Horses and riding jargon

About this list

Racetrack terms sit beside the vocabulary of riding and horse care, since stories that need one usually need the other.

89 terms, A to Z

back straight

The straight part of a racetrack, running track, etc., opposite the finishing line; the backstretch.

back the field

To bet against a particular horse or horses, that some one of all the other horses, collectively designated "the field", will win.

bar

Denotes the minimum odds offered on other horses not mentioned by name.

bareback

To ride without a saddle.

barrier rogue

A racehorse that is difficult to control when being put into the starting gates.

blue hen

A mare who benefits a breed by producing many high-quality offspring.

bridle path

An established trail used by riders mounted on horses.

bridle trail

Synonym of bridle path.

bridle wrist

The wrist of the left hand, in which a horseback rider holds the bridle.

call a cab

To raise one's arm to maintain balance while riding.

Captain Armstrong

A form of cheating in which the jockey deliberately pulls his horse back so that it does not win.

chalk-eating weasel

A bettor who regularly wagers on the favorite.

champ at the bit

To bite the bit, especially when restless.

change the leg

To change the gait of a horse while riding.

chewing ball

A medicinal ball attached to a horse's bit so that the chewing will improve its appetite.

chin groove

The anatomical dip or bend located directly under the muzzle where the lower lip meets the jawbone.

circle the field

To go very wide around other horses in order to move into a winning position.

clerk of the course

An official responsible for track management and raceday preparation at a racecourse.

clubhouse turn

The turn to the right of the grandstand.

come to hand

To perform well, to come under control.

crib-biting

A stereotypy in horses consisting of seizing the manger or other solid, usually wooden, object with the teeth and sucking in wind.

curb bit

A type of bit used on a bridle, which works by leverage and has shanks and a curb chain.

curb chain

A chain running under the chin and attached to a curb bit, used to prevent the bit from rotating too much while limiting pressure on the upper palate of the horse's mouth.

dead amiss

Of a horse: too ill to compete.

double bridle

A Weymouth bridle, which uses both a bradoon, held by a sliphead, and a curb bit, and is used with two reins.

double-gaiter

In harness racing, a horse that is able to compete as either a pacer or a trotter.

draw bridle

To pull on the reins (of a horse etc.) in order to slow it down or bring it to a stop; hence, to stop, draw up.

eighth pole

A pole indicating that the finish line is one eighth of a mile away.

eventer

The rider of a horse used in eventing.

far turn

The turn off the backstretch into the home stretch (and furthest from the finish line).

free rein

A rein of a horse held loosely so that the animal can move more freely; also, the free condition that this gives to a horse.

gait

One of the distinct patterns of locomotion exhibited by a horse, occurring either naturally or as a result of training.

gold cup

Any one of several highly prestigious, elite stakes races held globally, each testing different equine disciplines and distances.

half brother

A male half sibling (same dam, different sires).

half sibling

Any of two or more horses having the same dam but different sires.

half sister

A female half sibling (same dam, different sires).

half-length

Half the length of a horse.

half-pass

In dressage, a movement in which the horse moves forward and sideways at the same time

hand-ride

To urge the horse on with one's hands, without using the whip.

hit the board

To finish in first, second, third or fourth place, thus appearing on the winners' board.

hobby horsing

A hobby that involves running, jumping, and performing movements using a hobby horse (a stuffed horse head on a stick).

jock off

To replace (a jockey) with another.

leg up

To walk a horse on a hard surface regularly.

manage

Manège.

market horse

A horse kept in the betting-lists for the sole purpose of being betted against.

milkshake

To administer an alkaline supplement to (a horse) to improve its racing performance.

near side

The left-hand side of a horse.

new shooter

A horse that has skipped the Kentucky Derby to run in the Preakness Stakes or Belmont Stakes.

nom de course

A name, usually a pseudonym, used by a racehorse owner under which their horse is registered to compete.

o-mok-see

Gymkhana.

off like a bride's nightie

Moving quickly and resolutely.

off side

The right-hand side of a horse.

overreach

Of a horse: an act of striking the heel of a forefoot with the toe of a hindfoot; an injury caused by this action.

pari-mutuel

Any betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and a house take are removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all placed bets.

pencil fever

The situation where punters discover that a horse is almost certain to lose, and so become eager to lay bets against it.

pick six

A wager in which the bettor must correctly predict the winners of six consecutive races.

post parade

The movement of the horses from the paddock to the starting gate ("post"), past the grandstands.

puissance

The high-jump component of the sport of show jumping.

put someone through their paces

To direct a horse to walk, canter, trot, etc.

quarter pole

A pole indicating that the finish line is one quarter of a mile away.

rein-back

The two-beat movement in which a horse is asked to back up. The horse picks up and sets down its feet almost in diagonal pairs, and moves straight backwards with the line of the forelegs following those of the hind legs.

rider's bone

An ossification in the muscles of the upper and inner part of a horse rider's thigh, due to the repeated pressure and irritation caused by the saddle when riding.

riding chaps

Protective leather or suede leg coverings worn over pants to provide extra grip in the saddle, shield legs from thorns and brush, and prevent chafing.

runners and riders

The horses and respective jockeys entered

running rail

A fence which marks the inside edge of a racecourse track.

saddle tree

The base on which the rest of the saddle is built, usually based on wood or a similar synthetic material, and is eventually covered in leather or a leatherlike synthetic.

school horse

A highly trained, tolerant horse or pony used by riding schools and instructors to teach riders of various skill levels.

seat out

To modify a horseshoe to relieve pressure from the sole.

selling-plater

Synonym of plater (“a horse that runs chiefly in selling plates”).

short head

A distance of less than the length of a horse's head

show jumper

A (human or horse) participant in show jumping

show pony

A specific class of small horse or pony that are judged in equestrian competitions; bred and trained for their elegance, conformation (physical build), and graceful movement in the show ring, rather than for practical…

sophomore

A three-year-old horse.

Spanish walk

A movement in which the horse raises the forelegs off the ground in an extreme upward and out manner, with much expression.

square-gaiter

In harness racing, a horse with a gait in which the front and back legs on opposite sides take a step together alternating with the other set of opposite legs; a trotter, as opposed to a pacer.

standardbred

A breed of horse bred specifically for harness racing

starting gate

A machine used to ensure a fair start in horse or dog racing by opening doors to allow all the racing animals out at the same time.

stiff 'un

Synonym of dead 'un.

thick wind

A defect of respiration in a horse, not associated with noise in breathing or with the signs of emphysema.

time fault

A penalty given in which a rider does not complete the course in the time allowed that is set by the course designer.

tout

To spy out information about (a horse, a racing stable, etc.).

turn of foot

The ability to accelerate quickly.

under the wire

Across the finish line.

volt

A circular movement in which the horse goes round in a small circle.

weight for age

Handicapped according to the age of the racehorse competing (and certain other factors).

welter-weight

A weight of 28 pounds (or 40 pounds: a heavy welterweight), sometimes imposed in addition to weight for age, chiefly in steeplechases and hurdle races.

winner's circle

An enclosed area next to a racetrack where the winning horse and jockey are brought for photographs and awards.

winter book

A bookmaker's guide to the likely performance of racehorses in the upcoming season.

wire-heel

A deformation in the feet of a horse, in which one is most curved than the other.