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Common Horseback Riding Terms
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Martingale
A piece of equipment used to control a horse's head carriage and to prevent the horse from raising its head too high.
Yearling
A young horse of either sex that is between one and two years old.
Farrier
A craftsman who trims and shoes horses' hooves.
Piaffe
A dressage movement where the horse trots in place, maintaining a rhythmic and elevated trot.
Gelding
A castrated male horse.
Furlong
A measure of distance in horse racing; one eighth of a mile or 220 yards.
Bits
Pieces of horse tack that are placed in the mouth of a horse, used to aid in controlling a horse while riding.
Rein
A long, narrow strap attached at one end to a horse's bit, used by the rider to control the horse.
Tack
The collective term for the various pieces of equipment worn by horses in the course of their use by humans.
Fetlock
The joint on a horse's leg that is equivalent to the ankle in humans.
Collection
A state of balance and self-carriage of a horse whereby the horse carries more weight on its hindquarters than its forehand.
Lope
The Western term for a canter, a slow, relaxed version of the three-beat gait.
Hand
A unit of measurement for the height of a horse, measured from the ground to the withers, where each 'hand' is equal to four inches.
Dressage
A highly skilled form of riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery.
Gait
The manner in which a horse moves its legs and feet while walking, trotting, cantering, etc.
Withers
The highest part of a horse's back, located between the shoulder blades, used as a standard place to measure horse height.
Paddock
A small field or enclosure where horses are kept or exercised.
Saddle
A supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth.
Stallion
A male horse that has not been castrated, often kept for breeding.
Equitation
The art and practice of horse riding, especially in reference to the rider's position and ability to ride correctly and with effective aids.
Posting
The motion by the rider of rising out of the saddle in time with the horse's trot to have a smoother ride.
Trot
A two-beat gait of a horse where diagonal pairs of legs move forward together.
Mare
A female horse after a certain age or sexual maturity, usually over three years old.
Canter
A controlled three-beat gait of a horse that is usually faster than a trot but slower than a gallop.
Diagonal
Term used in trotting to refer to the coordination of rider's posting with the horse's leg movements.
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