Misleading Horse Words and Phrases
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The horse world has its own language and like any language it can be a bit confusing to the new comer. Some words, however, just don’t make sense, or represent what they in fact mean. In some cases, I think these misleading words or phrases may actually be barriers to developing our horsemanship and riding skills, because they suggest something other than what we are supposed to be doing. Words are powerful things, and they need to be chosen carefully. There are some words we use by default, without realizing their influence on us. Here’s a few horse words and phrases I think we could improve.
Leading
Leading a horse suggests that you are pulling it along with you. This shouldn’t be the case. A horse should walk with you, and it’s surprising how many don’t know how to do this. Ron Meredith of Meredith Manor calls it ‘heeding’. He states that if you're relying on a rope and halter to control your horse, you’re already in trouble. Heeding, he explains, means paying attention, and that’s a better description of what we want our horses to do when they walk beside us.
Half Halt
There’s nothing ‘halt’ about a half halt. I think the name makes it harder for riders to learn exactly what it is about and how to do it. Halt suggests there is a ‘stop’ involved, when, in fact, a half halt should result in an increase of energy. Half halts are tricky, and expecting it to involve an arresting of movement because it’s called a halt may be part of the problem. This skill needs a new name that expresses exactly what is happening.
Related: The Elusive Nature of the Half Halt
Sitting Trot
When we sit the trot, what we’re not doing is sitting. A lot of people really struggle with learning how to sit the trot. That may be because sitting as you do in a chair is largely passive, and depending on how you are sitting, you’re not using your muscles or balance. When you ‘sit’ the trot, or when you are sitting on a horse at all, you’re using your whole body to hold yourself up, and move with the horse. I’m not sure how you can replace this phrase. Maybe it could be called a non-posting trot or non-rising trot. But there has to be a more accurate way to describe what happens at the trot when you’re not posting.
Related: Tips For Sitting the Trot
Breaking, Broken, Broke
One of my un-favorite horse words is break. Even though I dislike it, I find it still creeps into my conversation. That horse is broke to drive. The foal needs to be halter broke. They’ll saddle break the three-year-old. I tried to find out where this word came from, as I thought, it harked back to when they ‘broke’ horses by bucking them out and breaking their will. However, the word is used in the English horse world as well. Training is a better word, but there may be an even better one out there that describes that a horse has accepted and remembered its lessons.
Related: Retraining a Racehorse
What horse words do you think are confusing or could be improved upon? |
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