An enclosure used for training and schooling horses. Also called a school. Often referred to as a "menage".

A female horse aged four and over.

Item of tack which consists of a neck strap which buckles around the horse's neck and another one which attaches to the girth at one end, passes through the neck strap and attaches to either the noseband, known as a standing martingale, or the reins, known as a running martingale, at the other. Used to prevent the horse from raising his head above the level of the rider's hand and evading the rein aids.

Oatmeal coloured muzzle, such as that seen in the Exmoor.

A horse that is judged capable, by virtue of its bone and substance, capable of carrying weights up to 196 lbs.

Term used to describe the angle at which the neck of the Arabian horse joins the head and which gives the characteristic arched set to the neck.

Daily stable chore which involves the removal of wet and soiled bedding and general tidying of the stable.

Mud Fever varies in it's severity and is usually found around the coronet, heels and pastern but as been known to affect higher on the leg or belly. The skin becomes inflamed and cracks developing weepy sores and scabs.  The cracks in the skin may allow bacteria to enter and cause infection. In severe cases the leg(s) may swell and lameness may follow. Also known as Greasy Heel.

Withers that are wide and flat seen in horses such as the Quarter Horse, as opposed to the prominent, bony withers often seen in the Thoroughbred.

Muscles facilitate all movement. Those that bring about movement of the legs are skeletal muscles, which are under conscious control by the horse. Muscles create movement by contracting to shorten their length. They lengthen by relaxation; they cannot push and therefore have to work in pairs. Whilst one muscle contracts the other relaxes for movement in one direction, and vice versa for movement in the opposite direction.

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Another name for the Mountain and Moorland breeds of the UK - i.e. New Forest, Exmoor, Dartmoor, Highland, Fell, Dale, Shetland, Connemara and Welsh.

The left hand side of the horse.

The art of turning the horse by using the indirect, or opposite rein against the neck.

Simple leather strap bucked around the horse's neck to give security to novice riders. Also refers to that part of a martingale which buckles around the horse's neck.

The division and resetting of the muscles under the tail to give and artificially high tail carriage. 

A pad that goes under the saddle to keep the saddle clean and to cushion the horse's or pony's back.

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The right hand side of the horse.

A horse is said to be "on the bit" when he carries his head in a near vertical position and he is calmly accepting the rider's contact on the reins.

A Latin description for a joint disease involving the cartilage and bone.

A markedly forward direction of the knee also known as "knee-sprung", it can be congenital or acquired.

The horse is said to be behind the bit when he evades the rider's control by tucking his head close in to his chest. 

To present a young horse at a fence which is beyond his level of training, or beyond his physical capability.

This occurs when the toe of the hind shoe strikes the heel of a front foot.  Over-reach injuries can be serious.

The hocks are set wide apart and the toes turned in also known as bowed hocks. Opposite of cow hocks. In a person over wide hocks would be described as bow legged.

Spread fence. Can be an ascending oxer - with the front rail lower than the back rail, or a square oxer (also known as a parallel), with front and back rail of the same height.

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A horse which moves its legs in lateral pairs, rather than the conventional diagonal pairs.

Horse used to carry goods in packs placed in packs on either side of its back.

Small enclosure in which horses are turned out for grazing.

Coat colour in which the body can be varying shades of gold, with a silver or white mane and tail.

The bones on the top of the skull.

Overbite in a horse. The top jaw extends forward over the lower jaw.

Result of breeding a Thoroughbred with a horse of another breed i.e. Welsh part-bred.

Dressage movement in which the horse trots in an extremely collected and animated manner.

The sloping bone in the lower leg which connect the hoof to the fetlock.

Details of parentage and ancestry recorded in a studbook or registry.

Curb bit with a single mouthpiece to which two reins may be attached. Aims to combine the two bits of a double bridle into a single mouthpiece.

Dressage movement in which the horse trots in place, with forehand elevated and croup lowered.

British term for body colour of white with black patches.

Conformation fault in which the feet are turned inward.

Term for body colour of white with patches of another colour. See also Piebald and Skewbald.

Pink Papered is where the Sire and the Dam are 100% graded warmblood.

Dressage movement in which the forelegs of the horse describe a small circle, while the hind legs remain in place, one of them acting as a pivot.

is done for neatness, to show off the neck and crest and to train the mane to fall to the side preferred, normally the off side of the neck. There should always be an uneven number of plaits down the neck, plus the forelock. The minimum number of plaits for a hunter including the forelock is six.

(a) External features of the horse making up its conformation. 

(b) In relations to coat colour, the points are the lower legs, mane and tail. For example, a bay with black points is a bay with black lower legs as well as the customary black mane and tail.

The highest point on the top of the horse's head.

The centre front of an English saddle. In some designs the pommel is cut back.

A small horse, standing 14.2hh or less.

Raised section in the centre of the mouthpiece on some curb bits. The amount it is raised affects the severity of the bit, low ported bits being milder.

The action of the rider rising from the saddle in rhythm with the horse's trot. Also known as Rising Trot.

The ability to consistently pass on character and type to the progeny.

A term used for the early sub-species of Equus caballus: the Asian Wild Horse, the Tarpan, the Forest Horse and the Tundra Horse.

This is a natural indentation in the muscle which appears at birth.  They are usually found on the neck or thigh muscles.

To thin out an over-thick mane, to reduce a long mane to the required length, or to allow the mane to lie flat.  The longest hairs from underneath should be dealt with first and removed a few at a time.

A horse with both parents being of the same breed.

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The part of the horse's body from the rear of the flank to the top of the tail down to the top of the gaskin. Also called the hind quarters.

A horse that drops partially chewed food from his mouth, because of age or dental problems, is said to be "quidding". Floating/rasping the teeth usually resolves the problem.

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Horse bred for racing. Can be Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse, Arabian or Standardbred.

The fifth gait of the American Saddlebred - a flashy four beat gait.

Used to describe a horse with size and scope of movement.

The action of filing the horse's teeth to smooth away sharp edges.

To rise up on the hind legs. Form: rear up.

Type of Western riding in which advanced movements such as spins and slides are executed in various patterns.

Horse suitable for riding, with the conformation associated with comfortable riding action, as opposed to draft or carriage horses.

Rig (cryptorchid). A horse with only one visible testicle, the other being up inside the abdomen or inguinal canal. Rigs cannot be gelded in the normal way and should not be bred from as the condition is inherited. Rigs that are partially gelded retain the characteristics and behaviour of stallions but are infertile, unless the retained testicle has almost descended. Most colt foals are born with two testicles present, but if not, up to 18 months should be allowed before declaring the colt a rig.

The action of the rider rising from the saddle in rhythm with the horse's trot. This is also known as Posting Trot.

Used in the UK to describe the age of a horse. For example, a horse approaching four is said to be "rising four". In the US, the term coming is used.

Describes a conformation fault where there is a convex curvature of the spine between the withers and the loins. Upward curve of the back and loin. Opposite of hollow back.

A mane that has been shaved close for its entire length. Also known as a hogged mane.

Coat colour in which white hairs are mixed with the base coat colour. A strawberry roan is where chestnut and white hairs are mixed to give an overall reddish effect. A blue roan refers to a coat in which black and white hairs are mixed, giving an overall blue effect.

The convex facial profile seen in Shires and other heavy breeds.

A broad-backed horse used in the circus for trick riding acts. Rosin is used on the rider's shoes to increase the grip.

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Prominent pommel at the front of a western saddle around which the rider loops or twists the lariat when a steer has been roped to secure the animal. 

A riding horse.

White hairs in the saddle area, probably caused by galls.

The gymnastic exercises performed in the school or manege.

Enclosed, marked out area used for the training and exercise of the horse. Also known as a Manege.

A horse which has scope shows potential and capability for freedom and movement to a special degree.

School movement in which the horse, at any pace, moves down the centre of the school in a series of equal-sized loops.

A tail that has been broken or nicked to produce an artificially high tail carriage.

Hind cannon bone.

The act of fitting and securing metal shoes to the horse's feet, usually done by a farrier.

Two-track movement in which the horse is evenly bent along the length of its spine away from the direction in which it is moving.

Where a horse jumps suddenly to one side, having been startled by a real or imaginary object.

Hocks which are bent, giving the hindleg the shape of a sickle, with the hind legs too far under the body. Although considered a conformation fault, this trait is desired by some reiners as the horse has to almost sit down in some of the reining patterns.

Reins used in training to help position the horse's head. They attach at one end to the bit and to the girth or to the training surcingle at the other end. They often have a rubber "donut" or elastic section in them.

A horse's male parent.

British term for body colour of irregular white and colour patches other than black (i.e. brown, chestnut). Called pinto in the US.

Narrow ribbed.

Term given to the angle between the withers and the top of the chest/base of the neck. For good conformation this should be 45 degrees to the vertical.

Design of bit that acts on the corners or bars of the horse's mouth. It may be jointed or straight, but does not have shanks and only uses one rein.

White marking on any or all of a horse's lower legs. Markings extending higher than the knee or hock are called stockings.

Free from lameness or injury.

This is when the inside edge of a foot strikes or brushes against the inside of the knee of the opposite leg.

Splints are bony enlargements on the splint bones caused by damage to the bone membrane. They are most common in young horses starting work or from direct trauma to the periosteum. Once formed, splints tend not to cause lameness.

Small metal devices worn on the rider's boot to help enforce the leg aids. They come in a range of severity, from very mild blunt spurs to severe rowelled models.

The art of looking after one or more stabled horses, including all aspects of their care and welfare.

A male horse that has not been castrated. Also known as Entire.

Name given to any white marking on the horse's forehead. A small marking is called a snip.

White marking on any or all of a horse's legs which extends beyond the knee or hock. Markings which are confined below the knee or hock are called socks.

Elongated white marking down the front of the horse's face. Also called a blaze.

Breeding establishment - stud farm. The term is also used in the US to describe a stallion or a colt.

A book kept by a breed society or registry in which the pedigrees of horses eligible for registration are recorded.

A horse possessing quality build and musculature is said to "have substance". Weakly built horses are said to "lack substance".

Webbing strap which passes around the horse's barrel. Can attach side reins to a surcingle  to when lunging young horses. Show jumpers, jockeys and eventer's use them over the saddle as an added precaution against the girth breaking. Also used over blankets/rugs.

The shape comprises an often misleadingly attractive arch at the poll area and a horse who appears to come easily onto the bit.  The dip in the top-line of the neck in front of the withers causes the problem.  The horse has great difficulty in raising the neck from the base to go correctly.

A sway back is when a horse's back dips significantly in the middle, rather than following the more correct flatter shape.

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Refers to the equipment of a riding horse - saddle, bridle etc. Short for "tackle".

Substitute stallion used to test the mare's readiness for breeding with the breeding stallion.

Tendons attach muscles to bones and can be thought of as an extension of the muscle. Tendons consist of collagen fibres packed together in groups. These groups run parallel to the length of the tendon and are crimped, which allows a small amount of limited stretch. Tendon sheaths are long sacs lined by synovial membrane, which secretes synovial fluid. They enclose part or all of the tendon and provide lubrication for movement of the tendon.

Tendon sheaths are long, sausage shaped sacs lined by a synovial membrane that encircles a portion of a tendon.

Describes a horse that is easy to keep, which maintains good condition of small rations. Also known as  a good-doer.

Swelling of the deep digital flexor tendon sheath (known as the tarsal sheath) above the hock is known as a thoroughpin.

Where the measurement below the knee is substantially less than that above the fetlock. This is a conformation fault.

Overdeveloped or heavy body in relation to the substance of the legs.

The line from the back of the withers to the end of the croup.

Transportation vehicle for one or more horses, which is towed behind another vehicle.

The act of changing from one pace to another. Walk to trot and trot to canter are known as "upward transitions". Canter to trot and trot to walk are known as "downward transitions".

(a) The practice of turning horses loose in a field or pasture for all or part of the day. (b) The standard of dress and appearance of horse and rider, or horse and carriage.

School movements in which the hindlegs follow a separate track from that made by the forelegs.

A horse that fulfils a certain purpose, such as a cob, a hack or a hunter, but is not necessarily of any particular breed.

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A deformity in which the lower jaw projects beyond the upper.

Term used to describe a horse that, by virtue of its size, substance and conformation, is capable of carrying substantial weight.

Describes a conformation fault where the slope of the shoulder falls away too steeply from the withers.

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Upright fence with no spread. Can be rails, planks, gate or wall.

A horse of 15 years of age or older.

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In general terms, a half-bred, or part-bred horse, the result of an Arabian or Thoroughbred cross with other breeds. Also one of a number of specific breeds of horse which were developed by crossing hotblood and coldblood horses to produce a more refined, but athletically strong and capable horse, such as the Swedish Warmblood, the Dutch Warmblood etc.

A horse of poor conformation, generally weak in the quarters and shoulders, with long legs.

Another term for heavyweight, i.e. a horse capable of carrying 210 lb.

A short, deep, well-rounded body with well-sprung ribs.

Long rounded ribs giving ample room for lung expansion, well suited to carrying a saddle.

The horse harnessed closest to the carriage, behind the leader.

White

(a) Instrument used to encourage the horse to move in a certain direction.  There are several types of whip  e.g.: dressage, schooling, jumping.

(b) The driver of a carriage.

The assistant to the huntsman of a pack of hounds.

Windgalls appear as swellings around the fetlock joint. Heavier types of horses seem to be most affected, but the condition rarely causes lameness.

Stable vice in which the horse arches his neck and sucks air in through his open mouth. When the horse latches his teeth on to a solid surface in order to suck air, he is called a cribber, or a crib biter.

Foreleg action where lower leg swings in but falls and lifts straight.

Point at the bottom of the horse's neck from which the horse's height is measured.

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Colt or filly between one and two years of age.

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