Rabies: usually fatal virus disease of warm-blooded animals causing paralysis, convulsions, and inability to swallow; usually spread by bites from infected animals

Racehorse: a horse bred for racing. Racehorses are mostly Thoroughbred, although other breed are used

Race Sulky: light two-wheeled vehicle used in Standardbred racing

Racing Secretary: the official who writes the conditions of races and assigns weights for handicap races

Rack: the fifth gait of the American Saddlebred. It is a four beat gait, somewhat fast and flashy

Radiograph: X ray

Rail: the fenceline, as in a "rail" class. Also, Western term for a flat class

Rating: means of classifying the size of a show, sometimes done beforehand according to prizes offered, and sometimes after according to number of entries

Reabsorb: possible absorption of an early embryo back into the mare's system

Rearing: a bad habit in a horse, of raising up on his hind legs when he is being led or ridden. An extremely dangerous habit that should be dealt with by a professional only

Reata: a braided leather rope; coiled and fastened to a Western saddle

Red Roan: a mixture of red and white hairs all over a horse's body, with red, black, or flaxen mane and tail. Also called strawberry roan

Recoil Test: on a healthy horse, if you pinch the skin of the neck and then release it, the skin should recoil, or go back to the way it was, immediately. If the skin takes longer than normal to recoil, it is an indication that the horse is not well and can in some cases indicate dehydration

Refinement: quality appearance, indicating good breeding

Registered: a horse of purebred parents that have numbered certificates with a particular breed organization

Rein-Back: to back up; a two-beat diagonal gait in reverse

Rein: the long strap that passes from the bit to the riders hands, by which the rider maintains control of the horse

Renvers: haunches-out. The opposite movement to travers, with the tail instead of the head to the wall

Respiration: normal adult respiration rate varies among horses but is usually twelve to fifteen breaths per minute. One breath consists of an inhalation and an exhalation

Retained Placenta: afterbirth that has not been expelled in first three hours after foaling

Rhino: short for rhinopneumonitis

Rhinopneumonitis: Herpes, a viral disease of horse causing respiratory problems ("snots") in young and abortion in pregnant mares

Ridden Out: finishing a race without rider urging him to do his utmost

Riding Horse: a horse used for riding; a saddle horse

Rig: a horse with undescended testicle(s), capable of mating and reproducing. Often sold as geldings, when they can prove dangerous in inexperienced hands

Rigging: on a saddle, straps that connect the cinch and the saddle tree

Ring Bone: arthritis of coffin joint and/or pastern joint causing excessive bone growth

Ring Sour: a poor attitude in a horse who does not enjoy working in an arena and looks for ways to leave the arena or quit working

Roached Mane: a mane that has been shaved off, usually referred to as 'hogged' and commonly seen in both polo ponies and cobs

Roadster: now a term used only in showing classes, a roadster was a stylish, cob-type of horse able to trot fast for long periods

Roan: a horse color resulting from a mixture of white and black or white and red hairs all over the body

Roaring: a breathing disorder

Rolled Heels: hoof abnormality in which low heels or too-small shoes cause the wall to bend under at the heel

Rolled Toes: an upward bend in the leading edges of a horseshoe

Rolling: a horse lying down and rolling over, may be normal or result of pain; possible sign of colic

Romal: a leather quirt, attached to braided leather or rawhide reins, or "closed" reins

Roman Nose: a convex profile to the head, often associated with the heavier breeds

Rompun: brand of xylazine, an analgesic sedative mixture used as a painkiller, pre-anesthetic, etc.

Rope: a running noose. To catch a cow with the noose

Route Race: a race run at a mile or longer, generally around two turns

Rowel: a small wheel with points, attached to the shank of a spur

Rug: horse blanket, most times describing winter blankets

Ruminant: animal with four-chambered stomach (cow, sheep, goat, deer)

Run: a long, narrow fenced-in area usually attached to a stall

Rundown Bandages: bandages on the hind legs, usually with a pad inside, to keep a horse from scraping his heels when he runs

Runners: leather loops which slide up and down and are used to keep the straps of a bridle in place

Running Horse: the early English horses used for raving, which influenced the development of the Thoroughbred

Running Walk: like the flat foot walk, the running is a four-beat gait in which each foot is picked up and set down in an even cadence. The rear end movement should be smooth and close to the ground without any snap or pop. Each stride should reach forward and slide in as it is set down, over striding the track of the front foot. The head shake is in time with the rear feet and should be smooth. The tail should set still and flow. The flat foot walk and the running walk have the same general movements and look alike in many ways. In a true flat foot walk at least one front foot is touching at all times, and as a flat foot walk is pushed faster, the front end of the horse will leave the ground for a split second each step. At that point it has become a running walk

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