The Horse - A Quick Intro

A four-legged animal that is the prime riding animal of Tortall and is very important to its society. It has a lifespan of up to fourty-some years, though in most instances the animal dies in its twenties.

Genders

 * Colt: immature male horse


 * Filly: immature female horse


 * Gelding: neutered male horse of any age


 * Mare: mature female horse


 * Stallion/Stud: mature male horse

Types

 * Cob: a smaller, stockier animal suited to pulling carts and working the fields


 * Palfrey: the lighter riding horse


 * Pony: the smaller riding horse, for children and the Queen's Riders


 * War-Horse: larger, more powerful mounts that are trained for battle; carry a knight in armor


 * Greathorse: the largest type of horse, best suited for pulling heavy loads

Colors

 * Black: self-explanatory; true black has no white markings


 * Bay: a brown to brown-almost-black horse with black points


 * Chestnut/Sorrel: a brown horse


 * Pinto: a splotched-spotted horse


 * Appaloosa: a dot-spotted horse


 * Palomino: a golden horse with a flaxen mane and tail


 * Dun: gold or tan with dark points


 * Grey/Gray/White: self-explanatory


 * Albino: self-explanatory. has pink eyes, not blue


 * Roan: appears to be graying, but retains in-between-graying splattering of gray hairs for the rest of its life

Markings

 * Star: a white marking between or above the eyes. If a stripe or blaze is present, a star must be significantly wider than the vertical marking to be designated separately.


 * Snip: a white marking on the muzzle, between the nostrils.


 * Blaze: a wide white stripe down the middle of the face


 * Stripe/Strip/Race: a narrow white stripe down the middle of the face


 * Bald-Face: a very wide blaze, extending to or past the eyes. Some, but not all, bald faced horses also have blue eyes.


 * Coronet: white just above the hoof, around coronary band, usually no more than 1 inch (2.5cm) above the hoof.


 * Sock: white marking that extends higher than the fetlock but not as high as the knee or hock. This marking is sometimes called a "boot."


 * Pastern: white marking that extends above the top of the hoof, but stops below the fetlock.


 * Fetlock or Sock: white marking that extends over the fetlock, occasionally called a "boot."


 * Stocking: white marking that extends at least to the bottom of the knee or hock, sometimes higher.


 * Lip markings: have no specialized names, usually are described by location, such as "lower lip," "chin", etc.


 * "Glass" eye "Moon" eye, "China" eye, "Wall" eye or "Night" eye: A blue eye. Horses with blue eyes are less common than horses with brown eyes, but can see equally well.

Equipment

 * Halter: the piece that goes around a horse's head when being tied up or led around; often left on when the horse is in the stable or out at pasture to make the animal easier to catch.


 * Lead Rope/Lead Line/Lead: the rope that attaches to the halter to allow for more control and safety when leading a horse


 * Bridle: not to be confused with a halter, this is the piece that goes around the horses' head when being ridden.


 * Bit: the metal part of the bridle that goes into the mouth


 * Reins: the rope-like parts of the bridle that attach to the bit and loop around the horses' neck, allowing the rider to communicate with the mouth from the back of the animal


 * Saddle Pad/Rug: the pad that goes underneath the saddle to absorb sweat/ keep the horse comfortable/ protect the saddle from grime and sweat.


 * Saddle: The piece that goes on the back of the horse and that the rider sits in.


 * Stirrups: the parts of the saddle that drop down from the saddle and hang at the horses' sides. The rider puts their feet in the stirrups.


 * Girth: A band that goes around the horses' belly and binds the saddle to the horse.