Damhorse

Damhorse is a term that appears only rarely in horse-breeding discussions and is not a formal or widely recognized term in breed registries or stud books. In informal usage, damhorse may be used to refer to a mare (a female horse) that has produced one or more foals and is kept for breeding. More commonly, breeders use the words broodmare or simply refer to the mare as the dam of a particular foal when describing pedigree.

In equine terminology, the established terms are clearer: the female parent is the dam, the male parent is the sire, and the maternal line is described as the damline. A mare kept for breeding is typically called a broodmare, and pedigrees track the dam through the damline to emphasize maternal inheritance of traits and performance records. Because damhorse is not standardized, its meaning can vary by region or breeder, and some may use it to emphasize the mare’s role as a dam while others avoid it to prevent confusion with established terminology.

When documenting horse pedigrees or breeding decisions, it is generally advisable to use the formal terms: dam for the female parent, sire for the male parent, broodmare for the breeding mare, and damline for the maternal lineage. If damhorse is used, it should be defined clearly within that context to avoid ambiguity. See also dam, sire, broodmare, damline, and pedigree terminology.