Maiden: division open to a rider (or horse) who has not won a blue ribbon at specified shows

Maiden Mare: mare that has never been bred

Maiden Race: horses who have not yet won a race are referred to as maidens, hence a race for non winners

Manners: the degree of training of a horse in his interactions with humans and other horses. The energetic yet cooperative attitude of a horse

Manty: a piece of canvas that encases the load tied on a pack animal

Mare: a fully grown female horse

Mark: to earn a score

Marker: in reining and horsemanship, a location for the pattern

Markings: white on the face or legs of a horse

Martingale: (1) piece of training equipment designed to fix a horse's head position. Common types include running, standing, and German. (2) strap from cavesson to girth to keep horse from throwing its head up, or from hames to girth to help back load

Martingale: standing- a strap which attaches to the girth and runs between the front legs and up to the noseband. It puts pressure on the horse's nose when he gets his head up too high. A small strap runs around the horse's neck to keep the martingale strap in place. To test the adjustment, you should be able to push the martingale strap up until it touches the horse's throat

Martingale: running- a strap that attaches to the girth, runs up between the front legs and splits into two straps with a ring at the end. The reins are run through the martingale rings. The martingale pulls down on the reins and the bit when the horse raises his head

Maturities: those types of events for aged horses (five and older)

Mecate: braided horsehair reins; knotted to a bosal

Meconium: fecal matter that is passes a few hours after birth by a foal

Medal Class: AHSA equitation competition. National champions are chosen annually at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in hunter seat, saddle seat, and stock seat and a dressage class for juniors

Medium Gait: between collected and extended

Mitbah: the angle at which the Arabian horse's head meets the neck; it forms a particular arch that allows for a very free movement of the head

Moon Blindness: periodic opthalmia, or uveitis (inflammation of internal eye that comes and goes)

Morning Glory: horse who performs well in morning workouts but fails to fire in actual races

Morning Line: approximate odds quoted before wagering begins

Mudder: a horse that prefers muddy or sloppy tracks

Muddy: deep condition of racetrack after being soaked with water. Horses who run will on wet tracks are generally referred to as mudders

Muddy Track: a surface with a good deal of moisture in it, but little or no standing water on it

Mutuel Clerk: the person at the window who takes your bets. Also called a teller

Muzzle: the end of a horse's face, including the nose, nostrils, and lips

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