Confused about a term...

[Goldenwingsgirl]

So I’m interested in going into ranchwork and I have a college I’m really interested in that has that as a course… however taking a closer look at their website it says in fine print:

Students are required to supply their own tack and horse, preferably a three or four year-old stock horse gelding.
Now I’ve been riding hunter/jumper for the past 10 years however I started out riding Western and I’m ashamed to be unfamiliar with the word stock.

I tried googling it but the only thing that came up was re: “breeding stock” about pinto that was for sale, but I’m not sure if that’s the same definition as the one I’m looking for because all I got out of that was it meant the horse in question had paint bloodlines but no paint markings… help!!!

[NoSuchPerson]

Stock horse is just a term for a horse of a type suitable for ranch work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_horse

[Goldenwingsgirl]

Thank you so much for the quick reply! I’m one step closer to being less illiterate in the language of Western riding haha :lol:

[Tee]

Typically stock horses are QH, Paint or Appy (at least in my corner of the world).

[GotMyPony]

FYI, the term “stock horse” evolved because certain breeds of horses typically were used to work with “livestock” - i.e., cattle. And Tee is right, they tend to be QH, paints, apps or crosses, at least in the US.