Parts of a Horse
Parts of the Hoof
Common Terms & Words
Tack
Gear used for the horse when riding, driving or handling horses such as saddles, bridles, harnesses, bits, boots, breastplates etc. Another term for Saddlery.
Saddlery Gear used for the horse when riding, driving or handling horses such as saddles, bridles, harnesses, bits, boots, breastplates etc. Also used to describe a shop which sells horse gear. Another term for Tack.
Hack
A horse over 15.1hands high. Used to describe a type of horse which are elegant in appearance, good conformation, educated and obedient (i.e., show hacks). A term used to describe riding outdoors (“Going for a hack in the countryside” or “Hacking out”).
Trail ride
A term used to describe riding outdoors (“Going for a trail ride”, “Trail riding”).
Pecking order
A social hierarchy in which horses determine who the leader is or boss. Horses will sort out a dominance ranking from the most dominant horse to the least dominant horse. More dominant horses will eat and drink before the less dominant horses.
Flehmen
(Flehmen response, flehmen position) When a horse curls back the upper top lip to allow them to “smell” or detect scents with a chemoreceptor organ in the roof of the mouth. Commonly exhibited by stallions assessing when a mare is in season.
Hindquarters
The hind legs of a horse including the croup (rump).
Forelegs
The front legs of a horse including the shoulders.
Rump
The hind end of a horse between the hock and croup.
In season
When a mare (female horse) is in oestrus and is sexually receptive to a stallion (or sometimes geldings even though they have had their testes removed). Other terms include “in heat”, “on heat”. Oestrus usually lasts from 4 to 10 days.
Groom
This term can be used in reference to brushing a horse (i.e., “Grooming a horse”) and also as a job title for someone who looks after horses (grooming, saddling, feeding etc).
Gooseneck
A large horse trailer similar to a horse float which can often hold upwards of 4 horses and attaches onto a vehicle such as a truck or four wheel drive via a coupling system.
Grooming kit
An assembly of grooming tools used to brush and clean the horse.
Dressage
A French word which means “training” is a competitive form of horse training (though it can be used by anyone regardless of whether they have any desire to compete) used to develop the horse’s natural athletic ability and willingness to perform thereby increasing its potential and pleasure as a riding horse. Training uses movements and figures performed on the flat (e.g., flat surface).
Western Pleasure
A western style of competition judges look for a horse with suitable disposition, manners, soft gaits and strong muscling (required for sustaining slow movements). Western pleasure uses gaits such as the jog which is a slow trot and a lope which is a slow canter. Similar to a dressage rider western pleasure riders ride with a long leg length (long stirrup) and horses are required to travel in a frame (outline) where the poll goes no lower than the wither.
Polo
A team sport played on horse, competitors are required to score goals against the opposing team by hitting a plastic or wooden ball into the goal with a mallet which has a long handle.
Cutting
Another western style of competition a horse and rider are judged on their ability to separate a cow from the herd (or mob) and keep it separated for a certain period of time.
Show jumping
I type of competition and training where a horse and rider are required to jump a course of jumps in an allotted time. Faults and penalties are awarded if the horse and rider exceeds the time limit, knock down jump rails/poles, if the horse refuses to go over a jump or if the rider falls off.
Hunter
Also called “Show Hunter”, Hunters can be required to jump similar obstacles to the show jumper however they are judged on turnout, jumping style, manners and way of going (how they move and respond to the rider).
Endurance
This is a sport in which horses and riders cover long distances in a “race” style competition. Endurance horses and riders are required to be very fit and can choose their own pace to travel at according to the horse’s condition and type of terrain.
Cross Country
Horses and riders compete across country at speed and jump obstacles which are more likely to occur outdoors than in an arena such as logs, ditches, water crossing and hedges. In international competition jump designs can be quite elaborate and spectacular. Like show jumping penalties are incurred if the ideal time is exceeded, jumps are refused or if the rider falls.
Vaulting
Is very much gymnastics on horseback. Horses wear a surcingle instead of a saddle which has handles on it for the vaulter to use to perform different positions. Vaulting horses are carefully trained to work consistently on a lunge in canter.
Camp drafting
A popular horse sport in Australia camp drafting requires the rider to cut a cow out of the herd (or mob) and manoeuvre it around a course of pegs in a figure of eight pattern.
Gait
A “gait” or “gaits” refers to the different sequences of legs a horse uses to move at different speeds (i.e., walk, trot, canter, gallop). There are also “Gaited horses” which are horse breeds that have a natural ability to perform a smooth four beat gait that other breeds cannot (called an “amble” or “ambling gait” which is faster than a walk but slower than a canter).
Pace
“Pace” can mean the same as “gait” in regards to horse movement at walk, trot, canter and gallop but it can also be used to describe a 2 beat movement common in Standardbred horses (trotting horses or “trotters”) where the legs move in lateral pairs being left fore with left hind and right fore with right hind.
Riding boots
Boots for riders that are especially designed for the purpose of riding. They have a minimum amount of grip to prevent the foot from gripping to the stirrup iron tread and a small heel to minimise the risk of the foot sliding through the stirrup iron.
Float
A trailer used to transport 1 to 3 horses. A float attaches to the tow ball of a vehicle.
Green or Green horse
The term “green” is used to describe a horse which is young and/or uneducated.
Brand
A form of identifying horses. Brands include symbols, letters and numbers to help identify what stud the horse came from or who is the owner and how old it is.
Hands
“Hands” is a measurement of horse height. The abbreviation “hh” is placed after the height of the horse (e.g., 16.2hh) and means “hands high”.
Picking out
When a horse’s hooves are cleaned using a hoof pick (“I’m going to pick out my horse’s hooves”).
Bots & bot eggs
Bots are flies which bite and lay their eggs on the horse. Bot eggs are small white to yellowish dots that can be found usually on the hairs of the legs.
Dismounting
The procedure of getting off the back of a horse to the ground.
Mounting
The procedure of getting onto the back of a horse for riding.
Hunt cap
Can refer to a helmet or the classic style cap which featured no chin strap to hold the cap onto the head in the event of a fall.