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Freiberg Horse Breed
Definition The Freiberg, officially known as the Franches-Montagnes, is a compact draft-type horse developed in the Jura region of Switzerland and the most numerically common horse breed in the country. It is a half-blood horse combining draft qualities with enough lightness for riding, making it the practical choice for Swiss mountain agriculture and, increasingly, leisure…
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Flores Pony Breed
Definition The Flores is a small pony breed originating on Flores Island, Indonesia. Classified among the purebred indigenous horse types of the Indonesian archipelago, it shares ancestry with other island breeds shaped by isolation, sparse forage, and working demands. Standing approximately 12 to 13 hands high, the Flores pony carries a compact, muscular build suited…
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French Cob Horse Breed
Definition The French Cob, also called the Cob Normand, is a rare French horse breed developed in the Normandy region. It occupies a niche between the heavier Percheron and lighter Norman saddle horses, combining the mass needed for carriage pulling with enough suppleness for riding. It is considered one of the rarest horse breeds still…
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Discharge (Equine Health Term)
Discharge is any substance, fluid, pus, mucus, blood, or exudate, that flows or oozes from a wound, lesion, or body opening. In equine medicine, discharge is a clinical sign evaluated by character (clear, cloudy, purulent), color (white, yellow, green, red, brown), consistency (watery, thick, mucoid), and location. The combination of these features points toward the…
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Dewlap (Anatomy Term)
A dewlap is the loose, pendulous fold of skin that hangs from an animal’s throat or the underside of the neck. The term refers to the anatomical structure itself, the excess skin and associated connective tissue, rather than to a pathological condition. In horses, a true dewlap is not a typical feature of normal conformation;…
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Disposition in Horses
Disposition is a horse’s characteristic attitude or temperament, its consistent, habitual way of responding to people, handling, stimuli, and work. A horse’s disposition is distinct from its mood on a given day; it describes a stable pattern of behavior that emerges across different situations and over time. The term is used interchangeably with temperament in…
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Dehydration (Equine Health)
Dehydration is the medical condition in which a horse’s body has lost more fluid than it has taken in, creating a net deficit of water and electrolytes. The condition exists on a continuum: mild dehydration (three to five percent bodyweight loss in fluid) causes reduced performance and dry mucous membranes, while severe dehydration (above eight…
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Dehydrate (Horse Health Term)
To dehydrate means to lose water or moisture from a living body in excess of what is being replaced, creating a net fluid deficit. In horses, dehydration occurs when fluid losses, through sweating during exercise, elevated respiratory rate, illness, or environmental heat, exceed water intake. A horse that is dehydrating shows a progressive series of…
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Docile
Docile describes a horse that is gentle, willing, and easy to handle. The term refers to a temperament marked by calm responses to human contact, grooming, tacking, and work under saddle or in harness, not merely passivity, but active cooperation without fear or resistance. A docile horse does not bolt from routine stimuli, accepts new…