Please feel free to send in new racing words or correct words below.
Also you are welcome to submit articles, anecdotes and short stories.
A
- abaxial (fracture)
- See sesamoids.
- acey-deucy
- Uneven stirrups, popularized by jockey Eddie Arcaro, who rode with his left (inside) iron lower than his right to achieve better balance on turns.
- action
- 1) A horse's manner of moving.
- acupressure
- Utilizing stimulation on acupuncture points to treat an animal.
- acupuncture
- A centuries-old means of treating an animal or human through the use of needles, electrical current or moxibustion (heat and herbs) to stimulate or realign the body's electrical fields.
- added weight
- A horse carrying more weight than the conditions of the race require, usually because the jockey exceeds the stated limit.
- Adequan
- Brand name for polysulfated glycosaminoglycan, used in the treatment of certain arthritic conditions.
- age
- All Thoroughbreds celebrate their birthday on August 1st.
- airing
- Not running at best speed in a race.
- all-age race
- A race for two-year-olds and up.
- allowance race
- A race for which the racing secretary drafts certain conditions to determine weights to be carried based on the horse's age, sex and/or past performance.
- allowances
- Reductions in weights to be carried, allowed because of the conditions of the race or because an apprentice jockey is on a horse. Also, a weight reduction female horses are entitled to when racing against males, or that three-year-olds receive against older horses.
- angular limb deformity
- A limb that is not conformationaly correct because of developmental problems in the angles of the joints.
- anhydrosis
- Inability to sweat in response to work output or increases in body temperature. Also known as a "non-sweater." Most are athletic horses though frequently the condition appears in pasteured horses not being ridden. Most commonly occurs when both the temperature and humidity are high. Horses raised in temperate regions and then transported to hot climates are most prone to develop the condition but even acclimated horses can be at risk. Clinical signs include inability to sweat, increased respiratory rate, elevated body temperature and decreased exercise tolerance. The condition can be reversed if the horse is moved to a more temperate climate.
- anterior
- Toward the front.
- anterior enteritis
- Acute inflammation of the small intestine producing signs of abdominal distress, such as colic and diarrhea.
- apical (fracture)
- See sesamoids.
- apprentice
- Rider who has is still training to become a jockey. Because of this they usually get an allowance of up to 3kg. As they win races the allowance is reduced, eventually to zero kg's.
- apprentice allowance
- Weight concession given to an apprentice rider (see above).
- apron
- The (usually) paved area between the grandstand and the racing surface.
- arthritis
- Inflammation of a joint. An increase in the amount of synovial fluid in the joint is a result of this inflammation. Accumulation of synovial fluid in the fetlock joint is called a "wind puff" or "wind gall." In young horses, a swelling in the fetlock joint, particularly on the front of the joint where the cannon and long pastern bones meet, is called a "green osselet." This swelling is a result of inflammation and reactive changes of the front edges of these two bones and adjacent cartilage. If the green osselet does not heal, a "chronic osselet" might develop with a permanent build-up of synovial fluid in the joint and inflammation and thickening of the joint capsule over the damaged area with secondary bone changes following the initial inflammation.
- arthroscope
- A tiny tube of lenses used for viewing areas inside a joint. Usually attached to a small video camera.
- arthroscopic surgery
- Utilizing an arthroscope to perform surgery, eliminating the need to open the joint with a large incision in order to view the damaged area.
- articular cartilage
- Cartilage that covers the ends of bones where they meet in a joint.
- artificial breeding
- Includes artificial insemination or embryo transfer (transplants). Not approved by The Jockey Club.
- arytenoid cartilages
- Triangular cartilages in the upper part of the entrance to the larynx. Movements of the arytenoid cartilages control the diameter of the laryngeal opening.
- ataxia
- Loss or failure of muscular coordination.
- atrophy
- To waste away, usually used in describing muscles.
- auxiliary starting gate
- A second starting gate used when the amount of horses in a race exceeds the capacity of the main starting gate.
- Average-Earnings Index (AEI)
- A breeding statistic that compares racing earnings of a stallion or mare's foals to those of all other foals racing at that time. An AEI of 1.00 is considered average, 2.00 is twice the average, 0.50 half the average, etc.
