Terminology in Horse for Sale Ads [Archive]

Evalee Hunter

Apr. 2, 2009, 11:38 PM

I love to read the ads in the local paper for horses for sale:

10 year old Standardbred gelding, stands 16 hands, Man or Boys Type, Ready for 15 miles

4 year old Registered Morgan Mare, traffic safe, sound. Acclimated. Trotter.

6 year old by Angus Hall, Speedy Crown dam, one of a kind, ready for 40 miles; 12 year old Standardbred anybody can drive, drives super; Family or Boy's Horses.

7 year old Gelding, Sired by Yankee Paco Donerail Dan, Traffic Safe & Sound, Snug in the Bit, Ready for miles.

Parker_Rider

Apr. 3, 2009, 12:21 AM

What I want to know is, what do they mean by "Man or Boy's type???!!!"

Are there horses who refuse to let a woman on them? Do they have a sign like a bathroom: Men's horse v. women's horse? Are these feisty mares? ;)

I didn't know horses had a gender preference!!!!
Sorry. The feminist in me comes out sometimes....

It does makes me recall what Bjorn Ikast said in a warm-up ring a few years back when he got on to school a lady's horse...
"Ahh, I love a woman's horse; there's just something different about them!" :D

Ambrey

Apr. 3, 2009, 12:25 AM

I believe "man or boy's type" means "won't stop to ask for directions."

Alagirl

Apr. 3, 2009, 02:00 AM

I believe "man or boy's type" means "won't stop to ask for directions."

RFOLMAO....when it hauls butt down the road at a good clip when you try to load it for that 15 mile ride to your barn?

(sounds like geared towards the Amish)

glitterless

Apr. 3, 2009, 02:18 AM

LMAO.

I liked the ad I found a few weeks ago. It read "She's a gelding." And the horse was referred to as a "she" so I doubt it was just a typo at the beginning. We decided it must have been a transgendered horse.

ThisTooShallPass

Apr. 3, 2009, 02:26 AM

Sounds like Amish descriptions of the horses.

Seven-up

Apr. 3, 2009, 03:27 AM

Ours always say things like "philly" or "alcyees hay." :lol: The folks taking the listings have zero horse knowledge.

nightsong

Apr. 3, 2009, 04:39 AM

I imagine a "man or Boy's horse" will put up with the uneducated oblivious heavyhandedness that seems to be much more common in that gender.

Reminds me of a western i was reading where the hero needed a really fast horse to get away from the bad guys' hideout he'd been infiltrating. The wise old indian in the story got him the perfect specimen -- a 12-hand Standardbred female gelding.

Hokie Rider Alum

Apr. 3, 2009, 07:37 AM

We have someone advertising on Craigslist for a pony that is 14.6 hands. People don't always think before advertising!

Cruise Control

Apr. 3, 2009, 08:01 AM

These are for sure Amish descriptions of horse for sale ads. How do I know?...I have Amish friends, also the hometown mentioned with the op.

Texarkana

Apr. 3, 2009, 08:29 AM

I miss the Community Courier Classifieds... :lol:

Evalee Hunter

Apr. 3, 2009, 08:51 AM

classicsporthorses

Apr. 3, 2009, 09:42 AM

How timely, I saw one today on craigs list (about breeding to their stallion), and the ad actually read that the stallion "throwed good foals". I'd like to see just how far he can throw them!

Saidapal

Apr. 3, 2009, 09:55 AM

I found a gilding for sale once.

Oh, and I also found a 19hh TB for sale.

jubilee43

Apr. 3, 2009, 09:56 AM

ok I am NOT amish but it would seem to me since i grew up with STB's that "snug in the bit' means that they like to move out but are controllable. They require good contact all the time. I hear this at the racetrack. "Fills both Hands" means quite lively, don't relax and start talking to your seatmate. This horse can really step out and go and requires some driving skill. "Man or boys horse" means the brakes are not that great or the horse is spooky and needs more training. It is not one they would feel comfortable letting the women drive alone because it is not that trustworthy. make sense?

S1969

Apr. 3, 2009, 12:34 PM

I love doing this as well. Our local want ad paper has an ad right now that says: QH mare, male. :lol: There is also a 3yo Thouroughbred Philly for sale for $500! [By Gold Token, in case anyone is interested!]. And a tri-colored TB.....but no picture. Tri-colored? Is that possible? Or does that mean bay w/ white socks? (Black, brown AND white?)

It's actually kind of depressing to read these ads after a few minutes. :(

TBMaggie

Apr. 3, 2009, 01:08 PM

Two phrases I don't understand:

"snug in the bit"

"fills both hands"

Snug in the bit is in an ad above; I've seen ads that say "fills both hands" although none of the above ads do.

Yes, we live in an Amish area & most of the horse ads for sale are for Amish driving horses.

I think of "man or boy's horse" as meaning "needs more training", a bit fast & wild. If you have not lived in an Amish area, you might be surprised by how far & fast the young men travel in their open conveyances. When my brothers visited it was one thing they commented on.

Brings to mind an American Greetings Card I saw (actually purchased - couldn't believe the 'Amish Slam") ----so, I think 'man or boy's horse' means (according to said card) "Get thee out of the way!", or "Step on it, Yoder!" and fills both hands means "Thy mother wears army bonnets!"

Oh, shut up.

Evalee Hunter

Apr. 3, 2009, 03:28 PM

Brings to mind an American Greetings Card I saw (actually purchased - couldn't believe the 'Amish Slam") ----so, I think 'man or boy's horse' means (according to said card) "Get thee out of the way!", or "Step on it, Yoder!" and fills both hands means "Thy mother wears army bonnets!"

Oh, shut up.

Some of the Amish I know might find that card very funny. The man who does my custom welding has a cartoon titled "Amish Road Rage" displayed in his shop. It shows buggy drivers shaking fists at each other & shouting "insults" such as, "You old butter churn, you! Get out of my way." He is a very intelligent man & funny to converse with. One day, with a straight face, he assured my daughter & myself that he holds a valid Pennsylvania back seat driver's license.

TBMaggie

Apr. 3, 2009, 06:35 PM

Yes!! That's the very card - Amish Road Rage!

HorsRdr477

Apr. 3, 2009, 06:40 PM

We have someone advertising on Craigslist for a pony that is 14.6 hands. People don't always think before advertising!

I always wanted a pony that big!

Highflyer

Apr. 3, 2009, 08:33 PM

Someone in our local paper is always selling "Gentile" horses :)

2ndyrgal

Apr. 3, 2009, 08:40 PM

for DRIVING horses. "Man or boy's horse" translation: Pulls like a truck. "Snug in the bit" = not a lazy horse, "Fills both hands" means not only does the horse step on out, but he's not "on one line" which indicates lameness. If he's "even" and "fills both hands", then he's presumeably more sound. Definately an Amish type ad.

Quin

Apr. 3, 2009, 09:05 PM

We have someone advertising on Craigslist for a pony that is 14.6 hands.

Eureka! That's it!

I've always felt bad that I missed out on the whole pony thing as a kid. As an adult re-rider, I finally bought my first horse. I've always referred to him as MyLittlePony (a touch sarcastically - he is a very wide-bodied model with ginormous shoulders). But he IS a pony! He IS! He's just a 14.6 hand pony!

Seven-up

Apr. 3, 2009, 09:05 PM

Someone in our local paper is always selling "Gentile" horses :)

Are those horses for non-Jewish people? :lol:

DarcyW

Apr. 3, 2009, 09:41 PM

16.5 or 16.7 is my favorite....yes, i have seen 16.7

kashmere

Apr. 4, 2009, 11:11 AM

Someone in our local paper is always selling "Gentile" horses :)

Blue-eyed Palominos? :lol:

bumknees

Apr. 4, 2009, 01:01 PM

I saw one not so long ago that was listed qh mare chestnut with black maine and tale.

00Jumper

Apr. 4, 2009, 05:16 PM

All these measurements remind me of my 6th grade math class in which there was a problem about horse height. I approached the teacher after getting an exam back about why my answer - 17.1 hh - had been marked down. He said that the answer was 16.5 hh. The worst part was that the problem said "hands are measured in 4 inch increments" so he should have know 16.5 was impossible. :lol::rolleyes:

Ambrey

Apr. 4, 2009, 05:29 PM

LOL, 16.5 means 16 and a half.

Lostboy

Apr. 4, 2009, 05:49 PM

aspenlucas

Apr. 5, 2009, 08:29 AM

Sounds like Amish descriptions of the horses.

Yeah, I'm in amish country and I'm reading saying "yep that is how they describe their horses". Doesn't sound any different to me then the auction I went to last week and watched Standardbreds fresh off the track bring 2400 as road horses because they were safe.

JSwan

Apr. 5, 2009, 09:04 AM

I don't know what "man or boy's horse" means in Amish lingo but in foxhunting.... there is such a thing - though it's called by different names.

It has nothing to do with being heavy handed, or cruel.

All it means it that the horse is very large and strong and may not be suitable for a small woman.

Nothing sinister.

Man's hunter, ladies hunter, heavy hunter, gentlemans's hunter.... those terms are seen in ads for field hunters.

Whisper

Apr. 5, 2009, 02:17 PM

I don't get why people are offended by "man or boy's horse" when I've seen lots of references here to "husband horses." To me, a "man or boy's horse" would be tallish, stocky, and willing to put up with a novice. The sellers probably mean it is bold and gets strong.

Highflyer, I guess the rabbis won't accept gelding for horses in lieu of a bris? ;)

I would have assumed that "fills both hands" means "even in both reins," like in dressage. Straight, offering a good, elastic connection in both directions.

ILuvmyButtercups

Apr. 5, 2009, 02:36 PM

"fills both hands" makes me think of cleavage .. not sure how that pertains to a horse.. BUT I have gone to see a 17h dapple grey thorobred that turned out to be a 15h appy ...I suggested they tell callers the correct info to avoid having angry people (long drive to get there)

and of course there is the classic "1/4 horse for sale" . . . "Sooo, what are the other 3/4's ? [ba da bum] TY TY I'll be here all nite :lol:

:eek: When was that, that you saw the little appy? SAME thing happened to me! I drove over two hours to see some 16+ hand something years ago, and sure enough, it was some dinky maybe 14.3 tops nag. I was livid! The woman said they'd gotten her a year ago, and she'd been skinny. They figured that since they fattened this THIRTEEN YEAR OLD up for a year, she'd grown another couple of hands tall. I guess the lectures in truth telling don't stick to the detemined! :lol:

MikeP

Apr. 5, 2009, 02:49 PM

What I want to know is, what do they mean by "Man or Boy's type???!!!"
........

I didn't know horses had a gender preference!!!!
Sorry. The feminist in me comes out sometimes....

That's just a little moderate payback for all the insulting references to "husband horses" that can be found any time, any day, in almost any horse related ad or discussion. ;)