jennet

thumb|A medieval jennet. A jennet or Spanish jennet was a small Spanish horse. It was noted for a smooth naturally ambling gait, compact and well-muscled build, and a good disposition. The jennet was an ideal light riding horse, and as such spread across Europe and provided some of the foundation bloodstock for several horse breeds in the Americas.

== Spanish origin of the term == According to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, "jennet" referred to a small Spanish horse. The 2000 edition of the American Heritage Dictionary also defines "jennet", with the alternative spelling genet, as a small Spanish saddle horse. The "jennet" described a type, rather than a breed of horse, and thus is not used today; the term was in regular use during the Middle Ages to refer to a specific type of horse, usually one of Iberian or Barb extraction, often gaited.