: Spanish for stray or ownerless beasts; became,'mustang", the small hardy horse of the plains, foundation of the Horse Culture. Muzzle:
The soft mouth and nose of a horse; the size and shape of the muzzle can suggest ancestry. Paints or Pinto:
A two colored horse, white and black or brown. Among the Plains Indians of the 19th century paints were prized for color and hardiness. This is a color description and not a horse breed, although Pinto and Paint associations maintain a registry. Thought to be one of the original colors of the 16th century Spanish horses. Palomino:
A gold colored horse with a white mane and tail, a coloring found in many American breeds, particularly Quarter Horses. The American Palomino probably derives from the original 16th century Spanish imports. Quarter Horse: First bred in 17th century Virginia, the oldest recognized American breed. Very versatile, prized for their ability to sprint over short distances. The compact, chunky horse has enormous muscled hind quarters, a short neat head with a small muzzle. They were originally bred from English running horses and the descendants of Spanish horses The Quarter Horse Registry has more than 3 million entries. Roman Nose:
Head having a distinct convex curve; characteristic of the Barb and various heavy horses. Stud or Stallion: A sexually mature male horse, usually three years or older. Mustangs may reach full sexual maturity later than domesticated horses. Stud Piles:
No one absolutely knows the function of these deposits of stallion manure, sometimes huge heaps of dung added to by various stallions. The stud pile doesn't mark a territory, but may serve notice of a stallion's presence, like a bulletin board. Also, because horse manure contains partially digested food, young or vulnerable mustangs feed on the stud piles. Teeth:
Horses have twelve molars and six incisors; males have an additional tooth located behind the incisors. Permanent teeth are formed by six years of age; the high crowned teeth are the mark of a grazing animal, and continue to grow throughout the lifetime of a horse. The age of a horse can be determined by the condition and number of teeth. Thoroughbred:
Developed in England as a race horse. Carefully documented and selective breeding resulted in a breed having reliable size, courage, speed, and intelligence. The head is particularly refined, with no fleshiness, blending into a long, graceful neck. All modem Thoroughbreds descend from three founding stallions: the Byerley Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Arabian, bred with an English base stock. Type:
Horses of no fixed character of pedigree, having mixed ancestry.
