Horse Racing and Betting Terminology

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Action – A description of the way a horse moves OR placing a bet.

All Out – A horse extending itself to its full capability.

Allowances – Weight reductions assigned to a horse on the basis of age, sex or its jockeys experience.

Also-Ran – A horse that finishes out of the prize money in a race.

Apprentice – A jockey at the beginning of his/her career until such a time that they win a certain number of races to achieve full professional status.

Bay – Colour description of a horse, which is mostly brown by appearance. Often denoted with a small “b” in the racecard.

Black Type – A horse is assigned black type in sales catalogues if it has won (or been placed) in certain high-class races.

Blanket Finish – A race with a close finish involving 3 or more horses, often resulting in a photograph to decide the finishing order.

Blinkers – A device worn on the head of a horse to limit its vision. Preventing it from swerving or being distracted by things around it.

Bolt – When a horse suddenly veers from a straight line.

Break – Teaching a young horse to accept a saddle and rider in preparation for its career OR the description of positioning when a horse starts a flat race from stalls.

Bred – A horse is bred at the place of its birth it is also the description of the mating of horses.

Breeder – Owner of the damn at the time a horse is born.

Broodmare – Female Thoroughbred used for breeding.

Claiming – Buying a horse out of a certain type of race for a designated price.

Claiming Race – Race in which horses are entered subject to claim for a specified price.

Classic – A top class flat race of which there are 5 in Great Britain (The Derby, The Oaks, 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas, St.Leger).

Clerk of the Scales – A person whose job it is to weigh each jockey before and after each race to ensure that the correct weight is assigned to each horse.

Colours – The silks worn by each rider which denote the owner.

Colt – A male horse aged under 5 years.

Condition Race – A race that is limited to horses based on their ability, age and sex.

Coupled – Horses that are owned by the same individual competing in the same race are quoted together for betting purposes in some countries.

Dam – Mother of a Thoroughbred horse.

Dead-Heat – Horses finishing in an exact tie for a place in a race. In these circumstances stakes are usually divided by the number of horses concerned, and only one portion is considered as winning.

Declared – A horse that is confirmed to start in a race.

Disqualified – A horse which has its finishing place altered by the officials for a breach of racing rules.

Distance – The length of a race OR the space between one horse and another at the finish of a race. Finishing Distances: Short head, Head, Neck, Length.

Driving Finish – The end of a race in which jockeys are strongly urging their mounts home.

Dwelt – When a horse is slow to break from the stalls which are used for flat races.

Eased – When a horse is deliberately slowed down by its jockey.

Easily – A horse that wins without much effort from its jockey.

Engagement – A race in which a horse or jockey has been assigned to enter in the future.

Exacta – A bet in which the first two finishers must be picked in the correct order.

Field – The horses in a race.

Filly – Female horse under 5 years of age.

Flat – A type of racing on turf or sand without obstacles (fences or hurdles).

Foal – A newly born Thoroughbred.

Front-Runner – A horse which likes to lead from the head of the field in a race.

Furlong – A distance description – one eighth of a mile.

Gelding – A castrated male horse.

Going – Description of the condition of the racing surface – Turf: Hard, Firm, Good, Soft, Heavy. All-Weather: Fast, Standard, Slow.

Groom – A person who cares for a horse within a racing stable.

Group Race – High class flat racing which is usually divided into 3 sections 1,2 and 3. With 1 being the best quality.

Hand – A unit of measurement for the height of horses equivalent to 4 inches.

Handicap – Race for which an appointed individual (handicapper) assigns a weight to each horse on the basis of past performances.

Handily – A horse racing with moderate effort.

Horse – A male horse that has not been gelded and is 5 or more years of age.

Hurdle – An obstacle used in jump racing which is lower than fences used for steeplechases.

In-Foal – A pregnant mare.

Irons – The stirrups a jockey uses to place his feet in when riding.

Jumper – A horse used for steeplechasing or hurdling.

Juvenile – A horse that is 2 years of age, the youngest age for racing.

Listed Race – The description of the quality of a race which comes just below Group standard.

Maiden – A horse that is yet to win a race.

Maiden Race – A race for horses that have not yet won a race.

Mare – Female horse that is 5 years of age or older, or has already been bred from.

Middle Distance – A broad description of flat races between 1 mile and 1 and a half miles.

Mudlark – A horse that performs well in soft/heavy going conditions.

Objection – A claim of foul play from one jockey to another presented to race officials, that may have affected the outcome of the race.

Odds-On – The price of a horse less than even money.

On The Nose – A bet placed on a horse to win.

Overweight – Surplus weight carried by a horse due to the rider not being able to make the assigned weight.

Paddock – Area where the horses are paraded before post time.

Penalties – Extra weight horses must carry based on past performances, usually in a handicap.

Photo-Finish – A result of a race which is so close to call that a photograph is used to determine places.

Place – The position of a horse at the finish of a race. Place bets are usually settled on horses finishing 1 st, 2 nd or 3 rd. Although individual terms apply to each race based on number of runners and type of race.

Plates – The shoes that horses wear for racing. Spreading a plate refers to a shoe that has come loose and needs refitting before a race.

Post – Starting point of a race.

Post Time – Designated start time of a race.

Refuse – When a horse declines to jump an obstacle or does not break from the stalls.

Ridden Out – When a horse is pushed to the full extent of its capabilities at the end of a race.

Sire – Father of a horse.

Stallion – A male horse that has not been gelded.

Stayer – A horse bred to compete over long distances.

Stewards – Officials at a race meeting responsible for enforcing the rules.

Stewards Enquiry – An investigation by race officials to dertimine any breach of the rules which could affect the result of the race.

Steeplechase – A race over high obstacles.

Stick – A jockey’s whip.

Stud – Male horse used for breeding.

Tack – Jockeys racing equipment.

Tongue Strap - Strap or tape bandage used to tie down a horse's tongue to prevent it from choking during a race.

Topweight – Horse with most weight in a handicap race.

Trifecta - A bet in which the first three finishers must be picked in the correct order.

Trip – Another term for the distance of a race.

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Flat racing highlights, National hunt highlights,

Horse racing betting terminology, horse racing tracks in the UK, Horse racing event types.

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