Laceration: a cut

Lactation: milk production

Lameness: unevenness in the horses stride when moving

Laminae: alternative "leaves" of flesh and hoof horn that bond the wall of the hoof to the underlying bone

Laminitis: founder, inflammation of the sensitive laminae, or plates of vascular tissue, of the wall of the horse's hoof

Larvae: insects or parasites that have hatched from eggs but are not yet mature. For example, maggots

Lasix: see furosemide

Lateral Movements: work in which the horse moves with the forehand and haunches on different tracks. Shoulder-in, haunches-in (travers), haunches-out (renvers), and half-passes are the lateral movements

Lateral (1): a sideways movement. Also, lateral aids, such as outside rein and outside leg

Lateral (2): in anatomy, away from the midline as opposed to toward the midline

Latigo: cinch strap on a Western saddle

Lead Pad: saddle pad with pockets to hold lead weights; inserted to bring jockey up to assigned weight

Lead Pony: horse on which outrider or pony person escorts Thoroughbreds onto track and to starting gate

Lead Rope: a rope usually having a snap on one end, used to lead or tie a horse

Lead Shank: a webbing or leather strap with short length of chain and a snap, used to lead a horse

Lead: a specific footfall pattern at the canter or lope in which the inside legs of the circle reach farther forward than the outside legs. When working to the right on the right lead, the horse's right foreleg and right hind leg reach farther forward than the left legs. If a horse is loping in a circle to the right on the left lead, he is said to be on the wrong lead or is counter-cantering

Leg Up: to help a rider up on a horse

Leg Yielding: exercises designed to teach the horse to move away from leg pressure

Legging Up: conditioning a horse's muscle tone by gradually increasing his work

Legume: a class of plants that manufacture their own nitrogen while growing; alfalfa and clover are the most common

Length: length of a horse from nose to tail, about 8 feet

Leptospirosis: an infectious disease caused by various leptospira bacteria affecting most warm-blooded species

Let Down: stopping training, usually done gradually; when milk begins to flow from the mare

Ligaments: strong, fibrous bands connecting bone to bone

Limited: type of class with entry restrictions for the horse and/ or the rider, related to prior winnings at specified shows. May be based on number of blue ribbons (usually six) or monetary earnings

Line: the strap leading from the bit to the driver's hands in a driving harness

Liniment: a liquid applied externally to increase circulation to a part of the body

Liver Chestnut (n. and adj.): a very dark red chestnut color, with mane, tail, and legs the same color as the body or flaxen

Live Weight: a jockey's weight

Light-Boned: when the measurement of bone below the knee is too small in comparison to the size of the horse, which is a conformational fault

Loaded Shoulder: when a horse has excessive muscle development over the shoulder, which can restrict movement

Lock: an apparent "sure thing," used to describe a horse's chance of winning

Loins: the lower part of the back, behind the saddle and in front of the quarters; the kidney area just behind the saddle

Long Trot: an extended jog or trot. Or in the gaited equine, a slang used to refer to the gait of a horse that is being pushed or over ridden in the fox trot. A horse that is long trotting will have some fly time on the front end, but may not have fly time on the back end. A long trotting horse will have at least three feet off the ground part of the time, and will not give as smooth a ride as a horse that is foxtrotting correctly

Longe: to work a horse in a circle usually on a 30-foot line around you at various gaits

Loose Rein: a slack rein

Lope: a three-beat gait: (1) an initiating hind leg; (2) a diagonal pair including the leading hind leg and the diagonal foreleg; and (3) the leading foreleg. Also, to canter slowly

Low-Set Tail: a tail that sits low on the quarters, which can often be indicative of weak and sloping quarters

Lug (in or out): action of a tiring horse, bearing in or out, failing to keep a straight course

Lugging In: used to describe a horse which is pulling strongly to the inside while running

Lymph Node: gland in the body that filters the lymph

Lymph: a usually clear fluid similar to blood serum; it may be free in the tissues of the body, in lymph vessels, or part of the blood

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