The most common way to say “horse” in French is, of course, cheval. But what do you call a mare, a stallion, or even a beloved pony?

France has a rich equestrian history, and its language reflects that with a variety of specific terms for these magnificent animals. Learning them will not only expand your vocabulary but also give you a deeper insight into French culture.

Let’s saddle up and explore 9 different ways to say “horse” in French!

The standard 'horse' – un cheval

The most common and standard word for 'horse' in French is un cheval. This is the term you'll use in almost all general situations.

Cheval is a masculine noun. This means you will always use masculine articles with it, such as un cheval (a horse) and le cheval (the horse). This is crucial for correct grammar and adjective agreement.

A key point for learners is the plural form. Like many French nouns ending in '-al', the plural of cheval is irregular. Instead of adding an 's', it changes to chevaux. So, one horse is un cheval, but two or more horses are des chevaux.

While cheval is the general term for the species, if you need to specifically refer to a female horse (a mare), the correct word is une jument. This is a separate vocabulary word, not a feminine form of cheval.

Similarly, for a young horse (a foal or colt), the French word is un poulain. If you know the foal is female (a filly), you can use une pouliche.

In everyday conversation, you will almost always use cheval or chevaux unless the specific age or gender of the animal is the main point of the discussion. It's the default term for 'horse'.

💡 * Mon grand-père avait un beau cheval blanc.

• Nous avons vu des chevaux sauvages dans les montagnes.
• La jument est très protectrice avec son poulain.
• Monter à cheval est mon passe-temps favori.

The 'mare' (female horse) – une jument

While the general French word for horse is un cheval, the specific term for a female horse, or a mare, is une jument. This is a key piece of vocabulary for anyone interested in animals, farming, or equestrian activities in French.

It's important to note that une jument is always a feminine noun, reflecting the animal's sex. This is a great example of how French often uses distinct words for male and female animals, unlike the more general terms sometimes used in English.

For context, the male equivalent of a mare (a stallion or gelding) is typically referred to as un étalon (stallion) or simply un cheval. Knowing both jument and étalon allows for more precise conversations about horses.

You would use une jument when the fact that the horse is female is relevant. For example, when discussing breeding, describing a specific horse's characteristics, or in literature to paint a clearer picture.

The plural form is straightforward: des juments. For example, you might say, Le troupeau est composé de plusieurs juments et d'un étalon (The herd is made up of several mares and one stallion).

💡 * La belle jument noire galope dans le champ.

• Cette jument attend un poulain pour le printemps.
• Mon grand-père a élevé des juments de course toute sa vie.
• La jument est plus calme que l'étalon.

The 'stallion' (male horse) – un étalon

The French word for a 'stallion,' or an uncastrated adult male horse, is un étalon. As indicated by the article un, it is a masculine noun.

Primarily, un étalon refers specifically to a male horse kept for breeding. It carries a sense of strength, virility, and high quality, much like its English counterpart.

Beyond the equestrian world, étalon is often used figuratively to describe a man who is considered very virile, attractive, and often a womanizer. It's similar to calling someone a 'stud' in English and can be either complimentary or slightly pejorative depending on the context.

Interestingly, un étalon also means a 'standard' or 'benchmark'—a reference point against which things are measured. For example, the étalon-or refers to the gold standard. This usage is completely unrelated to horses but is very common in formal and technical contexts.

From this sense of 'standard' comes the verb étalonner, which means 'to calibrate' or 'to standardize'. You might see this used in scientific or industrial settings, for example, étalonner un instrument de mesure (to calibrate a measuring instrument).

💡 * Ce pur-sang arabe est un étalon magnifique.

• On dit que cet acteur est un véritable étalon italien.
• Le kilogramme est défini par un étalon international.
• L'éleveur a présenté son meilleur étalon au concours.

The 'foal' or 'colt' (young male horse) – un poulain

The French noun un poulain literally means a 'foal' or 'colt'. It specifically refers to a young male horse. Being a masculine noun, it is used with masculine articles like un or le.

The feminine equivalent for a young female horse is une pouliche (a filly). It's useful to know both to be precise. For instance, le poulain means 'the colt', while la pouliche means 'the filly'.

More importantly for everyday conversation, un poulain is widely used figuratively to mean a 'protégé' or 'mentee'. It describes a promising young person who is being guided, trained, or supported by a more experienced figure in a particular field, such as sports, politics, or the arts.

You might hear a coach refer to their most promising young athlete as mon poulain, or a political analyst discussing a senior politician's poulain. The term implies that the person has great potential and is under the wing of an influential mentor.

💡 * Le fermier est très content de son nouveau poulain.

• Ce jeune chanteur est le poulain d'une star célèbre.
• L'entraîneur croit que son poulain peut gagner la course.
• Regarde ce poulain qui court dans le pré avec sa mère.

The 'filly' (young female horse) – une pouliche

The 'filly' (young female horse) – une pouliche

The literal and most common meaning of une pouliche is a 'filly'—a young female horse. This is the primary definition you'll encounter in equestrian or agricultural contexts.

Figuratively, pouliche is used to describe a young woman who is a promising newcomer or a protégée in a specific field, such as sports, politics, or the arts. The term emphasizes her potential and often suggests she is being mentored or favored to succeed.

This expression is not slang but belongs to a familiar, often journalistic, register. It can be used affectionately to highlight talent and promise. However, it can sometimes sound a bit dated or paternalistic, as it draws a comparison between a young woman and an animal.

The term is most frequently used by the media or insiders to talk about a 'rising star.' It implies that the young woman is in a competitive environment and is seen as a favorite or a strong contender.

In short, use une pouliche when referring to a talented young woman who is an up-and-comer in her field. While generally positive, be aware of the context to avoid sounding condescending.

💡 * Cette jeune athlète est la pouliche de son entraîneur, il croit beaucoup en elle. (This young athlete is her coach's protégée, he believes in her a lot.)

• La critique considère cette nouvelle romancière comme la pouliche de la rentrée littéraire. (Critics consider this new novelist the rising star of the literary season.)
• En politique, le parti mise sur sa jeune pouliche pour les prochaines élections. (In politics, the party is betting on its young filly for the next election.)

1. The 'pony' – un poney

In French, the word for 'pony' is a direct borrowing from English: un poney. The pronunciation is quite similar, though the French version has a slightly softer ending. It's a straightforward term that you'll find easy to remember.

A key point for any French noun is its gender. Un poney is a masculine noun. This means you must use masculine articles and adjectives with it. For example, you would say le poney (the pony) or un joli poney (a pretty pony).

The plural of un poney follows a standard rule for words ending in '-ey'. You simply add an 's' to form des poneys. For instance, 'Les enfants regardent les poneys dans le pré' (The children are watching the ponies in the meadow).

The word poney is most commonly used in contexts involving children, farms, and leisure activities. You might encounter it when talking about a club de poney (pony club) or a balade à poney (pony ride), which are popular pastimes for children in France.

💡 * Ma fille rêve d'avoir un poney.

• Nous avons fait une promenade à poney dans la forêt.
• Le poney club organise un stage pendant les vacances.
• Regarde ce petit poney, il est trop mignon !

The 'steed' or 'mount' (for riding) – une monture

The French word une monture refers to an animal that one rides, such as a horse. It's the equivalent of the English words 'mount' or 'steed'. It is a feminine noun, so you always say une monture.

This term is often used in a more formal, literary, or historical context, much like 'steed' in English. You'll find it in stories about knights, in fantasy settings, or historical accounts. It specifically emphasizes the animal's function as something to be ridden.

It's important to know that une monture also commonly refers to the frame of a pair of glasses. For instance, une monture de lunettes means 'eyeglass frames'. Context is key to telling the two meanings apart.

💡 * Le chevalier a choisi sa plus belle monture pour le tournoi. (The knight chose his finest mount for the tournament.)

• Chaque cavalier brossait sa monture après la longue journée. (Each rider brushed their mount after the long day.)
• Dans le conte de fées, la princesse s'est enfuie sur une monture blanche. (In the fairy tale, the princess fled on a white steed.)

The 'nag' or 'old horse' (pejorative) – un canasson

The 'nag' or 'old horse' (pejorative) – un canasson

Un canasson is a slang term (argot) for a horse, but with a strong pejorative meaning. It translates to words like 'nag,' 'plug,' or 'old hack.' It's used to describe a horse that is old, tired, in poor condition, or simply a bad racehorse.

This term is exclusively informal and carries a negative or mocking tone. You'll often hear it in the context of horse racing to refer to a horse with no chance of winning, or more generally to describe any horse that looks decrepit.

The word canasson is always masculine. There is no feminine equivalent, as it refers to the animal in a general, derogatory sense regardless of its sex.

💡 * Ne mise pas tout ton argent sur ce canasson, il n'a aucune chance. (Don't bet all your money on that nag, it has no chance.)

• Le vieux fermier avait un canasson qui tirait à peine la charrette. (The old farmer had a nag that could barely pull the cart.)
• Je ne veux pas monter ce canasson, il a l'air épuisé. (I don't want to ride this nag, it looks exhausted.)

1. The French Word for Racehorse: Un Cheval de Course

The French term for 'racehorse' is un cheval de course. This phrase literally translates to 'a horse of race' or 'a horse for racing,' clearly defining the animal's purpose.

Let's look at the components: cheval means 'horse,' and the prepositional phrase de course specifies its function, meaning 'of the race' or 'for racing.' The noun course itself means 'race,' 'run,' or 'errand.'

To talk about multiple racehorses, you use the plural form des chevaux de course. Note that only cheval changes to its irregular plural, chevaux. The descriptive part, de course, remains unchanged.

This is the standard and universally understood term used in all contexts, from professional horse racing events like the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to casual conversations about animals. There isn't a common slang alternative, making un cheval de course the go-to term.

💡 * Ce pur-sang est un excellent cheval de course. (This thoroughbred is an excellent racehorse.)

• Il a investi tout son argent dans des chevaux de course. (He invested all his money in racehorses.)
• Le jockey prépare son cheval de course pour le Grand Prix. (The jockey is preparing his racehorse for the Grand Prix.)
• Les chevaux de course sont entraînés pour être très rapides. (Racehorses are trained to be very fast.)

Are there other ways to say 'horse' in French?

Are there other ways to say “horse” in French?

Our list features the most essential ways to say “horse” in French, from the general cheval to specific terms like étalon (stallion) and jument (mare). But French, with its rich equestrian tradition, also has many other terms, including historical words, regionalisms, and technical jargon used in horse racing or breeding.

You can expand your vocabulary by searching online for terms related to specific fields, like “vocabulaire équestre” (equestrian vocabulary) or “argot pour cheval” (slang for horse).

When you find a new synonym for cheval, try to see how it's used in a sentence. Is it a poetic term like destrier (steed), or a more common, affectionate term like dada (gee-gee), often used by children? Context is key to using these words correctly.

Pay attention when you watch French films or read French literature. The way characters talk about horses can reveal a lot about the time period, the setting, and the character's own background. From the race tracks of Deauville to the pages of a Victor Hugo novel, the horse is a powerful symbol in French culture.

For a deeper dive into the nuances and related expressions, the Larousse dictionary entry for cheval is an excellent starting point. It provides a wealth of information on idioms and derived terms.

I hope this article has been a helpful guide. We'll end with a famous quote from the 18th-century French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, which beautifully sums up the horse's esteemed place: La plus noble conquête que l'homme ait jamais faite est celle de ce fier et fougueux animal. (The noblest conquest that man has ever made is that of this proud and fiery animal.)