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Filly: a female
horse under the age of four. People of all ages with physical and mental disabilities obtain beneficial results from association with
horses. Therapeutic riding is used to mentally and physically stimulate disabled persons and help them improve their lives through improved balance and coordination, increased self-confidence and a greater feeling of freedome and independence. The benefits of equestrian activity for people with disabilities has also been recognized with the addition of equestrian events to the Paralympic Games and recognition of para-equestrian events by the FEI. Hippotherapy and therapeutic
horseback riding are names for different physical, occupational, and speech therapy treatment strategies that utilize equine movement. In hippotherapy, a therapist uses the
horse's movement to provide improve their patient's cognitive, coordination, balance and fine motor skills, whereas therapeutic
horseback riding uses specific riding skills.
Gelding: a castrated male
horse of any age, though for convenience sake, many people also refer to a young gelding under the age of four as a "colt." All
horses move naturally with four basic gaits: the four-beat walk, the two-beat trot or jog, and the leaping gaits known as the canter or lope (a three-beat gait), and the gallop. Besides these basic gaits, some
horses perform a two-beat pace, instead of the trot. In addition, there are several four-beat "ambling" gaits that are approximately the speed of a trot or pace, though smoother to ride. These include the lateral slow gait, rack, running walk, and tölt as well as the diagonal fox trot. Ambling gaits are often genetic traits in specific breeds, often referred to as gaited
horses. In most cases, gaited
horses replace the standard trot, a 2-beat gait, with one of the four beat gaits.
The difference between a
horse and pony is not simply a height difference, but also a difference in phenotype or appearance. There are noticeable differences in conformation and temperament. Ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails and overall coat. They also have proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broad foreheads. They often have calmer temperaments than
horses and also a high level of equine intelligence that may or may not be used to cooperate with human handlers. For centuries
horses have been one of the most economically important domesticated animals, especially relied upon for farmwork and for transportation. Their importance declined following the introduction of mechanization. The history of the
horse is prominent in religion, mythology, art, transportation, agriculture, and warfare. Gelding: a castrated male
horse of any age, though for convenience sake, many people also refer to a young gelding under the age of four as a "colt." Stallion: a non-castrated male
horse four years old and older. Some people, particularly in the UK, refer to a stallion as a "
horse." A Ridgling or "Rig" is a stallion which has an undescended testicle. If both testicles are not descended, the
horse may appear to be a gelding, but will still behave like a stallion. Foal: a
horse of either sex less than one year old. A nursing foal is sometimes called a suckling and a foal that has been weaned is called a weanling. Most domesticated foals are weaned at 4-6 months of age. The English-speaking world measures the height of
horses in hands, abbreviated "h" or "hh," and is measured at the highest point of an animal's withers. One hand is . Intermediate heights are defined by hands and inches, rounding to the lower measurement in hands, followed by a decimal point and the number of additional inches between 1 and 3. Thus a
horse described as 15.2 hh tall, means it is 15 hands, 2 inches, or in height. Gelding: a castrated male
horse of any age, though for convenience sake, many people also refer to a young gelding under the age of four as a "colt."
Mare: a female
horse four years old and older. The following terminology is used to describe
horses of various ages: