Horse Riding Jargon Buster
General Horsey Terms!
Manege : A fenced area for riding
Indoor arena / Indoor school : An indoor area for riding
Muck out : The term used for cleaning a horses stable
Grazing : Fields where horses are turned out to eat the grass
Hay : Dried grass that horses eat
Paddock : Fields where horses are turned out to eat the grass
Size : A horse is measured in ‘hands’. This dates to pre-ruler days when the width of a hand was used to measure the height of a horse from the ground to the top of its withers (base of the neck). In today’s terms one hand is four inches (10 cms)
Shoeing : Horses and ponies which are ridden a lot and over hard ground and tarmac wear metal horseshoes on each of their hooves. Horseshoes must be replaced every four to six weeks because, like your nails, the hooves grow continuously
Farrier : Someone who shoes a horse
Grooming : Covers everything from giving the horse a quick brush before riding to a full equestrian shampoo and set, including plaiting the mane and tail
A groom : someone who looks after a horse – not just grooming
Lunging : This is a form of training that places the horse on a long rein, encouraging it to move forward to verbal commands in circles around the trainer. It creates suppleness, athleticism and helps train the horse to the basic commands
Rein back : Where the horse moves backwards in response to a command from its rider
Horsey Associations
ABRS – Association of British Riding Schools
BHS – British Horse Society
BRC – British Riding Clubs
BSJA – British Show jumping Association
British Eventing – Governing body for the sport of eventing (including dressage, show jumping and cross-country) in Great Britain
Pony Club - organises activities for and educates young people who love ponies and riding
Horse Equipment
Tack : The things the horse or pony wears
Tack up : To tack up is to get the horse ready to be ridden, by putting on the bridle and saddle (The bridle is for steering and the saddle is to sit on!)
Bridle : The thing that goes on the horse’s head to help control and steer him
Bit : The bit is part of the bridle and is generally a metal bar of various shapes that goes into the horse’s mouth to give control to the rider via the reins.
Reins : To help steer the horse
Headcollar : Worn by the horse on its head when it is being handled, but not ridden. Sometimes headcollars are left on horses in the field if they are difficult to catch
Lead rope : Attached to the headcollar to lead the horse with, or to tie it up for grooming and tacking up, etc
Halter : A form of headcollar, normally made of rope. A term more commonly used in the US
Martingale : A device attached between the reins or bridle and saddle to keep the horse from putting its head up too high.
Girth : The band that goes under the horses belly behind its front legs to hold the saddle in place
Crupper : A belt that passes under the horses tail to the saddle to keep the saddle from sliding too far forward
Paces or Gaits of the Horse
A horse has four paces - walk, trot, canter, and gallop
Walk : The horse moves in a four-time gait with each leg moving in turn.
Trot : The horse moves in a two-time gait with pairs of diagonal legs moving alternately. It is more bouncy than walk and the terms rising trot and sitting trot refer to the way the rider moves while the horse is trotting. Rising trot is the comfier way of trotting, where the rider lifts up (or rises) from the saddle every other beat. There is a distinct technique to it and is one of the first things that a new rider will learn to do. Rising trot is a comfortable way of riding long distances for both horse and rider. Sitting trot is where the rider sits securely in the saddle whilst trotting. Sitting trot gives the rider greater control over the horse during training.
Canter : The horse moves with three beats to each stride, is generally faster than the trot, and more comfortable to sit to! The name arises because if you rode at this pace from London to Canterbury you could do the journey in a day – before motor vehicles were invented of course.
Gallop : The gallop is a four time movement with four rapid beats to each stride. This is the pace race horses use.
Places to Ride
Riding school : A stables that provides riding lessons and opportunities for people to hire out horses and ponies to ride
Riding centre : A stables that provides riding lessons and opportunities for people to hire out horses and ponies to ride
Riding club : a group of riders who get together to ride, compete against other clubs, and participate in horse-related activities such as visiting horse shows
Pony club : organises activities for and educates young people who love ponies and riding.
Rider Equipment
Hat : A must for safety
Jodhpurs : Trousers used for riding
Body protector : A padded vest worn to protect the rider from injuries
Spurs : Worn on the heel to enhance control through the legs – not for beginners
Crop : A short whip
Boots : Short or long boots with a small heel are essential to prevent the rider’s foot from slipping through the stirrup. Trainers should never be worn, and most riding centres won’t allow customers to wear unsuitable footwear. Some have boots available for hire.
Things you can do on a Horse
Vaulting : Gymnastics on the back of a moving horse which is worked on a circle under the control of a lunger
Dressage : Sometimes referred to as horse ballet, dressage develops a horse's natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, through standardised progressive training, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse
Endurance riding : Controlled long distance races
Polo : A team sport played outdoors in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Riders score by driving a white wooden or plastic ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet
Polocross : As the name implies, it is a combination of polo and lacrosse
Hunting : Used to mean following hounds hunting foxes or deer, but now hounds pursue a man-made trail
Eventing : Sport combining dressage, show jumping and cross-country
Cross country : Riding across country, jumping fixed fences and hazards
Show jumping : Jumping fences in an arena
Pony trekking : Similar to hacking, but usually in an area of outstanding natural beauty, led by a guide
Hacking : Riding out on roads and bridleways. All hacking is normally led by a guide unless you are on your own horse
