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by Olivia Kile July 10, 2020 4 min read
Even as a rider, you have to admit, we say some weird stuff. Do any other sports basically have their own language that isn’t featured on Rosetta Stone? Are any other sports as strange as ours? If so, please let us know we aren’t alone!
We’ve compiled a list of the weirdest phrases, idioms and terms in the horse world and taken the liberty of translating them to regular-people terms. From hearing people talk in the barn to reading these absurd sayings in ads, there’s a lot to learn.
So, if you’re new to the sport, make yourself some flash cards and start studying like it’s the night before your college midterms.
“Clean legs”
You may be thinking- Only after they’re groomed, right?
POS: noun
A horse’s legs that do not have conformation faults, swelling or issues from past injuries.
Used in a sentence:This horse has really clean legs, surprising for an off the track thoroughbred!
“Made”
You may be thinking- like the birds and the bees?
POS:adjective
A horse that has been trained for and performs correctly in a certain discipline.
Used in a sentence: It can be so fun riding a made horse after training inexperienced horses.
“Push-button”
You may be thinking-Are they riding robotic horses?
POS: adjective
This is almost synonymous with “made”. Push-button horses respond correctly every time to correct cues.
Used in a sentence: Show ponies are often push-button, so they are easy and fun for children to learn the ropes of riding on.
“School master”
You may be thinking- What school do horses go to- private or public?
POS: noun
This is similar to “push-button” and “made”. Describes a horse that has received quality training and will consistently perform when given correct cues. Oftentimes these are older horses that know their jobs and have a lot of experience.
“Quiet leg”
You may be thinking- Is there such a thing as a loud leg?
POS: noun
A rider that has a correct, still and strong leg position in the saddle.
Used in a sentence: All of the riders in the equitation classes have quiet legs.
“Husband horse”
You may be thinking-Who is marrying horses? The police should probably be involved.
POS: noun
A horse that is not easily spooked and is safe enough to bring your non-equestrian boyfriend or husband out on a trail ride. Not necessarily a school master, but is not spooky.
Used in a sentence:The old gelding in the barn is the husband horse- anyone can hop on and poke around.
“Chrome”
You may be thinking-Like on my shiny lifted truck?
POS:noun
White markings on either the legs or face that enhance the movement and initial appearance of the horse.
Used in a sentence: The horse with 4 socks and a blaze has lots of chrome to get you noticed by the judge at the show.
“Careful”
You may be thinking- How careful can horses even be? They don’t even have thumbs!
POS:adjective
Careful horses are nimble and sure-footed. Usually referring to jumper horses, they pay attention to not touching the rails and leaving them up.
Used in a sentence: My friend’s jumper is much more careful going over a fence than mine, so she leaves many more rails up at the show.
Olivia has a passion for all things equestrian and equine health and still enjoys riding. Olivia earned a bachelor's degree in Equine Science from Delaware Valley University and currently works as a sales and marketing assistant at Breeches.com
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