To anyone who writes a fanfic and describes a horse!
**Ok I updated this page, so it goes a bit more into detail on some things.**
1) Mares are female horses
2) Geldings are male horses that have been castrated and therefore have no balls and cannot reproduce. (I have seen many fics that have a person riding a gelding in one sentence and it turns into a stallion in the next!!! This is so annoying!!)
3) Stallion's are male horses that still have their balls and are capable of reproducing. (Alanna's Darkmoon is a stallion!!!) (Alanna's Moonlight is a mare) (Kel's Peachbloosm is a gelding) (Daine's Cloud is a Mare)
(4)Female horse babies are known as "Fillies" and male horse babies are known as "Colts"
"Foal" is just a term for an immature horse unable to breed. If you want to get official with it, here goes.
Day of birth to time of weaning, is called a "Suckling filly or Suckling colt" (Foals are usually weaned from their mothers at the age of 4-6 months)
Time of weaning to the age of one they is called a "Weanling filly or Weanling colt" or Foals
At the age of one till the time they turn two they are called "Yearling filly or Yearling colt" or Foals of Last year or yearling foals.
At age of two they are called "2 year old filly or 2 year old colt" or Foals of such and such year.
At the age of three horses are considered Mature Breeding Animals "Mare or Stallion" unless altered to be unable to breed "Gelding or Spayed Mare
5) When you refer to a mare as being pregnant, the mare is "In-foal".
6) The horses gaits go as this: The walk is a slow four-beat gait. The trot is a two-beat gait faster than the walk. The canter is a three-beat gait, a moderate, easy collected gallop. The gallop is three beat gate resembling the canter but faster, 12 mph. The extended gallop or hand gallop is a four-beat gait about 16mph.
There are other gaits that belong to gaited horses, but unfortunately I am not that familiar with them. Sorry.
7) Horse colors: Grey: A grey horse's coat color is a mixture of white and dark hairs growing out of dark skin. Rarely are grey horses born a recognizable grey. Most are born bay, chestnut or black and within a few weeks will show signs of grey around the eyes. And will lighten in color as they lose their baby fur.
White: A white horse's coat is all white fur growing out of pink skin. (you know, like the white on a paint horse.) They are born this way, unlike the gray's that have dark skin and are born chestnut or bay, then lighten.
Black: The entire coat, including the muzzle, flanks and legs, must be black with the exception of white markings.
Chestnut: A chestnut horse has a copper colored coat ranging from light golden-red to a dark brown, known as "liver chestnut." Occasionally a chestnut will have a "Flaxen", or blonde mane and tail. Quite often the mane and tail will be the same color as the coat.
Bay: Bays come in a variety of reddish-brown hues and are distinguished by black points (Mane, tail, legs, ears, knees, hocks, or any combination thereof. If there are white marking on the legs there will be black above that.) If there are white markings on the legs, there will usually be black above the markings.
Roan: A roan horse has a coat that is a fifty-fifty mixture white hairs with either chestnut, bay or black. White and chestnut is usually called a "Strawberry Roan". Black and White hairs mixed are usually called "Blue Roan".
Palomino: A palomino horse has a cream colored coat (ranging from a light cream to a chocolate cream) and light cream or white mane and tail.
Buckskin: A buckskin has a coat ranging from a light cream color to a golden tan and has a black mane and tail with black points, such as on the legs and ears.
8) I've also noticed that nobody ever feeds their horses anything accept people food and grass. And at the rate that they are being ridden they need regular grain feedings and when being stalled they need hay.
I get so annoyed when someone describes a horse and they have no idea as to what they are talking about. So maybe this will help. I know a lot of people barely recognize or care about any of the above, but being around horses all my life and know a heck of lot about them I thought I should mention it just to do it! If you want anymore information on them!! Please by all means email me: horsecrazystar@yahoo.com .
**Ok I updated this page, so it goes a bit more into detail on some things.**
1) Mares are female horses
2) Geldings are male horses that have been castrated and therefore have no balls and cannot reproduce. (I have seen many fics that have a person riding a gelding in one sentence and it turns into a stallion in the next!!! This is so annoying!!)
3) Stallion's are male horses that still have their balls and are capable of reproducing. (Alanna's Darkmoon is a stallion!!!) (Alanna's Moonlight is a mare) (Kel's Peachbloosm is a gelding) (Daine's Cloud is a Mare)
(4)Female horse babies are known as "Fillies" and male horse babies are known as "Colts"
"Foal" is just a term for an immature horse unable to breed. If you want to get official with it, here goes.
Day of birth to time of weaning, is called a "Suckling filly or Suckling colt" (Foals are usually weaned from their mothers at the age of 4-6 months)
Time of weaning to the age of one they is called a "Weanling filly or Weanling colt" or Foals
At the age of one till the time they turn two they are called "Yearling filly or Yearling colt" or Foals of Last year or yearling foals.
At age of two they are called "2 year old filly or 2 year old colt" or Foals of such and such year.
At the age of three horses are considered Mature Breeding Animals "Mare or Stallion" unless altered to be unable to breed "Gelding or Spayed Mare
5) When you refer to a mare as being pregnant, the mare is "In-foal".
6) The horses gaits go as this: The walk is a slow four-beat gait. The trot is a two-beat gait faster than the walk. The canter is a three-beat gait, a moderate, easy collected gallop. The gallop is three beat gate resembling the canter but faster, 12 mph. The extended gallop or hand gallop is a four-beat gait about 16mph.
There are other gaits that belong to gaited horses, but unfortunately I am not that familiar with them. Sorry.
7) Horse colors: Grey: A grey horse's coat color is a mixture of white and dark hairs growing out of dark skin. Rarely are grey horses born a recognizable grey. Most are born bay, chestnut or black and within a few weeks will show signs of grey around the eyes. And will lighten in color as they lose their baby fur.
White: A white horse's coat is all white fur growing out of pink skin. (you know, like the white on a paint horse.) They are born this way, unlike the gray's that have dark skin and are born chestnut or bay, then lighten.
Black: The entire coat, including the muzzle, flanks and legs, must be black with the exception of white markings.
Chestnut: A chestnut horse has a copper colored coat ranging from light golden-red to a dark brown, known as "liver chestnut." Occasionally a chestnut will have a "Flaxen", or blonde mane and tail. Quite often the mane and tail will be the same color as the coat.
Bay: Bays come in a variety of reddish-brown hues and are distinguished by black points (Mane, tail, legs, ears, knees, hocks, or any combination thereof. If there are white marking on the legs there will be black above that.) If there are white markings on the legs, there will usually be black above the markings.
Roan: A roan horse has a coat that is a fifty-fifty mixture white hairs with either chestnut, bay or black. White and chestnut is usually called a "Strawberry Roan". Black and White hairs mixed are usually called "Blue Roan".
Palomino: A palomino horse has a cream colored coat (ranging from a light cream to a chocolate cream) and light cream or white mane and tail.
Buckskin: A buckskin has a coat ranging from a light cream color to a golden tan and has a black mane and tail with black points, such as on the legs and ears.
8) I've also noticed that nobody ever feeds their horses anything accept people food and grass. And at the rate that they are being ridden they need regular grain feedings and when being stalled they need hay.
I get so annoyed when someone describes a horse and they have no idea as to what they are talking about. So maybe this will help. I know a lot of people barely recognize or care about any of the above, but being around horses all my life and know a heck of lot about them I thought I should mention it just to do it! If you want anymore information on them!! Please by all means email me: horsecrazystar@yahoo.com .