A-Z HORSE SPORT TERMS

from 2023 Traverse City Horse Shows Visitors Guide

MAKE GOOD HAPPEN

Amateur Riders

Amateur riders are those who participate in shows but do not receive payment for their participation.

Base of the Jump

If you picture a small rectangle just before the fence, this would be the base. Riding up to the base of the jump is a commonly used phrase from trainers to encourage students to maintain rhythm all the way up to the fence and avoid longer distance take offs.

Chip / Chip In

Chipping in is when the horse and rider pair do not get a good distance to a fence and, as a result, the horse adds an awkward half stride just before take-off.

Clear Round

A clear round in show jumping is when the horse and rider pair make it through the round without taking a rail and without adding any time faults.

Combination

More than one jump in a row which must be ridden in quick succession, separated by only one or two strides. The combination is considered a single obstacle and if the horse stops, runs or refuses any part of it, the entire combination must be re-jumped.

Course Walk

The course walk is done prior to show jumping classes. This is where riders and their trainers will walk the course on foot to measure strides between fences and plan for their route when they ride it later.

Cross Rail

The Cross Rail or Cross-Pole obstacle is not commonly used in equestrian shows and consists of two poles crossed with one end of each pole being on the ground and on jump standards so that the center is lower than the sides. This obstacle is mainly used for training to help teach the rider how to properly aim the horse jump in the center of the obstacle.

Deep Stride

Getting a deep stride is a similar idea to chipping in that you are jumping from close to the base of the jump. The difference is, when done intentionally, a horse can take a deep stride without adding that awkward half stride.

Fault

A fault is a 4-point penalty given when a horse knocks a rail down or has a refusal.

Flying Change

A flying change is when a horse changes from one lead to the other at the canter (e.g., right lead to left). The horse will swap the leading leg on hind end and front to the other lead.

Green

A term used to describe young horses performing within the Hunters Class, generally in the first or second year of their jumping career.

In and Out

A two jump combination with each separated by one or two strides.

Jump Cup

A jump cup refers to the piece of equipment that holds the rails of a fence in pace. Think of it as a shelf for jump rails. Some are deep, making the rail sturdier and some are flatter, making the rail easier to knock down.

Jump-Off

The jump-off is a secondary round after the initial jumper round in which the focus is getting the horse around without taking rails and with the fastest time possible.

Junior Riders

A Junior rider refers to a Jumper or Hunter rider who is under the age of 18 of varied experience and expertise.

Landing

Landing in jumping refers to the downward motion of the horse as they first touch the ground with their front legs on the landing side of the fence.

Liverpool

The Liverpool jump consists of a ditch or large tray of water under a vertical or oxer to which the rider and horse are required to jump and clear.

Long Stride

Long stride references when the horse and rider take off further away from the base of the jump. This can be done accidentally or on purpose depending on the situation.

Off Course

Each jumper course has a course map with the order in which the jumps are supposed to be approached. Off course refers to when the rider jumps fences out of order, thereby resulting in disqualification.

Oxer

An Oxer entails two verticals close together to widen the jump/spread.

Pace

Pace refers to horses’ rhythm in their gaits and the rate at which they are moving throughout a course. Maintaining pace is an important factor of the rider’s job.

Pole (“Rail”)

A pole is the cylindrical piece of wood that goes across to make a jump. It’s also referred to as a rail.

Professional Riders

Professional riders are experienced and usually paid to ride, perform and/or jump in events.

Round

A round refers to each “trip” around a full jumping course.

Rub

A rub is when a horse taps a rail with their leg as they go over a fence. This may result in the rail coming down, giving the horse and rider pair a fault, or the rail may stay up in which case the pair would not be penalized.

Runout

A runout is a type of refusal where instead of coming to a stop in line with the fence, the horse ducks out and goes around the fence.

Two-Point

Two-point refers to a rider position where the rider has two points of their body touching the saddle (each leg), also referred to as forward seat. It is a forward position that brings the rider mostly out of the saddle to allow the horse to jump more safely.

Safety Stirrup

A safety stirrup is a type of stirrup (the pedals that attach to the stirrup leathers and rider puts their feet into) that has a portion that will give away and allow the rider’s foot to come loose should they ever fall off with their foot still in the stirrup.

Standard

Standards are the vertical stands with jump cups that the poles lay across. Types of standards may vary but the traditional ones are a heavy squared off wooden post with 4 wooden feet to allow for stability.

Stride

Stride refers to the motion of a horse’s individual gaits. Each gait has a different number of beats per stride with 4 beats at the walk, 2 beats at the trot, 3 beats at the canter and 4 at the gallop.

Time Fault

If you take more than the set time allowed to complete your jumping round, you incur a time fault for each extra second.

Triple Bar

The Triple Bar obstacle is categorized by a spread fence that uses three elements of graduating heights.

Vertical/Upright

A vertical jump, otherwise known as an upright jump, is an obstacle consisting of poles or planks placed directly above one another with no spread, or width. This forces a horse to make a steep arc in their effort to jump this style of fence.

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