Horse Terminology

When one first dives into the world of horses, the very first thing that seems to stand out to a newbie is the terminology used in the barn. Before any knowledge of horses, a crib was something babies slept in, green was a popular color, lame was what you used to describe a boring party, and a lunge was something you did at the gym. Once you open yourself up to this lingo, it never goes away and now everything seems reversed. For instance, when someone describes something as lame, you instinctively look around for a limping horse.

Here at Horse.com, we decided to compile some common terms used in the horse world and their meanings. This list could be used by a beginner horse person trying to study up, or a list to be added onto by more experienced horse folk. We know we didn’t list them all! Enjoy.

Spooky - A horse who scares easily

Head Shy - A horse who does not like to have his or her head touched

Mouthy - A biter; or a horse who invades your personal space with his or her mouth

Hard-mouthed - A horse who pulls, resists the bit

Barn sour - A horse who does not want to leave the barn or refuses to leave other horses in general; also herd-bound

Balk - A refusal to approach an object

Weaving - A psychological behavior in which a horse rocks back and forth on his or her front legs, usually due to boredom

Cribbing - The act of biting wood (fences, stall doors) and swallowing air

Cinchy - A horse who gets irritated or annoyed when the girth is tightened on the saddle

Pushy - A horse who crowds your personal space

Crow hopping - When a horse jumps up and down on the front feet (mini rearing fit)

Tender-footed - Has sore feet (usually needs shoes)

Barefoot - Wearing no horse shoes

Shod - Wearing horse shoes

Lame - When a horse is limping or off in his or her gait

Easy keeper - Gains weight on minimal feed

Hard keeper - Difficult to keep weight on

Cast - A horse who is down and is unable to get up on his or her own

Colic - Abdominal pain (clinical sign rather than a diagnosis)

Proud flesh - Pink flesh that grows on wounded tissue

Cow hocked - A condition in which the hocks bend in and the back feet splay out

Conformation - How a horse is built or 'put together'

Founder - A food-related hoof condition that can cause permanent lameness (laminitis)

Green - An untrained horse

Green broke - A horse with very little training

Green horn - A person unfamiliar with horses

Seasoned - A horse with years of experience under saddle

Halter broke - Not yet trained to ride, only to lead on the ground

Started - Has had a saddle on a few times and is in early training

Finished - A horse that has been trained fully for riding or to use in a particular way

To 'pony' - The act of leading one horse while riding another

Lead - The leading leg of a horse when running or turning (one front leg will move out first and reach farther than the other)

Flying lead change - When a horse changes lead at the rider's command while in motion

Lunge - The act of exercising a horse in circles around the handler

Neck reins - Apply pressure to the horse's neck to turn left or right (one-handed riding)

Leg queue - A signal given to the horse with the rider’s leg pressure

Works 'off the leg' - A horse who responds well to leg queues

Papered - A horse of known breeding that is registered with a recognized horse association

Hack - An English term used to describe a pleasure horse

Soft hands - A rider that is gentle on the horses mouth with the reins

Collected - A horse in motion that has been brought into perfect balance by the rider and is ready to move in any direction at the rider's command