Mary and Jody in the Movies

by JoAnn S. Dawson

  Lead rope—A short (about six feet) length of cotton or nylon rope with a snap attached to the end. The rope is used to lead the horse or pony.

  Lead shank—Same as a lead rope, but it is more often made of leather, with a section near the snap made of chain.

  Leather conditioner—An oily or creamy substance that is rubbed into leather to help keep it from drying out and cracking.

  Leg up—The action of helping someone mount by grasping their bended left knee and hoisting them up and onto the back of the horse or pony.

  Liniment—A liquid solution rubbed onto sore muscles to relieve pain.

  Lipped—To touch or feel with the lips.

  Loft—The large, open area in the top of a barn used to store bales of hay and straw.

  Longe whip—A long whip used along with the longe line to encourage a horse or pony to move in a circle.

  Mane—The long hair that grows on the crest (top) of a horse’s or pony’s neck.

  Mane and tail comb—Any of a variety of metal or plastic combs used to comb the mane and tail of the horse or pony.

  Mare—A female horse or pony three years of age or older.

  Mare’s tails—Also known as cirrus clouds, these are wispy cloud formations that actually look like the long, flowing tail of a horse or pony.

  Milk house—The small building attached to a dairy barn where the milk ends up in a cooling tank.

  Muzzle—The lower end of the nose of a horse or pony, which includes the nostrils, lips, and chin.

  Neat’s-foot oil—A type of oil used to condition leather to keep it from drying out and cracking.

  Nicker—A low, quiet sound made by a horse or pony in greeting or when wanting to be fed.

  Paddock—A fenced area, smaller than a field, used for enclosing animals for limited exercise.

  Pastern—The lower part of the leg of a horse or pony below the fetlock and above the hoof.

  Piebald—A horse or pony with a black coat color and white patches or markings on various parts of its body.

  Pinto—A horse or pony with a solid coat color and white patches or markings on various parts of the body. The mane and tail may be various colors.

  Pony—A pony measures below 14.3 hands from the bottom of the hoof to the withers. (See definition.) A hand equals four inches. An animal 14.3 hands or above is considered a horse.

  Progeny—The offspring or descendants of one or both parents.

  Pulling comb—A small, metal, short-toothed comb used to thin or shorten the hairs of the mane.

  Quarter horse—A strong, stocky, but gentle breed of horse whose name is derived from its speed at the quarter-mile race. This breed is very popular with cow ropers and Western riders.

  Quiet—Term used to describe a horse that is very gentle and easy to work with.

  Rail—The term used in riding lessons and horse shows to describe the fencing enclosing the riding ring. To be “on the rail” is to be riding closely to the ring fence. Spectators standing outside the ring are said to be “at the rail.”

  Reins—The leather straps of the bridle attached to the bit and held by the rider to guide and control the horse.

  Ringmaster—The person at a horse show who assists the judge in the ring and helps any rider who falls; this person may also replace any rails that are knocked down during jumps.

  Saddle—A padded leather seat for a rider, placed on a horse’s or pony’s back and secured by a girth. A harness placed on the horse’s or pony’s back behind the withers is also called a saddle.

  Saddlebags—Two leather pouches attached to each other by a wide piece of leather that drapes over the saddle or withers of the horse, or sometimes behind the saddle, to allow the rider to carry supplies on the trail.

  Saddle rack—A metal or wooden frame attached to the wall or stall on which to hang the saddle.

  Saddle soap—A creamy soap in a can used to soften and clean leather. The soap is rubbed into the leather and then buffed with a cloth.

  Salt block—A square, compact brick made of salt placed in the field or stall for a horse to lick, which provides him with salt and other necessary minerals.

  Scrubby mitt—A rubber mitt with short bristles on one side that fits over the hand and is used to bathe a horse or pony.

  Singeing pan—A low-sided pan containing a small amount of burning lighter fluid that produces a small flame. When passed briefly over this flame, the hair-like under feathers of poultry are removed.

  Sire—The father of a horse or pony.

  Skewbald—A horse or pony with a coat color other than black combined with white patches or markings on various parts of the body.

  Sleigh—A horse-drawn vehicle that does not have wheels but “runners” for gliding over snow or ice.

  Slipknot—A type of knot, also known as “quick release,” which can be quickly and easily untied in case of a problem, such as a horse or pony falling down or getting hung up.

  Soft brush—A brush made for grooming a horse or pony’s coat and face; it is the same shape as a hard brush, but has softer, longer bristles.

  Sound—Term used to describe a horse that is free from injury, flaw, blemishes, and lameness.

  Speed—A movie term meaning the sound recording device is “up to speed,” or ready to record the sound.

  Spook—An action of the horse or pony in which he shies away nervously from something he is not familiar with.

  Springtooth harrow—A piece of farm machinery with curved teeth used to dig furrows into the ground for planting.

  Square up—A horse or pony is said to be “standing square” or “squared up” when all four legs are placed evenly on the ground, the two front lined up so no one foot is in front of or behind the other, and hind feet are the same. This is the desirable position when showing the animal at halter.

  Stallion—A male horse or pony that has not been neutered and may be used for reproductive purposes.

  Star—Any white mark on the forehead of a horse or pony, located above the level of the eyes.

  Straw—The material used as bedding in a stall; it consists of stalks of grain from which the grain has been removed and the stalks baled. It should be bright yellow and not dusty.

  Sweat scraper—A tool made of plastic or metal that is held in the hand and used to remove excess sweat from a hot horse or pony or excess water from one being bathed.

  Tack—Equipment used in riding and driving horses or ponies, such as saddles, bridles, harnesses, etc.

  Tack box—A container with a handle used to transport grooming tools, bridles, etc., to horse shows or other events.

  Tack trunk—A large trunk usually kept in the stable, which contains the equipment used by the rider, such as as bridles, grooming tools, saddles, lead ropes, medicines, etc.

  Throatlatch—The narrow strap of the bridle, which goes under the horse’s throat and is used to secure the bridle to the head.

  Trot—A rapid, two-beat gait in which the front foot and the opposite hind foot take off at the same time and strike the ground simultaneously.

  Trough—A long, shallow receptacle used for feeding or watering animals.

  Wash stall—An enclosed area, usually inside the stable, with hot and cold running water, where a horse or pony may be crosstied and bathed.

  Weanling—A foal who has been weaned (separated) fromitsmother and is no longer nursing. Foals are normally weaned at about six months of age.

  Whinny—A high-pitched, loud call of the horse.

  Winter coat—The longish hair that a horse or pony naturally grows in the winter to protect him from the cold. In the spring, the winter coat “sheds out” and the body becomes sleek again, with a short hair coat.

  Withers—The ridge at the base of the neck and between the shoulders of a horse or pony. The saddle sits on the horse’s back behind the withers, and the distance the horse or pony’s height is measured by measuring from the ground to the top of the withers.

  Wrangler—In movie terms, a wrangl
er is a person who provides horses and other animals to the movie set and/or cares for them and prepares them for their scenes.

  Wrapped—A movie term meaning a certain scene and/or the entire movie is finished shooting.

  JoAnn Dawson with Painted Warrior

  About the Author

  A horse lover since childhood, JoAnn Dawson lives with her husband, Ted, and their two sons on a horse farm in Maryland, where they operate a bed & breakfast and offer riding lessons, carriage rides, horse shows, and a summer camp. JoAnn teaches Equine Science at a local college and is an actress and animal wrangler for film and television. She has enjoyed competing over the years on her American Paint Horse, PaintedWarrior, but it is Butterscotch the pony who accompanies her on school visits and book signings. Butterscotch is so comfortable around kids that he may be the only pony in the country who is allowed to go into classrooms! Learn more about the author and her farm at www.luckyfootseries.com.