Glossary
Glossary of Equestrian Terms...
Arena - an enclosed area intended for riding and exercising horses
Bareback riding - riding a horse without a saddleBedding - wood shavings, chips, or straw used to line the bottom of a stall
Bit - metal or rubber piece that is put in the horse’s mouth, used to control direction and speed
Bridle - a harness made of leather or other sturdy material that fits the horse’s head; holds the bit in place and has reins that the rider holds
Canter - a three-beat rocking gate that looks like a slow gallop
Cavaletti - poles laying on the ground or slightly raised that are used to train and condition a horse; generally, a rider will walk or trot over a series of 3-5 cavaletti
Colic - a painful condition where the horse is experiencing problems with his stomach or intestines; can sometimes lead to death if left untreated
Colt - a young male horse, under 3 years of age
Conformation - the overall way in which a horse’s body is put together; a horse with good conformation will look proportioned and balanced, all the parts of his body look like they go together
Cribbing - also known as wind sucking; a dangerous habit some horse’s develop where they use their teeth to hold onto a rail or fence, arch their necks, and suck in large gulps of air; it stimulates chemicals in their brains and makes them feel good
Cross ties - a way of tying a horse that uses two ropes, one attached to each side of the halter, extending away from the horse’s head to two separate walls
Crest - the part on a horse's neck where the spine meets the mane
Curry comb - a small rubber or plastic brush that is usually round with small nubs; used in a brisk circular motion to dislodge dried mud, dust, dirt and hair
Curb Chain - Braided chain that goes beneath a horse's chin, parallel with the bit
Dam - a horse’s mother
Dandy brush - a brush with stiff bristles used to flick away the dust and dirt left by the curry comb
Dressage - from a French word meaning “training,” dressage is a complex sport in which horses compete doing exercises of circles and other patterns; displays the horse’s agility and obedience to the rider’s smallest cues
Equestrian - a word that describes anything that has to do with horses; also used as a person who is involved with horsesFarrier - a professional who is able to trim a horse’s hooves and put shoes on the horse
Feathers - the long hair on the horse’s fetlocks (ankles) and sometimes covering the hooves
Filly - a young female horse, under 3 years of age
Foal - a young horse, of either gender, under 3 years of age
Gallop - the fastest gait of the horse, a four-beat run
Girth - a strap of leather or strong material that wraps around the horse’s belly used to secure the saddle to the horse
Gelding - An altered adult male horse
Grooming - the act of cleaning the horse by brushing and currying
Hackamore - a bridle that has no bit; the horse is controlled by pressure on the noseband
Halter - a harness, similar to a bridle but without the bit or reins, fit to a horse’s head, used for leading and tying
Hands - the unit of measurement for a horse; a hand is 4 inches, and a horse is measured from the ground to his withers
Horsemanship - the relationship between a horse and his trainer/rider
Hot walker - a mechanical contraption that has long metal arms coming from a center machine; a horse can be attached to one of the arms and it walks the horse in a circle repeatedly; used to cool down a horse that is hot from exercise
Jog - a mix of a walk and a trot. This gait is experienced at a slow pace and often in western classes
Lame - when a horse is experiencing pain in his feet or legs and walks with a limp
Leadrope - the length of rope (leather, cotton or some strong material) that can be clipped to a horse’s halter for leading and tying
Lope - another name for a canter, typically used in western riders vocabularies
Mare - an adult female horse
Mucking - the act of cleaning out a stall by removing all manure and soiled bedding
Paddock - a small pasture used for turning the horse’s loose to allow exercise and free grazing
Pony - a small, adult horse that does not grow over 14.2 hands high
Posting - the action a rider performs at the trot; in rhythm with the horse, the rider will rise and sit in the saddle in order to alleviate any jarring
Rear - a dangerous habit or defense mechanism where the horse will stand on his hind legs and sometimes strike or paw with his front hoovesReins - the lengths of leather or like material that run from the bit in the horse’s mouth to the hands of the rider
Sire - a horse’s father
Stallion - an unaltered adult male horse
Stirrup - the metal portion of the saddle where a rider puts his/her feet
Surcingle - a belt-like piece of equiptment that goes around a horse's girth area and is used often in vaulting to help riders execute their movements
Tack - a general term meant to indicate all the equipment used in riding a horse (saddle, bridle, saddle pads, etc.)
Trot - a two-beat jogging gate that is slightly faster than a walk
Twitch - a severe device used to calm and restrain a horse, generally when giving medicine or performing some other distasteful task; usually made of metal or a combination of rope and wood, it pinches the horse’s upper lip to make him stand still
Vaulting - a sport in which riders do gymnastics-like moves on horseback while the horse canters around in a circle on a lunge line
Withers - the bony part between a horse’s shoulder blades where his neck meets his back
Yearling - a horse that is one year old