glossary of horse terminology
A glossary might come in handy for the non-horse people! I will continue to edit / add to this as things come up, and feel free to submit words or definition tweaks!
Basic Logistics
Barn / Farm / Stable / Home : All refer to the physical barn-like structure in which the horses live.
Stall / Box / Stable : All refer to the horse’s individual “room” - aka the approx. 3mx3m square enclosure where the horse sleeps, eats, and spends most of their free time when there not outside or working.
Paddock / Field / Pasture / Turnout: Outdoor space where the horses roam free (preferably a large grassy field, but in certain places a paddock, pasture, or turnout could be sand - like a literal sandbox for the horses to play in.)
Ring / Arena: The area in which most of the“riding” takes place - a large flat area where the horses are exercised. Generally this area is somewhat fenced in, and normally in 2026 the ground in the ring/arena is a type of synthetic sand blend.
Trailer / Van / Lorry (euro) / Horsebox (euro): All refer to the vehicles in which horses are transported (generally in the States this is a large semi-truck OR a conventional trailer pulled by a pick up truck, in Europe these are either like an extra tall sprinter van or a large tourbus-like vehicle).
Show: Short for “horse show” refers to any competition. (Normally when I talk to my non-horse friends I would say “the competition went well” but to a horse person, I would say “the show went well”)
Horse Care
Grooming: This word covers all things related to cleaning the horses, as well as preparing them for exercise, and post-exercise cleaning/bathing etc.
Groom: A person whose job is grooming (these people actually take care of the horses, they are the backbone of our industry and are the people most immediately responsible for the horses’s general health and wellbeing and also maintaining the farms and facilities as well! I like to think of them as combination nanny/pit crew if a nanny and a mechanic were combining forces to take care of a group of horses!)
Clipping : Giving a horse a haircut - we use “clippers” (hair trimmers) to “shave” their whole bodies, like giving a full body buzz cut.
Physical Elements of Jumping
Jumps / Fences : The obstacles that the horses jump over in conception or in training.
Rails / Poles: The “bars” that make up the “jump/fence”, the goal is competition is to not knock any rails/poles down, they are purposefully lightweight and easy to knock down
Standards / Jump Standards: Basically the “fence posts” to the “jumps/fences.” Standards make up the sides of the “jumps/fences”, on which the “rails/poles” rest, and they are built to be easily adjusted to different heights.
Terminology for Horse Gaits
Stride: One step of a horse’s canter
Canter: Horse “running” - the gait at which the horse operates in most competition formats
Trot: Horse “jogging” - a slower gait than canter, a lot of training happens at the trot
Gallop: Horse “sprinting” - fastest gait
Jump: When the horse leaps over an obstacle.
Terminology for Scoring Jumping Competition
Jumps / Fences : The obstacles that the horses jump over in conception or in training.
Course: The course of jumps that the horse / rider must navigate in competition. A course will be somewhere between 9-14 jumps usually, which must be jumped in a specific order.
Fault: A penalty in competition - knocking down a rail or bypassing a jump incurs 4 faults, and exceeding the time allowed by up to 1 second incurs 1 fault, up to 2 seconds incurs 2 faults, etc.
Clear / Clean: NOT knocking any fences down or having any time penalties
Time Allowed: The time limit to complete a course within (exceeding the time allowed will garner “time faults”)
Time Fault: Penalties for exceeding the Time Allowed- riders are penalized 1 fault for every second past the time allowed.
Horse Show / Show: An equestrian competition, usually over the course of multiple days (but occasionally only one day). A show will host a variety of “classes” at various heights / level of difficulty each day.
Class: A “competition” - in a single day at a horse show there will be many classes. They are generally titled by the fence height and the level of competition, and the prize money awarded, ie “$1,000 1.0 m Jr Jumper Speed Class” would be a class where the fences are 1 meter high, the total prize money awarded is $1,000, and the class is exclusive to Jr Jumpers aka riders under the age of 18, and the class will be judged as a “speed class” (see below).
Grand Prix: Usually the biggest event of the horse show, with the tallest jumps and the most prize money awarded. This is almost always a two-round competition with a “jump off”.
Jump Off Class: A class where there are two rounds - if you jump clear in the first round (with no penalties), you advance to the second round - the Jump Off - with a shortened course, and the fastest clear round in the Jump Off wins the class (second fastest is second, third fastest is third. After the clear rounds, the riders with faults will be ranked by fastest time with least number of faults).
Jump Off: In completions where there are two rounds, the second round is called the Jump Off. The first round is essentially a qualifier for the Jump Off, and the sores of the Jump Off determine the results of the class.
Speed Class: A class where the results are determined by the fastest round with the fewest faults in only one round.
Horse Show Administrative Terms
Prize List: A document published by a Horse Show months in advance of the event that details the rough schedule, class list and specifications (fence height, class type), show fees, prize money, judges, administrators, course designers, and more.
Show Fees: The dues paid to the Horse Shows for riders to enter into competition, these are to cover the show administrative fees, horse show staff, venue fees, to contribute to the prize money funds, and to still allow the shows to turn a profit. Show fees are hotly debated as astronomically high in the USA.
Prize Money: The money that is awarded to the top placing entries in the various classes at a horse show. Not all classes have prize money, and lower level / smaller fences may have only very limited prize money offered, but most of the professional classes offer enough prize money to attract professional riders trying to make a profit.
National Level Show: National level is the “regular” horse show level, sanctioned by the United States Equestrian Federation. National shows have classes for all levels including amateurs, children, and professionals. In addition to Jumpers (the Olympic discipline, which is scored objectively), National Shows generally also have classes for Hunters and Equitation (subjectively judged competitions rated on smoothness, style, and accuracy).
International Level Show: Horse shows that are sanctioned by the FEI (Fédération Équestre Internationale, which translates to International Federation for Equestrian Sports). These are the only competitions where you will have classes that count for World Ranking Points. These events are highly regulated and horses that are competing at International Level Shows they must be stabled in a quarantined facility and are under observation of Stewards at all times to endure no foul play. There are more restrictions on medications and training of horses competing in International Level events.
Jumpers: The Olympic discipline of jumping. Simply put it is the sport where horse/rider combinations are “running” though a set of “obstacles” (referred to as “jumps”) and whoever completes the course the fastest without knocking down any of the jumps / fences, wins. It’s scored objectively.
It is defined by the FEI as: A Jumping Competition is one in which the Athlete/Horse Combination is tested under various conditions over a course of obstacles. It is a test intended to demonstrate the Horse's freedom, energy, power, skill, and speed in Jumping and the Athlete's horsemanship. The winner of the Competition is the Athlete who incurs the least number of Penalties (e.g. fence knock downs, Refusals, exceeding the time allowed, etc) and completes the course in the fastest time.
Hunters: A different discipline, hunters still involves the horse/rider combinations jumping over a course of obstacles, but rather than trying to be fast, the objective is to be graceful, conventional, and accurate. Hunter competitions are judged subjectively based on the horses’s movement and jumping technique, and the over style and accuracy of the execution of the course.
Equitation: A discipline similar to hunters, involving the horse/rider combinations jumping over a course of obstacles, judged subjectively based on the rider’s accuracy, style, and execution. Whereas hunters are judged largely on the overall aesthetic of the horse, equitation is judged primarily on the effectiveness and poise of the rider and the style and movement of the horse is not meant to be a factor in the scoring.
Terminology to Title Horses
Mare: Female horses
Filly: Female baby horse
Gelding: Male neutered horse
Stallion: Male intact horse
Colt: Male baby horse