Hunter—A horse that’s bred to carry a rider over jumps. In a horse show, hunters are judged on jumping ability and style.
Lead rope—A length of rope with a metal snap that attaches to a horse’s halter.
Lope—The Western term for canter. The lope is usually smooth and slower than the canter of a horse ridden English.
Mare—A female horse over the age of four, or any female horse that has given birth.
Nicker—A soft, friendly sound made by horses, usually to greet other horses or trusted humans.
Pinto—Any horse with patches or spots of white and another color, usually brown or black.
Quarter horse—An American horse breed named because it’s the fastest horse for a quarter-mile distance. Quarter horses are strong and are often used for ranch work. They’re good-natured and easygoing.
Saddle horse—A saddle horse could be any horse trained to ride with a saddle. More specifically, the American saddlebred horse is an elegant breed of horse used as three- and five-gaited riding horses.
Shetland pony—A small breed, no bigger than 10.2 hands, that comes from the Shetland Islands off Scotland. Shetland ponies are the ideal size for small children, but the breed is known to be stubborn and hard to handle.
Sorrel—A horse with a reddish-brown or reddish-gold coat.
Stallion—A male horse that hasn’t had surgery to prevent him from mating and producing foals.
Swayback—A sagging back on a horse, or a horse with a deeply dipped back. Being swayback is often a sign of old age in a horse.
Three-gaited—Used to describe an American saddlebred horse that has been trained to perform at a walk, trot, and canter.
Throatlatch—The strap part of the bridle that helps keep the bridle on. It goes under a horse’s throat, running from the right ear and loosely fastening below the left ear.
Trot—The two-beat gait where a horse’s legs move in diagonal pairs. A trot is generally a choppy ride.
Western—A style of horseback riding used by cowboys in the American West. Western horseback riders usually use heavier saddles with saddle horns and hold both reins in one hand.
Whicker—A low sound made by a horse. A whicker is sometimes thought to be a cross between a whinny and a nicker.
Whorl—A twist of hair that grows in the opposite direction from the surrounding coat. This patch is usually on a horse’s forehead.
Withers—The top of a horse’s shoulders, between the back and the neck. The height of a horse is measured from the withers to the ground.
Sign Language Alphabet
About the Author
Dandi Daley Mackall grew up riding horses, taking her first solo bareback ride when she was three. Her best friends were Sugar, a pinto; Misty, probably a Morgan; and Towaco, an Appaloosa. Dandi and her husband, Joe; daughters, Jen and Katy; and son, Dan (when forced), enjoy riding Cheyenne, their paint. Dandi has written books for all ages, including Little Blessings books, Degrees of Guilt: Kyra’s Story, Degrees of Betrayal: Sierra’s Story, Love Rules, Maggie’s Story, the Starlight Animal Rescue series, and the bestselling Winnie the Horse Gentler series. Her books (about 450 titles) have sold more than 4 million copies. She writes and rides from rural Ohio.
Visit Dandi at www.dandibooks.com.
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