| Tack |
1) Rider’s racing equipment. Also applied to stable gear. 2) As a verb, a jockey, including his/her equipment, as in: "He tacks 112 pounds."
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| Taken Up |
A horse pulled up sharply by its rider because of being in close quarters. It generally causes a horse to alter its stride and lose ground.
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| Tattoo |
A permanent, indelible mark on the inside of the upper lip used to identify the horse.
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| Teaser |
A male horse used at breeding farms to determine whether a mare is ready to receive a stallion.
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| Test Barn |
The structure where horses are taken for post-race testing. Tests may include saliva, urine, and/or blood.
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| Thoroughbred |
A Thoroughbred is a horse whose parentage traces back to any of the three founding sires
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| Tight |
Ready to race.
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| Tightener |
1) A race used to give a horse a level of fitness that cannot be obtained through morning exercises alone. 2) A leg brace.
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| Toe In |
A conformation flaw in which the front of the foot faces in and looks pigeon-toed, often causing the leg to swing outward during locomotion (paddling).
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| Toe Out |
A conformation flaw in which the front of the foot faces out, often causing the leg to swing inward during locomotion (winging).
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| Tongue Strap/Tie |
Strip of cloth-type material used to stabilize a horse’s tongue to prevent it from swallowing or “choking down” in a race or workout, or to keep the tongue from sliding up over the bit, rendering the horse uncontrollable.
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| Top Line |
A Thoroughbred’s breeding on its sire side.
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| Track Bias |
A racing surface that favors a particular running style or position. For example, a track bias can favor either front-runners or closers, or horses running on the inside or outside.
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| Track Condition |
Condition of the racetrack surface. See "fast," "good," "muddy," "sloppy," and "frozen" for dirt surfaces; "hard," "firm," "soft," "yielding," and "heavy" for turf courses.
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| Trip |
An individual horse’s race, specifically the difficulty or lack thereof during the race.
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| Turn Down(S) |
Rear shoe that is turned down ¾ to 1 inch at the ends to provide better traction on an off-track. Illegal at many tracks.
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| Twitch |
A restraining device usually consisting of a stick with a loop of rope or chain at one end, which is placed around a horse’s upper lip and twisted, releasing endorphins that relax a horse and curb its fractiousness while it is being handled.
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| Tying Up (Acute Rhabdomyolysis) |
A form of muscle cramps that ranges in severity from mild stiffness to a life-threatening disease.
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