American Saddlebred a breed developed in the United States (Kentucky) that can be three or five gaited (to also include the slow-gait and rack) that is known for its presence and spirit and elevated action on the move used primarily as a saddleseat show horse
Appaloosa a spotted breed of horse that originated in the United States and is used for english and western riding, pleasure and show riding and is known for its beautiful patterns, striped hooves, mottled skin, and prominent white around the eye
Arabian a hot blooded, light horse known for its refinement, elegance, and exotic way of going that originated in the Middle East and is used in pleasure, showing, and endurance riding
Bald Face
has white over most of the face, including nostrils and eyes
Bay
a brown horse with black points
Black
black body color
Blanket a spotting pattern of the Appaloosa in which a large area over the horse's croup, loin, and/or back is white possibly with the spots and the rest of the body is a dark color
Blaze
a wide white strip down the face
Blemish
a mark or deformity which is unsightly but causes no harm or unsoundnes to the horse
Blinders
small pieces of leather that are attached to the bridle to disable a horse from seeing behind themselves without getting close to the eye or limiting other vision
Breed
a grouping of horses with similar characteristics due to being selectively bred
Body Brush
a large oval shaped brush with a hand support strap which is used to remove dirt, dust, and dandtuff from the horse's coat; the length of the bristles determines the stiffness of the brush
Bridle
headgear with which a horse is controlled by its rider
Broken
a term used to indicate that a young horse has been trained to accept saddle and rider
Brown
a horse with a brown body color and brown points, may be light or dark
Buckskin
a horse with a brownish yellow body color with black points and a dorsal stripe
Canter
a rhythmic, three beat gait also known as the lope in western disciplines
Carriage
a vehicle that is pulled by a horse to transport the driver and possibly other passengers
Chestnut
a horse with a reddish-brown coat color, also known as a sorrel
Cinch
a piece of tack which holds a western saddle in place attaching to the latigos and dee rings on either side and running under the heartgirth; may be made of nylon, webbing, leather, or other man-made materials
Class
a grouping of horse show involving horses with riders or shown at hand that perform according to the class specifications as described in the rulebook of that show
Colt
a male horse under three years of age
Concentrates
feeds which are low in fiber and high in total digestible nutrients
Conformation
a physical shape or build of a horse
Cooling out
cooling down a heated horse by walking, brushing, giving very small drinks of water, and sponging him off after he has been worked
Curry Comb
a round rubber utensil used in a circular motion to remove caked on mud and improve circulation
Dam
female parent of a horse
Dandy Brush
a brush with short, stiff bristles used only to remove caked on mud
Direct Reining
controlling a horse by pulling directly on the reigns with one hand on each rein
Driving
a discipline in which a horse or horses pull a vehicle such as a carriage, cart, or wagon
Dun
a horse with a charcoal-brown coat color with black points and a dorsal stripe
English Pleasure a saddleseat class judged on manners, performance, attitude, and quality of the horse
Equitation a class judged solely on the rider's position, effectiveness, and style
Farrier
a trained professional who can trim a shoe or a horse's hooves
Filly
a female horse under one year of age
Foal
a horse under one year of age
Forages
feeds high in fiber and low in total digestible nutrients
Gaits
different footfall patterns of a horse performed at different speeds and rhythms
Gallop
a fast four beat gait
Gelding
a castrated male horse
Girth
a piece of tack which holds an english saddle in place by attaching to the billets on either side of the saddle and running under the heartgirth of the horse; may be made of leather, nylon, webbing, or other man-made materials
Gray
a horse with a gray or white coat color that may have been born another solid color and fades to more white throughout its life
Grooming
the process of cleaning and caring for a horse's skin and coat, including currying, brushing, and cleaning of the feet
Halt
when the horse is at a standstill
Hand Gallop
an extension of the canter
Hands
a measurement unit used to indicate a horse's height at its withers; a hand equals 4 inches, thus a horse 48" will be 12 hands tall
Headstall
the part of the halter or bridle which goes over the head behind the ears
Hoof Pick
metal pick used to remove debris from the hoof
Horsemanship
a western class designed to evaluate the rider's ability to execute, in concert with the horse, a set of maneuvers prescribed by the judge with precision and confidence while maintaining a correct body position
Hunters
horses that are used in over fences classes and fox hunting
Hunt Seat
an english discipline which includes riding on the flat and over fences to demonstrate suitability to the hunt field
Indirect Reigning
(neck reigning) a reigning system in which the horse responds by moving away from the rein pressure on its neck in whihch both reins are held in the same hand
Inside
in a ring, the side of the horse closer to the center of the ring
Jog
a western term for the two beat diagonal gait also known as a trot
Lead
to walk beside a horse, guiding it as to where to go
Leadrope
a rope which attaches to the halter that is used to lead a horse with
Leopard a rope which attaches to the halter that is used to lead a tie a horse with
Line-Up
a command used in the show ring for riders to come to the center of the ring and form a line
Lope
a three beat gait also known as an English canter
Mane and Tail Comb
used to comb tangles out of the mane and tail
Mare
a mature female horse
Near-side
a horse's left side which is the side they are usually handled on
Off-side
the right side of the horse
Outside
when riding in a ring, the side closest to the rail or fence of the ring
Overo a paint color pattern in which white extends horizontally from the legs and belly toward the rump and the horse has white on the face and dark legs
Pace
a lateral two beat gait mostly performed by gaited horses
Paint/Pinto
a horse which is black/brown/chestnut and white in an irregularly spotted pattern
Palomino
a horse with a golden yellow coat color and a white mane and tail
Plantation Pleasure an English class judged on manners and way of going to include Tennessee Walking Horses, which will show at the flat walk, running walk, and canter
Pleasure Driving
a class of horses pulling carts which is judged on manners and way of going
Quarter Horse a versatile breed which originated in the Unites States and is used in all disciplines of riding, driving, and working cattle and is known for its volume of muscling and expressive head
Ration
the entire feed regimen a horse receives in a day
Registered Name
a name given to a horse for its breed registry to record the pedigree of that horse and preserve the integrity and history of the breed
Rein back
when a horse moves backward with the hooves being set down almost simultaneously in diagonal pairs
Reverse
a command used in the show ring to indicate a change of direction
Roan
a horse with a mixture of white and colored hairs throughout its coat
Romal
a length of braided rawhide attached to the end of connected reins
Saddle Seat
a discipline of riding which is typically used for breeds that show with high knee and hock action and a very flashy, animated way of going
Showmanship
a class at a horse show judged on the exhibiters ability to fit (prepare) and show a horse at halter being poised and confident while leading a well-groomed and conditioned horse through a precise pattern
Sire
the male parent of a horse
Snip
the small area of white on the muzzle
Sock
white on the leg up to the middle of the cannon bone
Split Reins
reins with unconnected ends
Stallion
(stud) intact male horse
Star
a small area of white on the forehead
Stocking
white on the leg from hoof to hock or knee, covering the entire cannon bone
Stripe
a long thin band of white from forehead to muzzle in the center of the face
Tack
a term used to describe all the equipment that is used or put on a horse to ride or drive
Tennessee Walking Horse a very docile breed which originated in the Unites States (Tennessee) to be used under saddle that is known for its comfortable gaits and high, animated way of going
Thoroughbred a breed which originated in England with its primary use in racing but is also used for riding, competing, and pleasure, known for its stamina, power, and speed
Tobiano a paint pattern in which the horse has white across the topline which extends downward, white legs, and a dark head
Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN)
the sum of the digestible components of feed: protein, carbohydrates , and fats
Trot
an english two beat diagonal gait also known as the western jog
Veterinarian
a trained professional who diagnoses and treats animals' illnesses and injuries
Walk
a slow four beat gait
Warming - up
the process of going through the gaits while performing suppling exercises to limber up both horse and rider in the beginning of a workout
Water Brush
a narrow brush with tapered ends and long, soft bristles which is used to clean sensitive and difficult areas such as the face, ears, and legs
Weanling
a young horse which has been seperated from its mother, or weaned
Welsh Pony a versatile, high quality pony used riding, driving, hunting, and work that originated in Wales
Western Pleasure
a class that demonstrates the ability of a horse to perform willingly at a walk, jog, and lope in a pleasurable manner demonstrating responsiveness to the rider and free flowing quality gaits
White
a horse with a white coat color and pink skin that was born white and remains white for its entire life
Yearling
a horse that is one year old