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Paint- overo or tobiano horses that strive to have the same physical and mental attributes as the Quarter Horse. For years many purebred Quarter Horses that exceeded the stipulated limits for the extension of white markings on the Quarter Horse were registered as Paints.


Paired Teams- two riders on horseback that participate in an equine discipline that requires that they work together to comply with the objective. The Chilean Rodeo requires paired teams that alternate in the pinning and driving positions. Other events such as team roping have paired teams in which the individuals always maintain a defined position.


Palfreys- this term refers to ambling horses that were used by the knights when they traveled between areas of confrontation, where they then used their destriers as the chargers to take into combat.


Palomino- this is a chestnut hair coat color that is diluted by a the heterozygous Ccr  gene that changes the hair coat color to a golden yellow and the mane and tail to a white color. If both alleles inherit the Ccr gene, then a cremello horse with pink skin and blue eyes will result.


Parade Horses- this was one of the three types of Chilean Horse bred between 1600 and the late 1800s. These were high-spirited horses that had either a hammer trot-gait or a paddling trot-gait. These showy individuals were used in public displays, usually by high government officials parading during their inauguration or on special holiday celebrations during the colonial period. They were also bred during the early republican period, but lost popularity since they were identified with the control of Spanish aristocrats from whom Chile had just become independent.


Perimeter Groove on the Top of the Crown of the Hat- this crease along the circumference of the top of the Cordoban type hat that was adapted by the huaso distinguished their hat from its Spanish origins. It’s possible this distinction may have some German influence, as the hat is very similar to the hat used in Amish communities, which have German origins.


Perlina- this is a pearl white color with rust-colored points (mane, tail forelock and lower legs) that results when two horses with the dilution gene (Ccr) are bred and the resulting progeny receives the gene for the bay color, plus this dilution gene from both parents. Usually perlinas will have blue eyes (walleyes) and pink unpigmented skin but they are not albinos.


Perpendicular Posture- this refers to the perpendicular position that the corralero pinning horse must keep in relationship to the steer he is working when he crosses the posture line. He can keep one shoulder on the steer once past the posture line, but must have both shoulders (and thus his full chest) on the steer’s side when he crosses into the pinning zone.


Phenotype- this refers to the physical characteristics of the horse that are visible in his conformational make up. This is the opposite of the genotype which characterizes the transmissible genetic material (genome) that may or may not be reflected in the outward appearance of the phenotype.


Phosphocreatine- this is a compound that is found in the muscle that is the most important storage form of high-energy phosphate that is used as the energy source for muscle contraction.


 Pin – this is the act of pushing the steer against the pinning cushion in order to bring the steer’s forward motion to a standstill. Oftentimes the impulse is so great that the steer is propelled up and over the side of the cushion, rolling its body in such a manner that all four legs are lifted off the ground. The points the pinning horse and rider are awarded depend on where on the steer’s anatomy the pin takes place.


Pinner- in the Chilean Rodeo the pinner is the paired team that will be opposite the wall side of the steer, and will maintain a perpendicular position to the steer in order to pin it to a standstill against the cushioned wall when the steer runs into the pinning zone.


Pinto- this is a term used in a color registry for any horse that possesses the overo or tobiano spotted hair coat color patterns, regardless of the breed origins.


Pig Snout Stirrups- these are ornately designed, hollowed-out wooden stirrups that are meant to harbor the front half of the huaso’s ankle boots. The configuration that envelops the front half of a foot and cuts off abruptly in a snubbed nose that resembles a pig’s head is what gives them their name.


Pike- a long lance with pointed metal tip used to handle aggressive cattle. This instrument is also known as a “goad”. It was used in Chile until the 1800’s. It is still a common tool in Spain for handling fighting breeds of cattle on the breeding farms. The Spanish term is “garrocha”.


Poll- this is the dorsal portion of the neck behind the ears of the horse. It is here at the atlas joint that the horse must bend his neck in order to obtain a good collection. This is a sensitive portion of the horse’s anatomy where slight pressure can be placed to entice the horse to move forward. More severe pressure in this area can also be used as a means controlling a rebellious individual.


Pony vs. Horse- by contemporary definitions, these are terms used to describe equines below (pony) or above (horse) a height of 14.2 hands (1.47 m). In the early Kingdom of Spain, the term “jaca” was used to describe horses 1.47 m or less in height, as the term “horse” was only used for equines taller than this height that had an elegant appearance and leg action. The majority of the members of the wild representatives of the Equus genus have fluctuated between 13 hands (1.32 m) and 14 hands (1.42 m), with very few exceptions reaching heights no taller than 15.2 hands (1.57 m), making the modern term “horse” descriptive of equines that are not very representative of the original members of the genus.


Posterior- this is a referential term that denotes anything directed towards or situated in the back end of the body. This is the opposite of the anterior.


Proximal- close or near from any point of reference. In horse appendages, the proximal parts of the anatomy are closest to the point of attachment of the leg to the body. This term is the opposite of distal.

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