Buffaloback

/ˈbʌfəloʊbæk/ noun

Definition

A condition or deformity in animals, particularly horses, characterized by an unusual arching or abnormal curvature of the back, sometimes resembling a buffalo's back.

Etymology

Compound word from 'buffalo' (the large bovine animal) plus 'back,' literally describing a back that resembles a buffalo's distinctive curved spine and shoulder shape.

Kelly Says

Horse breeders used the term 'buffaloback' to describe vertebral problems that created an undesirable curved back—breeders actively selected against this trait because it weakened horses and made them less desirable for riding or work!

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