Sports Glossaries
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aid

Any signal given to a horse to prompt it to turn, change gaits, or perform some other maneuver. See natural aids.

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balk

To stop short of an obstacle.

bit

The metal mouthpiece to which the reins are attached.

blinders

Same as blinkers.

blinkers

Flaps on the bridle that keep a horse from seeing to the side or back.

breeches

Tight-fitting trousers that don't cover the entire leg, worn for riding.

bridle

A harness of leather straps that fits around the horse's head and holds the bit.

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canter

A gait in which three legs are simultaneously off the ground. It's faster than a trot but slower than a gallop.

clean round

A round that's completed without a single fault or penalty.

combination

A series of jumps set within a stride or two of each other.

crop

A short whip.

cross country

Riding that simulates a ride through open country, including various types of jumps.

cup

An attachment on the wing of a jump that holds the rail.

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diagonals

Movements that test the coordination of the rider's posting and up-down motion with the diagonal movement of the horse's legs while trotting.

disobedience

A term that covers several types of misbehavior, including deviating from the course, a refusal, run-out, and resistance.

dressage

A type of competition in which judges award points for the performance of the horse and rider in a series of movements testing the rider's control and the horse's training.

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fall

If the horse's shoulders or hindquarters, or any part of the rider's body touches the ground, it is considered a fall, which brings automatic disqualification.

faults

Penalty points added to a score. The most common penalties are:

• first disobedience: 3 faults
• second disobedience: 6 faults
• third disobedience: elimination
• obstacle knocked down: 4 faults
• one or both feet in the water: 4 faults
• fall of the horse or rider: elimination

figure eight

An exercise in which the horse traces two connected circles, one clockwise and one counter-clockwise.

fence

A vertical obstacle. In show jumping, the maximum height is 1.6 meters, and the fence is often made of materials such as hedges, fake stone, brick, planks, and poles. In the three-day event, the fence is usually less than 1.2 meters high and it's made of natural materials that fit into the terrain.

flying change

A maneuver in the canter in which the horses changes its lead leg at every fourth, third, second, and then single stride, resulting in a skipping movement.

forefoot

One of a horse's front feet.

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gait

The manner in which a horse goes, based on the sequence and rhythm of its foot movements. See canter; gallop; trot; walk.

gallop

The horse's fastest gait, in which all four feet are off the ground simultaneously.

gate

A high, narrow fence.

grand prix

The highest stage of dressage, which is used to determine world and Olympic champions.

grand prix freestyle

The third and final round of grand prix competition, a six-minute routine of dressage movements to musical accompaniment, choreographed by the rider.

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half pass

A forward and sideways movement in the which the horse must cross its legs.

half pirouette

A rhythmic, half-circle turn with the inside hind foot as the pivot.

halt

Stop; a command.

hind foot

One of a horse's back feet.

hunting stock

A broad band worn around a dressage rider's neck as a substitute for a necktie or choker.

hunt seat

A category of horsemanship for English riders, based on riding across country and jumping, as in foxhunting.

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irons

Stirrups.

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jump

Any obstacle that the horse has to jump over and/or across.

jumping

Short for show jumping.

jump-off

An extra round to break a tie for first place after the final round of show jumping competition.

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knock down

To hit a fence, gate, or any other obstacle, causing it to fall.

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lath

A thin white strip that marks the boundary of a water jump. It's lined with plasticine to show whether a horse's hoof touched it.

lead

The leg that leads during the canter. The inside foreleg reaches the farthest during a correct lead.

lead change

A maneuver in which the horse's lead foot changes.

liverpool

A water jump that has a pole over it or just beyond it.

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movement

Any single characteristic style of a horse's motion. A number of such movements go into a dressage performance.

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natural aids

Subtle body signals given to the horse by the rider's seat, hands, and legs, as well as voice commands.

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obstacle

Any object that a horse must clear to complete the course in show jumping and the three-day event, such as a fence, gate, or water jump.

on the bit

Descriptive of a horse that's being restrained by pressure on the bit.

on the flat

Descriptive of training or rounding over ground without obstacles.

oxer

A fence with two or more vertical jumps several feet apart.

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parallel oxer

An obstacle that has front and back rails of equal height, set wide apart to produce a spread.

passage

A slow motion, suspended trot in which the pairs of feet diagonally opposite one another are raised and returned to the ground in alternation.

penalty point

See fault.

piaffe

A majestic trot in place, in which the pairs of feet diagonally opposite one another are alternately raised and returned to the ground, while the horse's head is vertical, the neck raised and arched.

pirouette

A full turn on the spot, with the inside hind foot is the pivot.

prix des nations

Another name for the team show jumping event.

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rail

A wooden bar or pole, as part of an obstacle.

refusal

Failure to jump a fence because the horse stops or tries to run around it. Scored as a disobedience.

reining

A type of western riding in which the rider and horse perform an assigned pattern from memory, demonstrating various figures, stops, and turns at varying speeds.

resistance

Acts by a horse that indicate a refusal to continue a round, such as rearing, making a half turn, or stepping back.

roads and tracks

Two phases of the cross-country portion of the three-day event, consisting of riding at a measured pace on the flat.

roll back

A tight turn performed between two fences.

routine

The series of movements a horse and rider follow in dressage.

run-out

An attempt by the horse the escape the rider's control in order to avoid jumping an obstacle.

run-up

The short burst of speed put on by a horse in order to clear a jump.

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safety cup

A cup used on the back rail of a spread fence that releases to drop the rail if struck by the horse.

schooling

Training in preparation for competition.

schooling area

An area in which horses can be warmed up before a jumping competition.

show jumping

An event in which the horse must clear a number of obstacles on a set course within a specified time.

sliding stop

A stop in which the horse balances on the back feet while continuing to move the front feet.

speed and endurance

The second day's portion of the three-day event, consisting of roads and tracks, steeplechase, and the cross country obstacle course. Also known as the cross-country section.

spread

An obstacle that combines width and height, requiring the horse to jump horizontally as well as vertically.

spur

A pointed device on the rider's boot heel, used to urge a horse forward.

steeplechase

A phase of the speed and endurance portion of the three-day event, in which the horses run over a turf track with several low fences.

stirrup

A loop or ring hung from the saddle that supports the rider's foot.

stock seat

A division of western riding, in which the rider maneuvers the horse through livestock that are to be controlled, moved, or roped.

striding

A single, coordinated movement of all four of the horse's legs, after which the legs return to their starting position.

submission

Unresisting obedience to the rider.

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tack

Riding equipment. Short for "tackle."

take-off point

The best point at which a horse should jump in order to clear an obstacle.

three-day event

A major series of tests in dressage, cross-country, and jumping, conducted over a three-day period.

time fault

A penalty for exceeding the time limit; ¼ fault is allotted for each second. In a jump-off, the penalty is one fault per second.

three-point position

The basic riding position, so called because there are three points of contact with the saddle, both legs and the seat.

transition

A change of pace or movement.

triple bar

A jump that has three sets of rails at different heights.

trot

An easy gait in which the horse's legs move alternately in diagonal pairs; i.e., the right front and left rear legs, followed by the left front and right rear legs.

two-point position

The position of the rider for a jump, with the seat out of the saddle and the body positioned forward.

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vertical

A high obstacle.

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walk

The horse's slowest gait, in which the legs move individually in a diagonal pattern.

walk the course

To measure a jumping course by pacing off strides between obstacles before a competition.

wall

A jump that simulates a solid stone or brick wall.

water jump

An obstacle that requires a horse to jump over a wide expanse of water, usually preceded by a low hedge or fence.

whip

A long, thin device held by the rider and used to urge the horse on.

wing

A structure that frames a jump and supports the cups that hold the rails. A jump has two wings, one on each side.

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