How to speak horse
Actually, this is a glossary of difficult terms associated with equestrian sports. Whether or not the horse understands them is up for discussion, although with enough training, you could probably teach yours almost anything.
Action: The manner in which a horse elevates its feet, hocks, knees, and legs, along with how it uses its elbow, humerus, shoulder, and stifle in its trot, canter, or gallop
Aging: Estimating a horse’s age by the condition of its teeth
Aids: Signals used to tell the horse what to do; can include natural aids like weight and voice and artificial aids like bits and spurs
Balking: When a horse refuses to move
Bell boot: A boot that encircles the horse’s ankle and protects its pastern and heel
Bit: Object placed in the horse’s mouth and used (with reins) to guide the animal
Canter: A three-beat gait where front and rear legs on one side land ahead of those on the other
Cinch: A firth made of mohair, felt, or other material used to secure a saddle
Counter canter: A form of canter where the horse canters on a curve with the outside leg leading
Daisy cutter: A horse with long but low movement; desired in show hunter horses
Distaff: A female horse, named for the spindle used in weaving
Dressage: 1. A classical form of horse training 2. An Olympic sport based on classical principles and governed by the Federation Equestre International
Easy keeper: A horse which doesn’t require much food to maintain
English riding: British style of riding used in dressage, show-jumping, cross-country, and others, characterized by the use of a flat saddle
Equitation: skill of riding a horse
Farrier: Hoof care specialist who trims hoofs and does horse shoeing
Feathering: Long hair on the fetlocks of horses
Fetlocks: the joint above the pastern, equivalent to the basal joint in a human finger
Gait: the way a horse moves its legs
Girth: a strap made of leather, canvas, cord, or other material to secure a saddle
Glass eye: also called a wall eye; a rarer blue eye on a horse
Hack: 1. An average horse 2. A leisurely ride 3. a type of competition based on obedience
Hackamore: substitute for a bit that uses a noseband or bosal
Hendra virus: also Henipavirus; a deadly virus which can affect both horses and humans
Irons: stirrup made entirely of metal
Jockey: rider of a horse during horse racing
Jog: a slow trot
Kimberwicke: a type of bit
Laminitis: inflammation of the hoof’s laminae, which can cause lameness and severe pain
Livery stable: a site for boarding horses
Longeing: training a horse at the end of a rope and teaching it to obey commands
Mare: mature female horse
Martingale: piece of tack used to control head carriage
Near side: left side of a horse
Nicker: also whicker; soft, vibrating sound made by horses
Off side: right-hand side of horse
On the bit: horse who is flexed at poll, holding the bit calmly, and responding to the rider
Outlaw: a horse too vicious to be handled
Pastern: segment of leg between fetlock and coronary band
Pedigree: the lineage of an animal that can be documented
Pulling: trimming the mane/tail by pulling the long hairs
Quirt: short-handled whip used by some Western-style riders
Rearing: rising up on hind legs
Roundup: gathering of horses or other livestock
Smooth mouth: older horse that has worn down its incisors
Sound: adjective to describe a healthy horse
Tack: the equipment that horses wear
Thoroughbred: a specific breed of horse used for racing
Trot: a diagonal gait with two beats
Vice: a habit of a horse that makes it hard to work with
Warmblood: breeds that originate from the crossbreeding of heavy harness horses and light horse breeds
Wild horse: horse without any domesticated ancestors
Yearling: a horse between 12 and 24 months old
You can find a complete glossary of equestrian terms at Wikipedia.
