Читать книгу A School Horse Legacy, Volume 1: ...As Tails Go By - Anne Wade-Hornsby - Страница 5

These are terms as I use them in the stories. They are arranged by category. All of my students knew these terms pretty quickly after starting lessons. We would discuss, illustrate, and use most of the techniques and ideas you see. They were given text readings and worked on terminology during rainy day classes. Any of my students could discuss any of these with each other.

Breeds and Size

Andalusian –

Horses originally of Spanish and Mexican breeding. The “Pura Raza” registry makes sure the lineage goes back to Spanish forbears. Mexico has some nice purebreds as well. These are well-built, versatile horses known for long flowing manes and tails. They are comfortable riding horses. Some have also become good jumpers and dressage horses. They are generally intelligent with a desire to please their rider. I am a fan of the breed.

Appaloosa – (see also colors and markings)

A color breed with an American Indian history in the U.S., but the spotted or roan horses are found throughout the world, called by different names.

Azteca –

A one-half registered Lusitano or Andalusian, and the other half, registered Quarter Horse. Amistad, Alae, Centurion, and Sailor were/are Aztecas. I love this breeding. It has produced horses that have won at top levels in eventing, driving, jumping, and endurance for me.

Hand –

Four inches. Horses are measured from the ground to the withers, which is the top point where the neck joins/becomes the body. Horses are measured by “hands” to determine height and to some extent, size.

Horse –

Equine more than 14.2 hands

Morgan –

A versatile American breed. These have been willing, enjoyable, capable mounts for the riders at my school .

Lusitano –

This Portuguese horse breed split with Andalusians ages ago,and are sometimes called “Portuguese Andalusians.” These are the types of horses ridden by the Romans in ancient times. Like Andalusians, they range in size from 14.3 hands and up. My Lusitano stallion was a super-comfortable riding horse.

POA –

Pony of the Americas. Appaloosa colored ponies, as opposed to horse size.

Pony –

Equine 14.2 hands or under

Quarter Horse –

A registered American breed known for versatility. I looked for them for students who wanted a solidly built horse with the commonly expected trait of consistent, calm temperament.

Quarter Pony –

A registered breed for small Quarter Horses (under 14.2) as well as Quarter Horse stock raised to be ponies. Great for kids and petite adults.

Thoroughbred –

A breed registered through the Jockey Club noted for speed and sportiness. I looked for these for riders who wanted competition horses and maybe a step up from school horses.

Warmblood –

Mixed breeds of horses from all over the world. Usually some sort of draft breed (cold-blooded) mixed with the Thoroughbred and/or Arab breeds (hot-blooded). There are a lot of these: Dutch, German, Danish, Swedish, many also with regional names of origin, like Holsteiner or Westphalian thrown in. They are basically big horses bred for jumping or dressage. I showed these horses for owners and found them to be over-priced and trendy. They were usually pretty enough, but my personal preferences were the Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, Andalusians, Morgans, and crosses – known qualities at a decent price. Today, Quarter Horse people can claim they also raise “American Warmbloods” and my own Andalusian crosses are also registered Iberian Warmblood,which they can be with only one-quarter Lusitano lineage. That is my take on Warmbloods. I think the registration does give the buyer some clue as to the background of the horse being purchased.

Colors and Markings

Appaloosa –

Coat is usually a basic color (white, black, brown, red) with roaning or spots of white on dark, or dark on white. Pink, mottled skin around the eyes and muzzle is common, as are striped hooves. They can have sparse manes and tails, though I did not find this to be the case with my Appys.

Bay –

Shades of brown from light to nearly black, with black on the legs, black mane and tail.

Black bay –

The darkest of the bay horses.

Blood bay –

Bright, solid reddish coat with black mane,tail, and legs.

Chrome –

White on head, legs. On paints and pintos, can mean lots more white than other colors.

Cremello –

All over off-white to pearl-colored to pale gold. A sort of washed out, not quite Palomino.

Dun, buckskin –

Can range from pale gold or red or light brown with any shade of brown or black points to cocoa brown with darker brown or black points. Often includes stripes on the legs and a dark dorsal stripe down the back, but not necessarily. Yellow duns have a golden base coat, red duns have a reddish base coat. I love this color. For whatever reason, I have never met a dun that wasn’t a pleasure to work with.

Gray –

From white to steel gray to “flea-bit” gray which is grey with blackish specks all over the coat.

Grulla –

A special kind of buckskin/dun with a taupe, mousy gray or even a bluish base coat with darker points. These horses are legendary favored mounts in Western history. (Smoky the Cowhorse comes to mind.)

Palomino –

Shades of gold from pale to dark bronze, with white or pale mane and tail.

Pinto/paint –

Pintos are any unregistered, spotted horse. Can be base white with colored markings or colored base with white markings. Paints are registered offspring of Thoroughbreds or Quarter Horses with more white on them than the registry allows. All Paints are pintos in color, but not all pintos are Paints.

Points –

Ears, legs, tail, mane

Sorrel/Chestnut –

Solid shades of reddish brown, might have a flaxen mane and tail.

Stockings/socks –

Colored area (usually white or black) of the leg from where the hoof joins the leg as high up as just past the knees(front legs) or hocks(back legs).

Equipment

All the school horses used English tack: a saddle, bridle, and breast collar – the neckpiece that kept the saddle from slipping back when jumping or climbing hills. However, we also used specialized equipment for specific results.

Bits –

These come in two basic types. Snaffles can be solid or jointed, smooth or twisted with D-rings, loose round rings, integrated rings (Eggbutt) or have full or half metal stops (shanks) between the lip and the rings to keep the rings from sliding through the mouth. These are considered the less severe class of bits. The others, and there are mind-boggling numbers of these, have the commonality of using a curb chain under the lower jaw for more leverage. In other words, besides the pressure exerted by the direct pull on the mouthpiece, the pressure from the rider’s hands also tightens the chain under the horse’s jaw. These range in severity from mild to overwhelming. Most of the horses in my school used snaffles. Some didn’t listen to any bit at all.

Double reins –

Sometimes a horse may have two bits or a bit with two rings on each side for reins. Then there are two reins in the riders hand, the snaffle rein and the curb rein. The snaffle is less severe and the curb more severe. The use of a bit requiring double reins can be decided by the type of class (upper level dressage, saddle seat) the rider is in or the type of control the rider wants or needs. Usually double reins are associated with more control of the horse when the snaffle doesn’t seem enough. In my classes, they were seldom used. For one, they weren’t needed. For another, if I were using draw reins in association with the regular reins, the rider already had two sets of reins to deal with.

Draw reins –

These long reins go from the rider’s hands through the bit rings and attach to either a ring on the breast collar or to the girth. They assist in keeping the horse from pulling at the bit and make keeping the horse and rider balanced easier The rider also uses the reins on the bit. There are two sets of reins in the rider’s hands.

German draw reins(martingale) –

The reins attached to the bit have four or more evenly spaced rings attached along about two to two and one half feet of their length starting about three inches from the bit. A second element, a partially split piece, attaches to the girth or to the breast collar. Each part of the split goes through the two bit rings and snaps to the appropriate rings on the reins. The horse is encouraged not to pull. The rider carries one rein, and can easily loosen the hold on the reins or not. Under direct instruction, that is, with me watching one on one the rider and the effect of the reins on the horse, draw reins are a valuable aide to helping both horse and rider understand how to collect and balance.

Jumps –

Whatever you ask your horse to jump over. The side pieces, called standards hold the cups that hold whatever is the top of the obstacle. It could be a rail or a plank or a banner… Besides the height, jumps are designated by width, shape, and solidity. Rail jumps, simply made up of rails or poles, can be:

One rail wide – a vertical.

Two rails wide – an oxer.

Top rails parallel

Back rail higher than front

The two rails make a high “X” - Swedish oxer

Three rails wide – a hogsback

Middle rail is highest

Or, a really wide oxer

Planks – are used instead of rails

Naturals – any natural object, like a log

Brush – brush, sticks, compose the body of the obstacle.

Bullfinch is a special type of brush jump that is higher than the horse. The horse jumps through it on faith!

Wall – brick, stone, wood painted to look like brick or stone. Usually has a flat top between the two parallel sides.

Coop – the two solid sides of the jump meet at a point on top that is narrower than the sides at the base. The sides slant in at the top.

Ditch – may be natural or constructed with stone or wood lining.

Trakehner – a ditch with a rail over the length of the center of the ditch. Bank – the horse jumps up or down a terrace of some sort.

Water – the horse jumps over or into water. It may have a rail above the water or not.

All other jumps are a variation on these. As a rule, jumps in an arena are more man-made looking than jumps on an outside or cross-country course, though course designers are the ones responsible for all the competition obstacles that horses are asked to clear. During a Hunt, horses and riders may jump all sorts of naturally occurring phenomena that pop up in front of them, some that defy exact definition: geese and boulders come to my mind!

Longe line –

A long or “lunge” line is at least a 20 foot rope or web line, preferably with a swivel at each end, that the trainer can snap to a halter or bridle, pay out, and ask the horse to work around her in a circle while she stands in the center. I used mine with a surcingle for specific training goals and not just for exercise, since I had turn-out pens for that, and riders were expected to exercise the horses.

Running martingale –

A forked (split) piece of nylon web or leather that attaches to the breast collar on one end with rings for the reins to pass through on the other. It keeps the reins from flipping over the horse’s head if it tosses it around, and also helps with leverage and balance should the horse want to take off.

Side reins –

Used to connect the horse’s halter or bridle/bit to the rings of the surcingle. I used elastic side reins or bungee cords. Basically, the horse learns to deal with the consistent pressure on the bit that the trainer has set with the attachment and length of the side reins. This is a technique used in training from the ground, i.e., when the trainer/rider is not on the horse. German draw reins perform much the same function if the horse is being ridden.

Surcingle –

A four to eight inch “belt” or girth of nylon web or leather that can be buckled around the horse’s barrel. All of them have strategically placed rings on the sides, top, and under the belly to which you buckle or snap reins, bungee cords, or cords. Some have extra attachments, like handles, so a rider can grab onto them and vault onto the horse. Often seen at circuses.

General Health and Other Terms

DMSO –

Dimethyl sulfoxide – in gel or liquid form, a treatment that greatly helps reduce soft tissue swelling. I use it as a first treatment when I am concerned about leg problems.

Colostrum –

A milky, waxy appearing substance produced by a mare for the foal to suckle right after birth. It is full of immunizing agents and helps kick-start the foal’s first hours and days after birth.

Ewe-neck –

Horses usually carry themselves with a straight or slightly arched neck. When collected, the horse can have its nose vertical to the ground and the neck flexed and arched convex. A ewe-neck is just the opposite. The bottom surface of the neck is basically concave. This is an indication of off balance movements. Plus, it is ugly!

Jaw –

The lower, underneath part of the horse’s head, mouth area. “Relax the jaw” generally means “keep the horse responsive to the bit”.

Poll –

The area on the top of the horse’s neck, right behind the ears.

Poultice –

Anything thick and soothing to help relieve pain and swelling of my horses’ legs.

“Waxing Up” –

When a mare is due to foal, colostrum may begin to appear and even drip from her teats a few days before the event. It has a diluted milky look and waxy feel, hence the term.

Show Terms and Techniques

Bend –

The ability of the horse to flex around its rider’s leg. In dressage competition, the bend through the arena corners, around various sized circles, and higher level exercises, is important.

Catty –

The horse in question has the ability to move and turn smoothly, quickly, and seemingly effortlessly. It can jump, turn and spring over a course of obstacles without wasted movement, completely aware of where it needs to be next. This is a great talent to have in a competition horse.

Cavaletti –

Small portable jumps. The ends could be cinder blocks or “X”s or plastic “Blocs” manufactured specifically for use with poles and rails. I used them all. Cavaletti are used at ground level, and can be raised by two or three increments to maybe 24 inches. They can also be stacked much higher. I used these to add variety to ring work, to introduce jumping, and to create “grids’ to improve balance, strides, and athleticism.

Collection –

Think deep knee bend, touching your toes, even just good posture. Horses were meant to work in balance. Most do when working freely. When you add something up to twenty percent of its weight for it to carry around, that balance is affected. Suppose you weigh 130 pounds, and were told you had to carry a backpack around whenever you wanted to take a walk or a hike. And that backpack wiggled and was often unbalanced and even kicked you for no reason! You would find yourself walking differently and perhaps apprehensively, worrying about what was going to happen next. Or, you would trust that the creature in the backpack would be as helpful and balanced as could be, and even help you along. You find that if you keep your back strong, and your head just so, and your legs striding just so, your job is much easier. You collect your thoughts and actions into the most efficient way of going. When that happens, both horse and rider are aware of it.

Cross-country –

The phase of an event that includes natural obstacles, water, ditches, whatever the course designers can dream up. It is the most point-laden phase of the 3-Day Event. And the most fun, according to the majority of participants!

Dressage –

The arena discipline that is judged on the quality achieved by horse and rider in each movement of each level attempted on a flat surface. Riders start with walk/trot and go as far as they can. This may take a lifetime.

Driving –

Work is done by one or more horses pulling a vehicle of some sort and the driver, rather than the rider, asks the horse(s) to move.

Flexion –

The elastic bend through a horse’s neck, back, and barrel.

Four-in-hand –

Four horses pull the vehicle, controlled by one driver.

Gait –

Walk, trot, canter. Further, there are variable speeds or forms of each: the collected, working (medium) and the extended (lengthening of stride)in all the gaits.

Gymkhana –

Originated in India and England, but in the U.S. is generally a Western tradition of various games and races with barrels, poles, and timed events.

Hunt (or Hunt Meet)–

A social and sporting event supported by members’ dues. Usually the members meet regularly at pre-determined locations – fixtures – together with Hunt staff and the hounds. Hunt staff usually includes the Master of Hounds, the Whips, who keep the hounds in as orderly a pack and going in the correct direction after the chosen quarry as possible, and the Field masters. There are usually three Masters: first, second, and third. First field is fastest and jumps any obstacles that may come up. Second field follows first, but does not choose to jump. They will go through gates provided for that purpose. Third field may not even be mounted, but choose to view from a following vehicle, or meander along from height to height. These are called “hill-toppers.” The etiquette of hunting is a story unto itself. My students and I participated in, and found Hunting to be great fun. In Southern California, coyotes rather than foxes are hunted. In the nearly twenty years we hunted, the dogs managed to kill one old, probably sick and blind coyote. The equestrian experiences, including sportsmanship, were valuable for my students. The social aspect after the Hunts was important, too. Networking, etiquette and manners all came into play and we were better for it.

Hunter –

A type of horse and type of class where consistency and evenness over relatively lower obstacles are most valued.

Jumper class–

Class where what matters is going over obstacles with the fewest faults, i.e. refusing, knocking down a rail, incurring time faults.

Roads and Tracks –

In 3-Day Events, this timed phase may come after the dressage test and before the cross-country event. It was used to warm one’s horse up for the jumps to come, but is not part of the competitions at the lower levels.

Scope-y –

The horse in question jumps well, carries itself with spring and loft over an obstacle and makes jumps appear to be easy to deal with. Wide or high jumps are well within its “scope” of competence and it makes jumps appear smooth and effortless.

Steeplechase –

An event that includes natural brush and wood fences on a track or course. Speed is of the essence; it is a race over obstacles. This event used to be included in the higher level of 3-Day Events as a timed event before cross-country.

3-Day Event –

A competition that can take up to three days to complete, composed of dressage, cross-country jumping, stadium jumping. The steeplechase and roads and tracks are being phased out.

Transition –

The change of gait “up”(faster) or “down” (slower), or the change of stride, shorter or longer, within the same gait.