How well do you know your equestrian terms?

By: Dyann Joyce
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
How well do you know your equestrian terms?
Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Horses have helped mankind for thousands of years and forged a relationship that is ancient. But can you tell a numnah from a piaffe? How well do you know your "horse talk"? Take our quiz to test your knowledge of these equestrian terms and see if you are up to the challenge!
What is the type of riding in which a lady has both legs on one side of the horse, instead of astride?
Dressage
Sidesaddle
Saddlebred
Bareback
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In medieval times, sidesaddle was a way for a lady to ride with a skirt. The earliest side saddle was introduced in the 1300's and consisted of a chair-like contraption, complete with footrest and back support. Catherine de Medici improved upon it, adding a small slipper stirrup higher towards the horse's neck for a more comfortable experience.

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What is the long hair on some horses' fetlocks that may cover their feet and extend up the leg?
Weaving
Fall
Foxing
Feathering
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most draft breeds sport this extra silky hair. The feathering on a horse is a recessive gene, meaning if you breed a feathered horse to a non-feathered one, you will not get feathers. This is why the registries of breeding are so strict for some types of horses.

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What do you call a horse that has not been ridden much - a horse that is just starting out in training?
Half broke
Green broke
Plumb broke
Going for broke
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This color of sapling or branch means it is young and pliable. In the past, horses were the main mode of transportation, and the better behaved and trained horses were sought after by the upper classes. The term "horsepower" was invented by James Watt, to express the power of a steam engine in terms people could understand.

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What is the tough triangular structure that acts as a shock absorber in the horse's hoof?
Fetlock
Flank
Frog
Strut
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This little rubbery part absorbs the impacts from jumps and hops. The frog also helps circulation by helping blood pump back into the leg. To regrow a horse's entire hoof takes about 9-12 months.

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What do you call it when a horse shies and suddenly runs away, with or without a rider?
Bucking
Balking
Cribbing
Bolting
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A horse's brain is about half the size of a human's, at about 22 ounces. Horses have long memories and can remember places or things that spooked them for many years to come. Due to flight or fight, the horse will run when spooked, as he is a prey animal.

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When a horse has sharp points on his teeth, what does an equine dentist do to improve them?
Pull them
Fret them
Float them
Curry them
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The teeth are floated, or ground down to be smoother. Some experts believe this helps to promote even growing and chewing patterns, as a horse's teeth never stop growing.

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What is the term for dressage movements where the horse's feet leave the ground when prompted by the rider?
Airs above the ground
Castles in the air
In the air tonight
Up, up and away
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The airs include movements such as levade, capriole, croupade, courbette and the ballotade. These moves were made famous by the Lipizzaner stallions. Dressage is considered the highest form of horse training.

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Who is the person who practices the profession of caring for the hoof, as well acting as a blacksmith to fit the horse for shoes?
Farrier
Groom
Hoofologist
Shoesmith
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is from the Latin word for iron, "ferrum." Most horses will see a farrier every 3 to 6 weeks for life, because, like a toenail, the hoof grows constantly. The hoof is made of keratin, like our nails and hair.

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When a horse is unshod, or without horseshoes, he is _________?
Greenback
Greenfoot
Barefoot
Tenderfoot
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ancient Greeks did not shoe their horses. The philosopher and historian Xenophon claimed a shod horse would become lame and unhealthy, as his feet could not commune with the earth. Considered more natural, the barefoot horse has become more common in recent years, as part of a movement advocating a holistic approach to horse care.

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What is the name for a form of canter that is slow and on a 3-beat gait, often seen in Western-style riding?
Lope
Waltz
Passage
Gallop
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Horses can run shortly after birth. To lope means to run with a long swinging gait. Galloping is the fastest gait, and the canter is the second fastest speed.

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What is the type of bridle that relies on a noseband for control, instead of a bit?
Hackamore
Macklemore
Hackney
Snaffle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hacklemore comes from the Spanish word for halter, "jaquima." The first horses were domesticated around 2500 B.C., using twisted leather for lassos and bridles. The hackamore is one of the oldest styles of bridles. The three types of hackamore are the sidepull, bosal and mechanical hackamore.

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What do you call a strap or tie around a leg or legs of a horse to keep it from wandering too far, but allowing it to graze?
Cobble
Cuffs
Hobble
Cabo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Hobble" also means to walk slowly or with difficulty. The traditional vaquero horse hobble was made from 8-16 strands of latigo or rawhide. Horses could graze freely and walk slowly with effort. However, a hobble would not keep a horse in one place - it could travel up to a mile overnight.

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What is the device that is tightened around a nervous horse’s top lip to calm him called?
Twitch
Crop
Snaffle
Hobble
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Studies show that horses can be calmed by the use of a twitch, which applies pressure to the nose or even the ear. It may calm a nervous horse by focusing its attention on a dull pain sensation. A twitch is sometimes used when a horse is being shoed or is having medical procedures performed.

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What is a horse called, if he is given a clean bill of health?
Brood
Stud
Sound
Stallion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A horse that is classified as "sound" is close to perfect, but he will only be that way for a few years of his life. At that time the horse has no lameness or deformities, and has not to anyone's knowledge ever displayed any lameness. There are no irregularities of any kind in the horse's body, gait or movement.

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In horseracing, what is the term for 1/8th mile or 220 yards?
Furlong
Length
Quarter
Furlough
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Furlong" comes from the old English "furh" for furrow and "lang" for long, which was a farmer's width of field, one furrow long. Most horses gallop at between 25-30 miles per hour, with the fastest recorded at 55 mph.

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What do you call a horse that is between the ages of 12 months and 24 months?
Weanling
Suckling
Yearling
Newling
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When a horse is a year old, he is expected to be weaned on grass. From a year on, a horse will consume mostly grass and grains. Most horse breeds live 20-30 years, while miniature horses can live into their 50s.

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In horses, what is the term for a healthy but uncommon blue pigmented eye?
Evil eye
Bulls eye
Wall eye
Stink eye
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Blue eyes or whitish eyes in horses are just a color and do not indicate disease or vision problems. Horses have binocular vision and can see two images at the same time. The eyes can swivel, allowing 300 degrees of sight.

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What is it called when you groom by tugging out the longer hairs of a horse by hand?
Whisking
Plaiting
Braiding
Pulling
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hand grooming and hand combing were used by primitive tribes to keep their horses neat. Without proper grooming, a horse's mane will tangle, break off or get too thick, and not be a good defense against insects.

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In horses, what is the term for a bad habit, such as biting or kicking?
Post
Fault
Cribbing
Vice
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most vices in horses can be avoided if the horse is allowed to participate in normal activities, like exercise, grazing and interacting socially. Boredom or improper training techniques can cause vices and unwanted behaviors to develop.

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What do you call an overshot bite, where the upper teeth protrude beyond the lower jaw?
Soft mouth
Shark mouth
Parrot mouth
Buck bite
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Horses' teeth take up more room than their brains in their heads. The front teeth of the horse are the incisors. Females often have no canine teeth.

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What do you call a vicious horse that cannot be handled and oftentimes is a nuisance?
Mustang
Gelding
Lobo
Outlaw
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He, like many bank robbers, could be famous in the West for being a nuisance and robbing ranchers of their stock. An outlaw stallion will be vicious, fight over females and steal another stallion's mares, depleting rancher's herds.

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Which of these is a flexible, braided leather whip with a short handle?
Flail
Stick
Flaget
Quirt
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Developed by vaqueros to goad cows along without punishment, the quirt usually has two braids, or falls. In the 1947 film, "Angel and the Badman," John Wayne's character is named Quirt Evans.

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What do you call the side of the horse that is on the rider's right when seated?
Off side
Near side
Rein side
Down side
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A horse is trained to accept riders on the left side, or near side, as in Medieval times the sword and shield hung on the right. Never mount a horse from the off side.

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What is a horse that appears to be a gelding but has an undescended testicle?
Plug
Ridgling
Balk
Uniballer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A horse with one or two undescended testicles is a ridgling. An undescended testicle will not produce sperm, but if the other testicle has descended the horse can breed. A horse with one or more testicles intact but undescended can behave like a stallion and fight other stallions.

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Which saddle sets the rider further back on the horse, to encourage flashy, high-stepping action from gaited horses?
Park Saddle
Side Saddle
Western Saddle
English saddle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The goal of the park saddle was to show off a horse's extravagant and flashy gait, while letting the owner stay seated behind the animal's center of balance. On picnic Sundays, the gentry would have their high-stepping horses on display for pleasure riding. To have a pleasure horse was a distinction of class and status.

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What is the name of the proud rhythmic trot performed in one place?
Flying change
Piaffe
Cavaletti
Passage
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Piaffe" comes from the French word meaning to strut, "piaffer." It is a calm, well-controlled elevated trot in place. The piaffe is the ultimate display of the horse in controlled movement. It is not natural, but rather a learned ability and movement.

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What is the term for a nursing foal, not yet weaned?
Weanling
Yearling
Suckling
Starling
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first milk a foal takes from his mother is colostrum, and foals are considered "on the teat" until 3 to 4 months old, when they begin the weaning process with grass, hay and grain. A foal is normally born at night and can be standing within 1-2 hours, then walking within 2-3 hours.

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Which ancient Greek philosopher, soldier and historian is called the “father of classical equitation (horsemanship)"?
Xenophon
Xerxes
Xenu
Xerox
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A student of Socrates, Xenophon wrote a manual about training and raising horses with humane methods. The book was titled "The Art of Horsemanship." Xenophon was also known as the "Attic Muse" in Athens, for his sweet diction.

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What is the term for the side of a horse?
The topline
The barrel
The croup
The flank
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The flank is the side of the horse, between the ribs and the hip - one of his most sensitive and ticklish areas. Sometimes a small thin flank strap is placed on a horse to make it buck higher, for rodeos and other performances. This practice is questionable, per some animal rights activists.

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What is the beginning level of dressage in FEI competition?
Prix St. Georges
Grand Prix
Tour de force
Pirouette
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dressage was not a competitive sport until 1912, when it became an Olympic sport. Before then it was considered an art. It is comprised of only the most highly skilled riders and horses.

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What do you call a mare that has produced 2 or more winners in over 3 of the 8 most prestigious Thoroughbred races?
Brood Mare
Star mare
Blue Chip
Purebred
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

With some purses at over a million dollars in prize money, mares that produce winners are highly prized. These valuable mares can have their own fanfare, armed security, and cushy life as to their producing abilities. The Prix du Cadran and York's Gold Cup are the longest Thoroughbred races at over 2.5 miles.

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What do you call a basic, average horse that has some use but is nothing special?
Bum
Plug
Hack
Green
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A hack is also someone who works for money, with no special effort or creativity. Draft horses were the workhorses of their day and invaluable to businesses, due to their strength and good nature.

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How much does the average horse weigh?
50-600 pounds
210-800 pounds
650-1,000 pounds
840-2,200 pounds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A horse has only one stomach, unlike a cow. He is a herbivore and eats up to 2% of his body in roughage that consists of grasses, hay, oats, barley and bran. The average horse weighs 840-2,200 pounds and can eat up to 21 pounds of hay and drink up to 25 gallons of water a day.

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What do you call the thin saddle pad that is shaped like the saddle, rather than a rectangle?
Conveyvey
Numnah
Hoonan
Undercarriage
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The word "numnah" has a Hindi origin. The numnah is supposed to be safer and better fitted on the horse, to prevent falls. In the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee ,an 8th grader was asked to spell "numnah," but he heard wrong and thought the announcer said "numbnut." The misunderstanding was cleared up and that boy, Sameer Mishra, won the competition.

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What is the term that indicates another color besides black is mixed with the white of a pinto to form its pattern?
Piebald
Skewbald
Tobiano
Cuebald
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In equestrian terms, both skewbald and piebald refer to the coloring of a pinto, while the white markings are referred to as the patches. A pinto can be any breed, but if has any American Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred blood it is a considered a "paint."

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