Horse Racing: Jockey & Horse Lingo

Many sports have their own lexicon that spectators or participants of the sport must understand. This is true for the sport of horse racing. When you go to the track or watch races on the television, knowing these terms can help make the whole experience much more enjoyable.
There are different words used to refer to the jockeys in horse racing. An amateur would be a rider who is not a professional. If this is the case, when their name is listed on the racecard it will come with a title such as Mister or Captain. An apprentice is an inexperienced jockey who is learning how to race from the tutelage of a trainer. In flat racing, apprentices are referred to as claimers. In National Hunt Racing, jockeys under the age of 26 may receive a weight allowance. These jockeys are known as conditional jockeys.
Different verbiage is used to describe the horses that participate in these races. For instance, a bay would be a horse that has a brown body with a mane and tail that are both black. Chestnut horses are those horses that have a ginger colouring all over their body. A grey would be a horse that is both black and grey. In some situations, the main, tail and legs can be grey or they can be black. When greys age, they become much lighter. They seem to take on a white hue but are still known as greys.
Fillies are female horses that are no older than 4 years old. Geldings would be male horses that have been castrated which is also referred to as gelding. Geldings make better race horses than the uncastrated stallions that tend to have shorter careers in racing. Another term used to describe a horse is stayer. These are horses that possess a great deal of stamina. They perform better over longer distances without obstacles.