aid: Anything we use to cue the horse is called an aid. Aids can be natural (leg, hand or seat) or artificial (whip or spur).
crossrail: Your first jump will probably be (or probably was) a crossrail. A crossrail is made with two poles that form an "X", making a small jump with an obvious center.
daisy cutter: Hunters are supposed to move with very little knee or hock action. A hunter with very good movement barely bends his knees or hocks so he skims his hooves along the ground. It is said that the best hunter movers would clip the heads off the daisies in the lawn as they trot.
diagonal (arena): One way to change directions in the arena is to ride across the diagonal. This means that you ride roughly from one corner to the opposite corner.
diagonal (posting): When a horse trots, he moves his diagonal pairs of legs together. You are on your correct diagonal when you post with your horse's outside front leg.
dressage: A type of classical training on the flat that emphasizes suppleness and rhythm is called dressage (a French word for training). Dressage is not our focus at Myrewyn but we do use some dressage basics. The letters you see on the arena walls are used in dressage.
equitation: When we learn to keep our backs straight, shoulders tall, heels down and a straight line from our elbow to the bit (among other things!), that is called equitation. In equitation classes at shows, the style of the rider as well as the accuracy and effectiveness of their aids is judged.
flat: When you are working on the flat, you are not jumping.
hand: The unit of measurement used to measure horses is the hand. Each hand is equal to four inches. For example, a horse who measures 15.3 hands is (15 x 4) + 3 inches or 63 inches tall at the withers.
hunter: A hunter is a type of horse or a type of class at a show. Hunter classes are judged on whether the pace was consistent, whether the horse's legs were held tight and even over the fences, whether he jumped the course correctly and whether he has good hunter type.
inside: In the arena, the inside is your side or your horse's side that is closest to the middle of the arena.
jumper: Like hunter, the word jumper can refer to a type of horse or a class at a show. Jumpers are judged on speed and accuracy rather than on style. Jumper classes are faster-paced than hunter classes and have more colorful jumps. All riders should be able to ride a hunter course well before trying jumpers.
lead: A horse canters on either his right lead or left lead, which refers to the front leg that comes out the farthest in front of him. When cantering to the right, the inside (right) leg should lead, and when cantering to the left, the left leg becomes the inside (leading) leg.
outside: In the arena, the outside is your side or your horse's side that is closest to the wall.
oxer: A jump that is made wider with two sets of standards is an oxer. This is a more advanced type of jump because the horse will be in the air longer over a wider jump.
pony: A pony is a small horse, under 14.2 hands. Ponies do not grow up to be big horses, just as Chihuahuas don't grow up to be Great Danes!
rail (arena): When you are working on the rail, it means that you are riding on the track that goes along the arena wall.
rail (jump): Another word for the poles that make up the jumps is rail. In a hunter or jumper class, you are penalized if your horse knocks down a rail.
standard: The supports on either side of a jump are standards. Standards may be simple upright posts or they may be wider, wing standards. At horse shows, the standards are often very fancy.
vertical: A simple jump made of one set of standards with a pole going straight across is a vertical.