Terminology

Abortion: Proper term for miscarriage in horses, when a mare loses her foal prior to 300 days gestation

AI: Artificial insemination

Breech: In horses this refers to a dystocia where the butt of the foal enters the birth canal first (not the hind legs)

Brix Refractometer: An optical device used to measure the concentration of sugar in a solution, which can be used to assess the quality of colostrum

Colostrum: A type of milk produced very briefly at the beginning of lactation, which has a special composition and provides the foal with its early immunity

Colt: Male baby horse

Dam: Mother horse

Disposition: Overall configuration of the foal as it enters the birth canal at foaling, which is comprised of position, presentation, and posture

Dysmature: A foal born after 320 days who has physical characteristics of prematurity

Dystocia: A difficult and/or abnormal foaling

ET: Embryo transfer

Ethical Nursemare: A mare who has received medications to make her produce milk so that she can provide nourishment for an orphaned foal without having a foal herself

Expected Foaling Date: More correct term for due date since mares have a highly variable gestational range

Fetal Membranes: More correct term for placenta

Filly: Female baby horse

Foal: Baby horse

Gestation: Period from conception to birth

ICSI: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection, where a mare's egg is removed and injected with a single sperm

IgG: Immunoglobulin G, a type of antibody

Lactate: Produce milk

Live Cover: A mare and stallion are physically brought together for breeding

Maiden: First time mother

Maldisposition: When the foal is not in the diving configuration (two front legs slightly staggered followed by the head) as it enters the birth canal during foaling

Mare: Female adult horse

Multiparous: Parity of a mare who has given birth to more than one foal

Nulliparous: Parity of a mare who has never given birth (maiden)

Parity: The number of times a mare has given birth to a foal of viable gestational age

Parturition: The act of giving birth (foaling)

Photoperiod: Amount time in which there is light during a 24-hour period

Position: Describes how the foal's back aligns with the mare's pelvis (for example, dorsopubic = an upside down foal)

Posture: Describes the configuration of the foal's head and legs at the time of foaling (for example, unilateral carpal flexion = the foal has one leg flexed at the knee)

Premature: A foal born before 320 days

Presentation: The part of the foal that enters the birth canal first (for example, posterior = a backwards foal)

Primiparous: Parity of a mare who has given birth once

Prophylactic: Preventative

Retained Fetal Membranes: When the placenta has not been expelled within three hours of foaling

Retrospective Study: Previously acquired data is collected and analyzed

Sire: Father horse

Stallion: Intact male adult horse

Task-Loading: A term used in scuba diving, which is based on the 1988 cognitive load theory; an accumulation of tasks increases the difficulty of performing a single task, thereby increasing the likelihood for errors

Teat: In horses this is the correct term for nipple

Udder: Correct term for mammary gland in horses

Ventral Edema: An accumulation of fluid within the tissues which causes swelling on the mare's undercarriage

Vitrification: Fast-freezing of a fertilized egg so it can be used at a later date

Wax: An accumulation of leaked colostrum on the ends of the teats which may resemble candle wax