Horse for Sale Ad Terms Explained: Age, Height, Sex and Breed

Horse for sale ads use a shorthand that can be hard to read if you're new. "15.2hh" is the horse's height, measured in hands of 4 inches each. "Gelding" is a castrated male. "Grade" means unregistered or of unknown breeding. "Green broke" means the horse has been started under saddle but is still learning. Each of these changes the price and who the horse suits.

This guide explains the terms you'll see most often, grouped the way a listing presents them, with links to search for each type of horse on Bring A Halter.

Height: hands and "hh"

Horses are measured in hands. One hand is 4 inches. Height is measured from level ground to the top of the withers, the bony ridge where the neck meets the back, because it's a fixed point, unlike the head.

Heights are written as hands, then a decimal point, then extra inches from 0 to 3. So 15.2hh means 15 hands plus 2 inches, or 62 inches. There's no 15.4. After 15.3 comes 16.0.

Miniature horses are measured in inches instead, and generally stand no more than 34 to 38 inches at the withers depending on the registry.

What it means for you: height is mostly about rider fit. Taller isn't better. Many adult riders are well suited to a 15hh horse, and a smaller horse is often easier to handle, mount and keep. Search by height range to narrow the field.

Sex: mare, gelding, stallion

Search geldings, mares or stallions.

Age

Horses commonly live 25 to 30 years, and ponies often longer, so a 12-year-old horse may have many good years ahead. Ads often use these terms:

• Foal: under a year old. A weanling has been separated from its dam. A yearling is one to two years old.
• Coming 4, rising 5: the age the horse will turn on its next birthday. Many registries count every horse as a year older on January 1.
• Prime age: usually about 7 to 15, old enough to be trained and settled and young enough for years of work.
• Senior: typically late teens and older. Often calm and experienced, and sometimes needs more care, such as special feed, joint support or more frequent dental work.

What it means for you: young horses cost less up front and more in training. For beginners, an experienced horse in its teens is often the safer and cheaper choice. Search horses aged 6 to 10 or 11 to 15.

Breed and papers

• Registered or papered: recorded with a breed registry, such as AQHA for Quarter Horses. Papers prove breeding, and they matter for breed shows and for resale.
• Eligible for registration: the horse could be registered, but isn't yet. Ask what it would take.
• Grade: unregistered or of unknown breeding. Grade horses are often excellent riding horses at a lower price. Search grade and mixed breed horses.
• Cross or x: "TB x Percheron" means a Thoroughbred crossed with a Percheron.
• OTTB: off-track Thoroughbred, a retired racehorse. Many go on to new careers, usually after retraining.
• Bloodlines: names of famous ancestors. They matter most for breeding and for horses being bought for a specific sport.

Training level

These terms describe how far along the horse is under saddle. They aren't standardized, so always ask what the horse actually does.

Search by training level on Bring A Halter.

Temperament and suitability

• Beginner safe or kid safe: quiet and forgiving with inexperienced riders. Ask the seller who has ridden the horse, and watch someone of a similar level ride it. Search beginner safe or kid safe horses.
• Husband safe: quiet enough for an occasional rider.
• Bombproof: very hard to spook. No horse is truly bombproof, so treat it as "very calm."
• Been there, done that: experienced and unflappable, often older.
• Forward: willing to go, sometimes more than a beginner wants.
• Needs an experienced rider or not for a beginner: take this at face value.

You can also filter by the rider level the seller lists, from beginner to advanced.

Health and soundness

• Sound: no lameness.
• Serviceably sound: sound enough for the job described, possibly with some management. Ask what the management is.
• Pasture sound: comfortable in the field but not sound enough to ride regularly.
• UTD: up to date on vaccines, deworming, teeth and feet.
• Neg Coggins: has a current negative test for equine infectious anemia, needed for travel and most boarding barns.
• Barefoot or shod: wears no shoes, or has shoes. Barefoot horses usually cost less to keep. Many horses do well barefoot with regular trims.
• Easy keeper / hard keeper: holds weight easily on little feed, or needs more feed to stay in condition. A hard keeper costs more to feed.
• No vices: no stable habits such as cribbing (biting on surfaces and sucking air), weaving (swaying side to side) or stall walking.

A healthy riding horse typically weighs 900 to 1,200 pounds. Ponies range from about 200 to 800 pounds and draft breeds from 1,500 to over 2,000. Weight matters for feed amounts, medication doses and how much rider the horse can comfortably carry.

Price and sale terms

• OBO: "or best offer." The seller will consider offers below the asking price.
• Firm: the price isn't negotiable.
• To an approved home: the seller wants to meet you and know where the horse will live.
• PPE welcome: the seller is happy for you to arrange a vet exam. That's a good sign.
• Lease or free lease: you pay to use the horse, or pay only its upkeep, without buying it.

Our guide on how to negotiate a horse price explains what to offer on an OBO ad.

Common colors

You'll see these most: bay (brown body, black mane, tail and lower legs), chestnut or sorrel (red-brown all over), black, gray (born dark and lightening with age), buckskin (tan with black points), palomino (gold with a light mane and tail), roan (white hairs mixed through the coat), and paint or pinto patterns with large white patches. Color affects price less than training and temperament, though some buyers pay extra for a favorite.

Frequently asked questions

What does 16.1hh mean?

16 hands plus 1 inch, which is 65 inches at the withers.

Is a gelding better than a mare for a beginner?

Geldings are the most common recommendation because they tend to be consistent. Plenty of mares make excellent beginner horses, so judge the individual horse.

What age horse should a beginner buy?

Often one in its teens with years of experience. Young horses usually need an experienced rider or a trainer.

What does "green" mean in a horse ad?

The horse has been started under saddle but is still learning. It needs a confident rider or ongoing training.

Is a grade horse a bad horse?

No. Grade only means unregistered or of unknown breeding. Many grade horses are steady, sound riding horses at a lower price.

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Know what you're looking for? Browse horses for sale and filter by height, age, sex, training and rider level. Selling? Use these terms in your own ad when you list your horse.