A guide to the types of racehorse

Which terms describe the ages of horses?

• Colt – a young male horse up to the age of four
• Filly – a young female horse up to the age of four
• Mare – a female horse aged five or older
• Horse – a colt is referred to as a ‘horse’ after the age of five
• Sire – the father of a horse
• Dam – the mother of a horse
• Stallion – a male horse used for breeding
• Broodmare – a female horse used for breeding
• Broodmare dam – a female horse whose offspring are also broodmares
• Broodmare sire – a male horse whose daughters have become successful broodmares
• Foal – newborn horse up to one year old
• Yearling – a one-year old horse
• Gelding – a male horse castrated usually to make it more even-tempered
• Maiden – a horse that has yet to win a race

What phrases are common in horseracing?

There are so many terms used to describe horses on racedays that it can be difficult to keep up, but here are a handful of terms that will help you make sense of it all:

• Progressive – a horse whose performance and ability is improving
• Backward – a horse that is physically immature for its age
• Sprinter – a horse that is best over shorter distances
• Miler – a horse that prefers races over the distance of a mile
• Stayer – a horse that prefers to race over distances of a mile and six furlongs or longer
• Off the bit/Off the bridle – a description used for a horse being encouraged along by his jockey
• On the bit/On the bridle – a horse that is going well and still full of running, with a firm hold on the bit
• Banker – a horse considered very likely to win (bankers are often the cornerstone of complex multiple bets)