In the field of equestrianism, knowledge of horse tack language is a milestone that every enthusiast, novice or expert, must embrace. Horse tack, encompassing the equipment used for riding or managing horses, is pivotal to the equestrian experience.
This article, serving as the ultimate glossary, aims to simplify the vast and often perplexing world of horse tack. We cover a plethora of equipment from bridles and saddles to less known items like roundings and halters.
Regardless of your familiarity level, our comprehensive guide will be your invaluable reference point for horse tack terminology, enhancing your proficiency for a safer and more informed equestrian journey.
Anti-Sweat Sheet: The anti-sweat sheet is a large meshed cotton rug draped over a pony. It aids to dry the horse’s wet coat from sweat, rain or bathing and prevents it from getting chilled. This blanket-like garment is typically layered with another rug for maximum efficiency.
Bars: The term ‘Bars’ has multiple meanings in the equestrian world. 1) In the context of a pony’s mouth, the bars refer to the gum sections on the sides where there are no teeth, providing a resting place for the bit. 2) In reference to saddle design, bars are metal hooks intrinsic to the saddle tree structure. They serve to suspend the stirrup leathers.
Billet Hook: A billet hook is a secure fastener, commonly found at the bit end of reins and bridle cheekpieces to ensure they remain firmly attached.
Bit Guards: Bit guards are rubber-made discs affixed over the bit rings. They are positioned between a pony’s lips and rings to counteract the potential of the rings pinching the pony’s cheeks.
Boots: Boots are padded gear designed to protect a pony’s lower leg area. There is a variety of boots, each catering to special purposes and areas of the legs in need of protection.
Bosal: The bosal is a rudimentary rope hackamore paired with ‘mecate’ rope reins. This is primarily employed for training young horses and inexperienced riders in western-style riding.
Breastplate: The breastplate is a harness-like accessory that connects to the saddle at the D-rings or the girth straps. It is designed to keep the saddle steady on narrower or athletic-bodied horses and is known as a breastcollar in Western riding.
Bridoon: The bridoon refers to a slender snaffle bit with petite rings that make up part of a double bridle.
Browband: The browband is a constituent of the bridle that stretches across the forehead, below the pony’s ears.
Brushing: Referring to the imperfect leg action where one hoof hits against the opposite lower leg during pony movement.
Buckle Guard: A buckle guard is a compact flap that covers the girth straps, protecting the underside of the saddle flap from damage due to buckles’ contact.
Cantle: The cantle signifies the rear part of a saddle.
Cavesson: 1) The Cavesson serves as a basic kind of plain noseband. 2) It is also special headgear equipped with rings attached to the noseband for fastening a lunge rein to.
Cheekpieces: Cheekpieces are straps in the bridle. They trail down either side of the horse’s face and secure the bit in the mouth.
Cheeks: Elsewhere referred to as shanks in the USA, cheeks are components of a bit. They extend from the bit rings, above or below (sometimes both) the mouthpiece.
Cinch: In Western saddle terminology, cinch is used to denote the equivalent of girths on a traditional saddle. The front cinch stabilizes the saddle while the back, or flank cinch, prevents it from tipping forwards, especially during cattle roping activities.
Cooler: The cooler, like the anti-sweat sheet, is a close mesh sheet designed to help dry the horse. However, unlike the anti-sweat sheet, it can function independently without an additional rug on top.
Crupper: A crupper is a broad band that is affixed to the saddle. It has a padded ring at the end that secures the pony’s tail. This helps prevent the saddle from slipping forward, especially on a round-barrelled pony.
Curb: In bit terminology, a curb refers to any sort of bit featuring cheeks and a curb chain that relies on lever action.
Curb Chain: A curb chain or strap is a concise chain or strap that fastens on either side of a curb bit. It snugly fits in the curb groove, behind the pony’s chin, and tightens when the lower rein is employed.
D-Ring: 1) A D-Ring is a D-shaped metal ring noted for being at the front of a saddle (though it can be found at the back or sides in certain saddle designs). It serves to attach various equipment like breastplates, saddlebags, cruppers, and so forth. 2) The term also describes a specific shape of a bit ring.
Drop Noseband: A drop noseband is a particular type of noseband that fits beneath the bit.
Eggbutt: An eggbutt represents the T-shaped joint found between a bit’s mouthpiece and its rings. It is specifically designed to prevent the pinching of the pony’s lips.
Equiboot: An equiboot is a durable rubber boot that clamps over the whole foot. Its roles range from keeping a veterinary poultice to temporarily protecting the foot when a shoe has been lost.
Exercise Sheet: An exercise sheet is a short rug or sheet that goes underneath the saddle, covering only the quarters. It has the purpose of keeping them warm and dry during wintertime exercise.
Fender: A fender is a broad leather strap that suspends the stirrup on a Western saddle.
Fillet String: A fillet string, found at the back of a rug, goes under the pony’s tail, preventing the rug from being rucked up over the horse’s back or blown up by the wind.
Flash Noseband: A flash noseband is a unique noseband. It combines a cavesson with a narrow strap affixed to the front that fits beneath the bit.
Fly Link: A fly link is an extra-large link found at the center of a curb chain for the lip strap to pass through.
Gag: A gag is a type of bit that combines action on the pony’s mouth with pressure on the poll, but lacks a curb chain.
Gamgee: Gamgee refers to a type of padding consisting of cotton wool covered by cotton mesh, mainly for use under bandages. Fybagee is a synthetic version of Gamgee.
Girth Sleeve: A girth sleeve is a thick cover made of soft materials like sheepskin. It is used over the girth for ponies with highly sensitive skin.
Grakle: Known as a drop-type noseband, a grakle has narrow straps that overlap at the front of the nose.
Hackamore: ‘Hackamore’ is typically used to describe any bitless bridle. Technically, only the Western rope ‘bosal’ bridle qualifies as a legitimate hackamore.
Halter: A halter is a basic form of headgear, usually made of rope, used for leading and tying up a horse.
Headcollar: A headcollar, often used for handling a pony, comprises a noseband, headpiece, and a jowl strap, commonly referred to as a throatlash.
Headstall: Name given to the bridle in Western riding. Often lacking a noseband, browband, or throatlash, the headstall typically consists of the bit and a slip-head.
Horn: The high pommel of the Western saddle, designed to hold the lasso (rope) when not in use.
In-Hand Bridle: A stylish and simple bridle with the noseband attached directly to the cheekpieces. Usually used with a chain link lead rein for show classes involving non-ridden horses or ponies (in-hand).
Interference: Refers to when a pony’s leg comes into contact with another leg. The specific type of interference is named depending on where the injury is, e.g., brushing, over-reaching, etc.
Jute: A durable sacking material once used for making night rugs and still available for more affordable stable rugs.
Keepers: Small leather loops that keep the ends of bridle straps neatly in place.
Kimblewick: A type of Pelham bit, used with single reins.
Leather: Treated animal hide commonly used for making saddlery. Varying types of leather are employed for different straps, depending on the required thickness and durability, e.g. butt, rawhide, cowhide, etc. Different colored leathers have specific names – dark brown is Warwick, red-brown is Havanna, light tan is London, and grey-green is chrome.
Lip Strap: A narrow rolled leather strap that connects one side of a curb bit to the other through the fly link of the curb chain, preventing the chain from twisting.
Lungeing: A training exercise for horses and riders involving the horse moving in large circles around a handler, controlled by a lunge rein.
Lunge Rein: A long webbing rein employed during lungeing exercises.
Martingale: A neckstrap that connects between the forelegs to the girth and also to the reins or a cavesson noseband, offering the rider greater control. The most common types are ‘running’ and ‘standing’.
Mouthing Bit: A snaffle bit with metal ‘keys’ loosely attached to the center of the mouthpiece. Often used in the early training of young horses to encourage them to ‘mouth’ the bit.
Mullen Mouth: A type of bit mouthpiece that is unjointed but slightly curved. Sometimes referred to as a ‘half-moon’.
Noseband: A part of the bridle that encircles the nose either above (cavesson) or below (dropped) the bit, hanging from its own ‘slip-head’.
Numnah: A shaped pad made from cotton or fleece, used under the saddle to alleviate pressure and absorb sweat.
New Zealand: A durable canvas rug designed for outdoor use.
Nickel: A yellowish-colored metal once used for making bits and stirrups. Not recommended due to its softness and propensity to break easily.
Over-Reach: A type of interference where the pony strikes the heels of the foreleg with the toe of one of its hind legs.
Panels: The padded areas under the saddle that distribute the rider’s weight over the pony’s back.
Pelham: A type of curb bit.
Pommel: The front arch of the saddle.
Port: A ‘hump’ in the center of the mouthpiece of a curb bit. A deeper port results in a harsher effect on the bit, as it presses on the tongue.
Roller: A wide strap used around the belly to keep a rug in place. During lungeing, a ‘lungeing roller’ can be utilized as an alternative to a saddle.
Roundings: Rolled leather loops with a buckle at each end that fasten to the upper and lower bit rings of a Pelham bit, enabling the use of a single rein instead of two.
Saddle Horse: A frame used to support the saddle for cleaning or storage.
Saddle Soap: A soap made of glycerine, used for cleaning leather.
Seat: 1) The broad area of the saddle where the rider sits. 2) The rider’s position in the saddle and the manner of distributing body weight to control the pony.
Seat Saver: A sheepskin sleeve that fits over the seat of the saddle, making it more comfortable for the rider.
Skirt: A small flap on the saddle that conceals the stirrup bars.
Side Reins: Short reins that connect the bit or cavesson to the roller or girth during lungeing.
Slip-Head: A long, narrow strap that holds up the noseband of a bridle or the bridoon bit in a double bridle.
Snaffle: The largest, most straightforward, and common type of bit, typically with one ring on either side of the mouthpiece.
Stop: Rubber or leather tabs placed on reins to prevent the rings of a running martingale from getting caught around the bit or a tooth. Additionally, the small rubber ring used to hold the martingale neckstrap firmly to the strap that passes between the forelegs is called a stop.
Summer Sheet: A lightweight summer rug that keeps dust and flies at bay.
Surcingle: A narrow webbing strap. Many rugs use surcingles to hold them in place, often with two straps crossed under the belly. An elasticated single surcingle can also be used around a rug, featuring padding at the backbone. This type can also be strapped around the saddle and girth for added security while galloping or jumping cross-country.
Sweat Flap: A narrow, additional flap sometimes found between the main flap and the lower panels of a saddle, functioning as a buckle guard.
Tabs: Another name for the straps on the saddle to which the girth attaches (girth straps).
Throatlash or Throatlatch: A thin strap that passes under the jowl, preventing the bridle from easily being pulled over the ears. The cheekpieces connect to the throatlash.
Tread: A rubber grip that can be fitted onto the base of the stirrup iron to deter the rider’s foot from slipping through.
Tree: The frame around which the saddle is constructed.
Under-Rug: A thin rug that fits under a stable rug for added warmth.
Vulcanite: A hard, black rubber material sometimes utilized for the mouthpiece of bits.
Waist: The narrow, central portion of the saddle.Weymouth: A type of curb bit often incorporated in a double bridle.
