Aids. How a rider or handler tells the horse what she wants him to do. For example, the rider tells the horse to go faster by squeezing with her legs.
Appaloosa. A breed of horse with a pattern of small, distinctive spots on his coat. The breed has two primary genetic color patterns: Leopard (small spots all over) and Blanket (spots concentrated over the rump and back).
Balanced seat. No matter the discipline, the goal of all riding is to have a balanced seat. This means that the rider is supple, poised, and uses just enough leg to preserve balance while on the horse.
Bald-faced. A horse whose face is mostly white, while the rest of his body is a different color.
Barn sour. A horse that is reluctant to leave the barn and can be difficult to take out on a trail.
Bars. The toothless, gummed section in a horse’s mouth where the bit rests.
Bascule. Pronounced “bas-KEWL”; this refers to the arc a horse makes as he goes over a jump. A horse who does not bascule jumps “flat,” so that his back is a stiff, straight line rather than a lovely, rounded arc.
Bay. A reddish brown or brown coat with black points (the lower legs, muzzle, mane, and tail). Bays can have some white markings on their faces and on their extreme lower legs.
Bell boots. Made of either leather or rubber, these protective devices fit over the horse’s hooves and around the pastern, and are held in place by Velcro or straps. The purpose is to protect a horse’s front heels from being damaged by his back hooves when he overreaches.
Billets. Two to three straps, usually made of leather or synthetic material, to which the girth is buckled on an English saddle. On a Western saddle, the billet performs the same function but is a single, long strap (and the girth is called a “cinch”).
Bit. The mouthpiece that goes into the horse’s mouth and rests on the bars. The bit is attached to both the bridle and the reins, and it helps the rider to turn and to stop the horse. Bits can be made of several types of metal, rubber, polymer, or a combination. They come in a wide variety of styles and sizes, fulfilling many purposes.
Bitless bridle. A bridle that does not have a bit. Hackamores and bosals are two types of bitless bridles.
Blaze. A long, wide white stripe that extends down a horse’s face from his forehead to around his muzzle.
Box stall. A stall that is large enough (usually 12′ × 12′) for a horse to move around and lie down in.
Breast plate. The leather straps that go across the front of a horse’s chest and attach to the saddle. The purpose of a breast plate (or breast band, in Western) is to help stabilize the saddle and prevent it from slipping backward.
Bridle. The equipment that goes on a horse’s head so the rider can control his movement with the reins.
Buckskin. The color of tanned deer hide. Shades may vary from yellow to dark gold. Points (mane, tail, legs) can be dark brown or black.
Canter. In English riding, the three-beat gait between a trot and a gallop. In Western riding, this is called the lope.
Cantle. The back of the saddle, whether English or Western.
Cavaletti. Poles that are raised off the ground, usually three to six inches, and used to help prepare horses and riders for jumping.
Chestnut. A coppery-red body coat with the mane and tail the same color or lighter. Typically, English riders call this color “chestnut” and Western riders call it “sorrel.”
Cinch. The band on a Western saddle that goes under the belly and is fastened in place to keep the saddle on the horse. On an English saddle, this strap is called a “girth.”
Coggins test. An annual blood test to check for Equine Infectious Anemia, a highly contagious and often fatal disease. Before transporting an animal from one property to another, to a horse show, or across state lines, a negative Coggins is required.
Colic. Because horses cannot vomit, gastric upset can lead to colic — a painful and potentially fatal condition for a horse. Colicked horses display signs of abdominal pain such as pawing, biting at their sides, rolling, groaning, and profuse sweating. Colic can be caused by a variety of things, including eating too much grain.
Collection. When a horse assumes a rounded, more agile and balanced posture, which takes a certain degree of fitness and training. A horse can be collected at all gaits.
Colt. A male horse who is two years of age or younger.
Conformation. The horse’s body structure. This is also referred to as how the horse is “put together.” A horse’s conformation can help him to be more (or less) suited to various disciplines and activities.
Contact. The connection, through the reins and the bit, between the rider’s hands and the horse’s mouth, which should be firm but without strain or tension.
Counter-canter. When a horse is purposely ridden on the lead that is opposite to the direction he is going. The counter-canter is used in dressage.
Crest release. Used over jumps, the crest release involves the rider moving her hands evenly up the horse’s neck, rising in the stirrups slightly and balancing over the horse’s withers to help the horse jump more easily.
Cribbing. When a horse gulps air while biting down on a fence rail or stall door; considered a vice.
Crop. In English riding, a crop is used when the leg aids don’t bring about the desired response from the horse or to encourage the horse to greater effort. There are various styles of crops (such as a jumping bat or a dressage whip), but they all perform the same basic function of encouragement or reprimand.
Deworming. Treating a horse for parasites; a necessary component of horse health.
Diagonals. When riding a posting trot, the rider rises slightly in the saddle as the horse’s outside shoulder moves forward. When the shoulder moves back, the rider sits. This is called “being on the correct diagonal.”
Discipline. A traditional riding style, as in English or Western.
Dressage. Dressage (which is French for “training”) consists of complex maneuvers guided by slight cues from the rider.
Drive. Forward impulsion.
Equestrian center. A professional facility that may have multiple arenas, many well-trained horses, and a staff of instructors. Horse shows, exhibitions, and other equestrian-related events are often held here.
Equitation/horsemanship. A type of competition riding that judges the rider’s skills and proper positioning, ability to handle the horse, quietness in the saddle, and so on.
Evasion. When the horse refuses to do what the rider asks of him.
Eventing. Also referred to as “three-phase eventing,” this is an English discipline that consists of dressage, stadium jumping, and cross-country.
Far side (also “off side”). The horse’s right side.
Farrier. The person who trims hooves and shoes horses.
Fetlock. The equivalent of a horse’s ankle, located on all four legs. This is the joint between the horse’s cannon bone (the long bone in the lower leg) and the pastern (the short bone between the fetlock and the horse’s hoof).
Filly. A female horse who is two years of age or younger.
Flat work. Riding a horse on the flat means there is no jumping involved in the effort.
Floating teeth. The rasping down of sharp points that develop on a horse’s teeth and can interfere with eating and use of the bit.
Foal. A baby horse of either gender.
Gait. The pace at which a horse moves forward. In English, the walk, trot, canter, and gallop; in Western, the walk, jog, lope, and gallop.
Gelding. A castrated male horse of any age.
Girth. The band on an English saddle that goes around the belly to keep the saddle on the horse. Can be made of leather, cotton, or synthetic material and has buckles on each end. (On a Western saddle, the girth is called a “cinch.”)
Give. To slightly release tension in the reins, which effectively “gives” to the horse.
Grade horse. A horse without registration papers; often of no particular breed or a cross of two breeds.
Gray. Gray horses can be any shade of gray from white to very dark gray. Most gray horses are born dark and lighten with age.
Green as grass. A class for first-time competitors (either rider or horse).
Grooming. Brushing and combing a horse’s or pony’s body, mane, and tail, as well as cleaning out their hooves.
Gymkhana. Games on horseback that test the rider’s skills and the horse’s compliance and training.
Half-halt. A slight pull back on the reins that signals to the horse that a change of activity is coming or that he needs to refocus his attention on the activity at hand.
Halter. Usually made of either leather or nylon, halters are used to catch, lead, and tie horses but should never be left on the horse when he is loose in the pasture or in a stall because of the possibility of it catching on a fence or solid object.
Hands. 1. A horse’s or pony’s height is measured in hands at the tallest point on the horse’s back, his withers. One hand equals four inches. 2. Describes how the rider holds the reins. “Soft hands” (gentle, even contact) is preferred; “hard hands” are too short and tight.
Hard mouth. A horse whose mouth nerves have become insensitive to cues from the bit, usually due to harsh bits and/or bad riders who have hung on the bit or jerked it excessively in the horse’s mouth.
Haunches. The hindquarters of a horse or pony.
Hippotherapy. A type of therapy that is facilitated by a professional physical therapist in conjunction with a professional horse handler and volunteers. Sessions are usually private.
Hock. The large, backward-facing joint on a horse’s hindleg, which looks much like an elbow on a human.
Impulsion. The energy with which a horse moves forward.
In-hand. When a horse or pony is worked or shown in competition by a handler on foot.
Jog. The gait between a walk and a lope, for Western riders. English riders call this gait the “trot.”
Jumping standards. The upright posts between which horizontal poles are placed for jumping.
Leads. When the horse canters, one front leg leads the sequence of footfalls; it strikes the ground slightly ahead of the other front leg. Horses are trained to lead on the inside leg when ridden in a ring; this helps them maintain their balance better. The horse is said to be “on the left (or right) lead” or “on the correct lead.”
Leg yield. When the rider applies pressure to the horse’s side with one leg and the horse yields to that pressure by moving laterally away from it. This is also an example of the horse “giving” to the rider’s “aid.”
Lesson barn. Any facility where riding lessons are given.
Loafing shed. A small structure used in pastures to provide shelter to horses from the weather and sun.
Longe (pronounced “lunge”). Working the horse from the ground with a long line attached to the bridle, directing him in a large circle. Longeing (“lunging”) is used for a variety of reasons, including simple exercise or warming up, helping a horse release excess energy before a rider mounts, and for training an inexperienced horse.
Lope. In Western riding, the gait between a jog and a gallop. In English riding, this is called the canter.
Mare. A female horse who is three years of age or older.
Mechanical aids. The use of equipment to communicate with the horse. Bridles, bits, reins, saddles, crops (riding whips), and so forth are all examples of mechanical aids.
Mounting block. A stepping stool or block that riders step up onto, which allows them to more easily reach the stirrup and mount a horse.
Near side. The horse’s left side.
Neck-reining. A Western style of using the reins against the horse’s neck to signal turns, rather than pulling on the bit.
Off side (also “far side”). The horse’s right side.
On deck. The competitor waiting to go next in the ring is said to be “on deck” and is typically expected to wait in a particular spot.
On the bit. The horse is accepting the bit and the rider’s contact.
On the rail. When the horse and rider are moving along in the arena, next to the fence or rail.
Paint/pinto. A horse whose coat consists of solid patches of colored coat and solid patches of white coat. A Paint is a registered breed, while pinto coloring can be found in many different breeds.
Palomino. A horse whose coat is golden and whose mane and tail are white.
Pinto (see Paint/pinto).
Pleasure class. A type of competition riding that judges the horse’s manners, movement, responsiveness, and way of going; in short, the degree to which the horse appears to be a pleasure to ride.
Poll. The spot on top of a horse’s head between his ears.
Pommel. The front of a saddle.
Pony. An equine who is 14.2 hands or shorter.
Post. To rise slightly in the saddle and sit gently in the saddle, in cadence with the horse’s trot (see Diagonals).
Premium. A guide to scheduled classes that is distributed before a show.
Prospect. A horse that may be suitable for a certain discipline but doesn’t yet have the necessary training.
Refusal. When a horse stops in front of an obstacle and refuses to jump.
Riding school. A professional facility that combines a dedicated focus on learning to ride well with hands-on instruction in horse care.
Roan. A horse with an even mixture of white and pigmented hairs that give the coat an overall muted look. A strawberry or red roan has a mix of brown and white hair; a blue roan has black and white hair.
Seat. How the rider sits in the saddle. Having a good seat means having good contact with the horse.
Snip. A small white mark of any shape in the spot between the horse’s nostrils.
Sock. A white mark that extends from somewhere around the middle of the cannon bone to the top of the horse’s hoof. Any number of legs can have a sock.
Sorrel (see Chestnut).
Sound. Healthy, without injury or illness; used to describe both a horse’s legs and his wind (breathing capacity).
Stadium jumping. Jumps that are set up in an arena or stadium. These jumps consist of elements that, when struck by the horse, will give or fall down.
Stallion. An intact male horse who is three years of age or older. Young and inexperienced riders should never handle or ride a stallion.
Star. A small white mark, sometimes in a diamond shape, in the center of the horse’s forehead.
Stirrup. The piece of equipment that hangs from a saddle, into which the rider’s foot is inserted.
Stocking. A white mark that extends from the knee to the top of the horse’s hoof. Any number of legs can have a stocking.
Stripe. A long, narrow white stripe that extends down a horse’s face from, generally, his forehead to around his muzzle.
Tack. The equipment used for riding a horse; specifically, the bridle, saddle, girth, and saddle pad.
Tacking up. To put the saddle and bridle (the tack) on the horse.
Therapeutic Riding. A type of therapy offered by a professional riding instructor in conjunction with volunteers that often includes a physical, speech, or behavioral therapist as a consultant. Sessions are usually led in groups.
Tie stall. A narrow stall where the horse is haltered and tied; used for feeding and grooming but not suitable for a horse to stay in for long periods of time.
Trot. For English riders, the trot is a two-beat gait, between a walk and a canter. Western riders call this a “jog.”
Two-point position. When the rider rises slightly in the saddle, taking her weight in the stirrups, and moves slightly forward in preparation for the horse’s propulsion over a jump.
Vices. Undesirable behaviors exhibited by horses; can include cribbing, pawing, kicking at walls, and chewing wood surfaces.
Vintage. Designates a class for riders who are 45 years of age or older.
Withers. The highest point on a horse’s back, where the neck and back meet. It is at the withers where a horse’s or pony’s height is measured.