Ingrid Andersson - My First Book of Horses

Bareback

age You can tell a horses age by looking at his teeth, which grow as he grows older. Ask someone to show you how.

arena a fenced ring or corral in which people ride horses.

back to move a horse to the rear. Sometimes called rein-back.

bareback to ride a horse without a saddle.

bay a horse with a brown coat and black mane and tail.

bit the metal object in the horses mouth to which the reins are attached.

blaze a white mark down a horses face. See page 45 for this and other facial markings.

breaking in, or gentling teaching a young horse to be comfortable when being ridden or driven.

Chestnut

breed a group of horses or ponies that all have the same appearance. Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, and Shetland Ponies are examples of breeds.

bridle the leather straps that go over the horses head to hold the bit.

canter a three-beat gait; a slow gallop.

cantle the rear of a saddle.

cavaletti low obstacles for horses to jump. The word is Italian for little horses.

chaps leather coverings that go over the riders pant legs to support and protect the legs.

chestnut a horse with a light brown coat, mane, and tail. Also called sorrel.

clip to trim the horses body and leg hair.

Chaps

Points

Gymkhana

colic a stomach ache that often comes from a horses eating too much or eating the wrong food.

colt a male horse under the age of four years.

crop a short stick used to encourage a horse to move forward.

curb the long-shanked bit that most western horses wear.

diagonal the riders posting movement in relation to the horses trot steps. A rider who posts up when the horses left foreleg is off the ground is said to be on left diagonal.

feathers the long hair on the back of the lower legs of certain breeds.

fetlock the joint right above the feet.

filly a female horse under the age of four years.

foal a baby horse under the age of one year.

fore leg either of the horses front legs.

free jumping (or loose jumping) a horse jumping down a chute or around an arena without a rider on its back.

girth the strap that goes under the horses belly to hold the saddle in place.

gallop a horses fastest gait.

gait the way a horse moves its legs, such as the walk, trot, canter, and gallop.

gray a horse with mostly white and some dark-colored hair.

gymkhana a program of games on horseback.

halt to stop a horse.

head shy a horse that doesnt like its head touched.

hind leg either of the horses back legs.

lope the western word for canter.

longe (pronounced lunge) to exercise a horse moving around a person who holds a long line attached to the horses halter.

Unusual facial markings

mare a female horse aged four years or older.

martingale a strap that runs from the girth between the horses legs to the bridle. It helps to keep a horses head down.

mount to get on a horse.

mounting block a step that makes getting on a horse easier.

near side the horses left side.

noseband the part of the bridle that goes over the horses nose.

off side the horses right side.

oxer a wide jump.

paddock a small fenced area where horses can move around as they wish.

pace a gait in which the horses legs on the same side move together.

Paint a breed that has patches of white or another color on their bodies. A horse that is marked that way but is not a member of the Paint breed is called a Pinto.

points the outside parts of the horses body. See page 43.

pommel the front of a saddle.

post to move up and down as the horse trots to make the trot more comfortable to ride. Also called rising trot.

Horse show ribbons

blaze

star and snipe

stripe

Gray mare with chestnut foal

Quarter Horse a breed developed to herd cattle in the American West.

rear to stand up on the hind legs, a very dangerous habit.

refuse to stop in front of a jump.

reins the leather straps attached to the bridle that the rider or driver holds.

rosette the ribbon that horse show prize-winners are awarded.

Riding reins

side-saddle a kind of riding in which women sit on a special saddle that allows them to keep both legs on the horses left side.

spurs metal objects worn on the riders boots to encourage the horse to move forward.

trot a four-beat gait in which the horses diagonal legs move together.

walk the horses slowest gait.

western saddle a saddle used by cowboys and other western-style riders.

Pinto

Horses are beautiful animals! They are quick, strong, and graceful. They also have soft fur and are silky around the muzzle.

Maybe you have met a horse before at riding school, the races, or during a pony ride. If you have, then you already know that horses can range in size, from huge work horses to very small ponies.