covering horse

plural covering horses

1. A stud horse; a stallion kept as a stud.

   That year he earned extra income by keeping a covering horse, which he hired out to a number of local farmers.

   5 more examples

   ...he is now fat and looks as grand as a covering horse.

   1911 [1798], Daniel Agnew, edited by Arthur Lowndes, Archives of the General Convention, II: The Correspondence of John Henry Hobart 1798–1801, New York: The Commission on Archives [General Convention of the Episcopal Church], Hobart Correspondence, page 64

   ...but if any owner or keeper of a covering horse, shall wilfully or negligently suffer said horse to run at large, out of the inclosed lands of said owner or keeper, any person may take up said horse, and carry him to his owner or keeper, for which he shall receive two dollars...

   1886 [1806], Indiana General Assembly, The Laws of the Indiana Territory: 1801–1806, Inclusive, Paoli, Indiana: Throop & Clark, Laws Passed at the Second Session of the First General Assembly of the Indiana Territory, page 51

   33. Sec. V. There shall be annually levied and collected upon all stallions or covering horses, let to mares for hire, a tax equal to the season, or price of one mare let to such stallion or covering horse.

   1837 [1807], Oliver H. Prince, A Digest of the Laws of the State of Georgia, Second Edition, volume II, Athens, Georgia: Oliver H. Prince, Tax. 1807, 1808, page 392

   The pedigree of Florizel, on the side of his dam, I have often seen, when he was a covering horse, but have no recollection of it.

   1830 December 29 [1827], John Wickham, American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine, volume 2, number 4, Baltimore: J. S. Skinner, Turf Register: Horses Bred by John Wickham, Esq. of Richmond, Va., page 206

   ...and I would as soon this day enter it in a stake of from one to five hundred dollars each, as to select from the season of any covering horse, no matter how many mares he had put to him.

   1831 February 28 [1830], William R. Johnson, American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine, volume 2, number 6, Baltimore: J. S. Skinner, Timoleon, page 269