When a horse raises his mouth above the rider's hands to avoid the pressure of the bit.

Action

The way a horse moves at various gaits.

Advanced Horse

A horse that has reached a high standard of training.

Aged

A horse over 9 years old.

Aids

Signals used by a rider to pass instructions to his mount. Artificial aids include the whip and spurs. Natural aids include hands, legs, voice cues and weight cues.

Azoturia

Cramping of a horse's large muscles, also called "tying up".

Balance

Distribution of weight between horse and rider.

Bale

A measurement of hay, equal to 10 "flakes".

Bars of Mouth

Fleshy area between front and back teeth on either sides of horses mouth.

Bay:

Deep reddish-brown coloured horse. Has black mane/tail and legs.

Behind the bit

When a horse places his head down to evade contact with the bit.

Bomb-proof

A horse that doesn't spook.

Box Rest

When a horse is confined to its stable for a period of time due to injury.

Box walking

When a horse repeatedly walks round and round its stable and makes a path through its bedding.

Breeder

A person who breeds purebred horses for a living, or maybe as a hobby.

Breeding stock

A mare or stallion that meets the eligibility requirements to be registered as a distinct breed.

Bridle

The entire headpiece, the headstall, bit, chin strap, and reins, is called the bridle.

Broodmare

A female horse that is used strictly for breeding.

Brushing

Striking into the fetlock joint or coronet with the opposite foot.

Buck

When a horse jumps upward and arches his back.

Canter

A three beat gait which is generally used for jumping.

Cantle

Extreme back of saddle.

Cast

A horse lying down and unable to get up, usually as a result of rolling and getting jammed in a corner or getting his feet caught under the manger.

Cavaletti

Adjustable low wooden jump used in schooling the horse and rider (mostly for jumping).

Chestnut

A brownish-yellow coat colour. Mane/tail are usually the same colour as the coat. Other term: the little oval of hard, rough skin found mid-way up the inside of all 4 of the horses legs.

Clean-legged

describes a horse with no blemishes such as splints, lumps, bumps and scars on their legs.

Clench

The part of the nail which, during shoeing is left projecting from the wall of the hoof, after the end of the nail has been twisted off. The metal is then bent over and hammered in to secure the shoe to the foot.

Collected

Neck arched, hocks (see def.) tucked well underneath horse and lively gait (see def.) During collection, a horse builds up power and it ready to 'release' it when cued by the rider to perform a certain task.

Colt

A male horse under 4 years old that has not been castrated.

Conformation

The overall structure of the horse. What is acceptable conformation depends on what you plan to do with the horse.

Coronet

The small area that attaches the hoof (see def.) to the rest of the leg.

Crest

The area between the poll (see def.) and the withers (see def).

Crib biting

When a horse bites or chews wood e.g. gates, fencing, stable doors.

Curb

A thickening of the ligament of the hind leg just below the hock.

Dam

The mother of the horse.

Dapples

Round, coloured markings on a horse's coat.

Dished

Concave, referring to the profile of a head, such as that of an Arabian.

Dishing

A faulty action caused by ‘turned-in-toes. When going forward the horse throws his front feet or foot outwards instead of straight ahead.

Dock

The bone in the horses tail.

Dorsal stripe

Coloured stripe (usually black or brown) running down the back of the horse - from the mane, continued into the tail.

Double bridle

A bridle that has two bits and two sets of reins

Dun

Yellow coat with black mane/tail, legs and a dorsal stripe (see def).

Easy keeper/good doer

A horse that easily keeps its weight.

Farrier

A person who is trained proffesionly to tend to horses hooves.

Feather

Hair on the back of canon bones and around the fetlocks. Also describes vertical line of hair seperating the stomach and hind quarter.

Fetlock

The lowest joint in the horses leg.

Filly

Female horse up to 4 yrs of age.

Flake

One tenth of a bale of hay.

Foal

A baby horse of any gender, up to a yearold.

Forehand

The head, neck, shoulders, withers and forelegs of a horse, collectively.

Frog

V-shaped area found on the bottom of the horses hooves.

Gait

Paces at which a horse moves, Common gaits are:Walk, trot, canter and gallop- although there are more different breeds.

Galls

Sores caused by poorly fitted tack (see def.).

Gallup

The fastest a horse can run, a four-beat gait.

Gelding

Castrated male horse.

Grey

Any colour from pure white to dark grey.

Groom

Person who looks after the horse (also called stable-hand). Other term:the act of brushing/cleaning a horse.

Ground line

The base of a fence from which the horse and rider judge the take-off zone.

Groundwork

Lead rope, lunge-line training and long-reining.

Gut sounds

The noises that can be heard from a horse's stomach.

Gymkhana

Usually an event for children riding their ponies made of races such as the bending race and flag race.

Hand

This is the common way to measure a horse. One hand is 4 inches/10cm, so a horse that is 15 hands is 60 inches tall.

Hard keeper

A horse whose weight is hard to maintain.

Headcollar

The harness used for leading a horse.

Hock

Joint in the center part of the hind legs.

Hocks well engaged

A horse with this feature strides well with the hind with good muscular action and a good bend of the hock joints. The hind legs are well 'under' the horse,not trailing, with the hind feet stepping at least into the print of the forefeet (or 'tracking up').

Hollow back

A back which is unduly dipped.

Hoof

Horses 'feet'.

Horn

Hard, insesitive outer part of hoof.

In-season

When a mare is in heat.

Irons

Metal items attached to saddle by pieces of lesther, used to hold riders feet.

Jog

When a horse is between walk and trot.

Lameness

Unevenness of the horses stride when moving ( I.e limping).

Leathers

The straps that hold the irons onto the saddle. A rider adjusts these so they are the proper length for the leg.

Leg up

A form of mounting a horse. Requires 2 people: 1 person helps the other onto the horse by taking their knee in the palm of the helpers hands and lifting them of the ground.

Lope

Western term for a three-beat gait, the same as canter.

Mare

A female horse over 4 years old.

Martingale

A leather device used to control the position of a horse's head.

Menege

An enclosed area which is usually rectangular, and may have a surface so it can be used in all weather such as sand and bark. It is used for exercising.

Mount

Getting up onto the horse. You can mount from the ground, a mounting block, or by getting a knee-up (see def.).

Mucking Out

Removal of dirty bedding and replacing it with clean bedding.

Mule

The offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.

Near-Side

Left side of the horse. also the side you mount from.

Napping

When a horse dosen't want to go forward or away from somewhere e.g. the gate or stable.

Off-Side

Right side of the horse.

Paces

Describes the four gait of the horse.

Palomino

Various shades of gold. A palomino horse has a white mane and tail.

Poll

Area between the horses ears.

Pommel

Extreme front of the saddle.

Pony

Small horse measuring 14.2 hands high or less.

Potential

Shows ability to be able to succeed in said sphere.

Paddock

A large enclosure to hold a horse.

Purebred

A horse that through generations of unmixed breeding, has and will produce the preferred physical characteristics of the breed.

Put down

Euthanize, put to sleep.

Rear

When a horse stands on its hind legs.

Rig

A male horse that has not been castrated successfully but cannot father foals.

Schooled

Trained to work correctly.

Shy

When a horse jumps to the side, being scared by something real or imaginary.

Scopey

A word used to describe a naturally able jump.

Saddle rack

Stand to hold your saddle when it's not on a horse.

Sire

The father of a horse.

Sound

This is the term to describe a healthy horse.

Stallion

A male horse over 4 years that has not been castrated.

Stud book

This is a listing of breeding horses that is maintained by a registering organisation.

Tack

Horse tack is all the gear that comnes with owning a horse. The bridle, saddle,bit,girths, numnahs, lead ropes, headcollars, stirrup irons and stirrup leathers, horse boots and most other horse things are tack.

Tree

The basic structure of the saddle, which is then covered in leather.

Trot

A two beat gait.

Turnout

When a horse is let out of its stable into a padock or arena.

Unsound

A horse with health problems or lameness.

Vice

Any bad habit learned by a horse (ie: rearing and bucking when ridden, wind sucking, crib biting, weaving box walking).

Wall Eye

An eye in which the iris, usually a pale translucent blue, due to lack of pigment, is ringed with white.

Warmblood

Designates any horse or breed of horse with Arabian or eastern blood in its breeding. In practice, the distinction is based mainly on physical type: broadly a non thoroughbred of european descent.

Withers

Point at the bottom of the neck. This is usually characterised by a slightly raised area just above the shoulders. The saddle lies just behind this. A horse's height is measured from the ground to the withers.

Weanling

A horse under one year old that has been weaned from its mother.

Weaving

A vice where the horse swings from side to side for a period of time, usually in its stable. Generally caused by anxiety or boredom.

Windsucking

A vice, when a horse will stand and gulp in air, usually done with crib bting. Generally caused by boredom.

Yearling

A horse just approaching or just turning one year old