This is our list of horse terms that only horse lovers know. Have you heard of these terms? Many of these horse terms are about riding and eventing.
Horse Terms
- Amble—A general term for a range of four beat intermediate speed horse gaits. These gaits are approximately the speed of a trot or pace but far smoother to ride. Various terms for lateral ambling gaits, based on style, speed or rhythm of gait and breed of horse.
- Balking—When a horse refuses to move. Multiple causes, including disobedience, fright, and pain or injury.
- Bolting—When a horse suddenly runs away, with or without a rider. When a horse eats its feed too rapidly.
- Bucking—A behavior where the horse lowers its head and rapidly kicks its hind feet into the air.
- Canter—A three-beat horse gait, with both front and rear legs on one side landing further forward than those on the other side – see lead below.
- Counter Canter—A form of the canter where the equine is deliberately asked to canter on a curve with the outside leg leading, which is opposite of usual. Also known as galop faux, false canter, or counter lead. It is used to help build muscle and suppleness in a horse.
- Dressage—A classical form of equine training, involving the gradual training of the horse in stages. An Olympic level equine sport based on classical principles of horsemanship, involving taking tests designed to gauge the training level of horses in classical dressage.
- Hand—A measurement of the height of a horse. Originally taken from the size of a grown man’s hand but now standardized to 4 inches.
- Rearing—When a horse rises up on its hind legs.
- Sand Roll—A stall or yard covered with deep sand, which is used by horses to roll in after exercise.
