Barn words decoded: a friendly glossary for new riders and parents

Because riding gear is specialized, and almost every piece has its own name. If you are the parent, partner or friend of a new rider, the words can feel like another language. This is the quick translation, grouped by what you are looking at.

Each entry is one or two plain sentences, and where we have a real page for the item, the term links to it. If a word is missing, ask at the barn; everyone learned these once.

Most clothing words come down to where the pants end and which boots they go with. Here are the ones you will hear first.

• Breeches — Riding pants that end around mid-calf and are made to be worn with tall boots.
• Jodhpurs — Riding pants that run to the ankle and are worn with short boots. The name comes from the city of Jodhpur in India. More in our paddock or jodhpur boots answer.
• Riding tights — Stretchy, leggings-style riding pants. Shops usually list them right alongside breeches.
• Full seat — Breeches with grip material across the seat and down the inner leg as well as at the knee. See full seat or knee patch breeches.
• Knee patch — Breeches with grip material on the inside of the knee and plain fabric across the seat.
• Paddock boots — Short riding boots that sit at or just above the ankle and have a heel. Also called jodhpur boots. See paddock or jodhpur boots, and do I need half chaps?
• Tall boots (field and dress) — Riding boots that reach just below the knee. Field boots have laces at the ankle, which adds flex and is popular for jumping; dress boots have no ankle laces and are stiffer, the traditional dressage style.
• Half chaps — Leg covers that fit over a short boot and cover the calf below the knee, giving a tall-boot look and some lower-leg coverage. Our half chap measuring guide shows how to size them.
• Show coat — The jacket riders wear in the show ring. You will also hear it called a show jacket or hunt coat.
• Stock tie — A band of neckwear worn with a show shirt, often fastened with a pin. Formal riding dress for hunting and some competitions includes it, and it comes ready-tied or tie-it-yourself.
• Ratcatcher — Informal foxhunting dress, usually a muted tweed coat and a plain light shirt, traditionally worn early in the hunting season.

These are the pieces that go on the horse so you can ride. Together they are called tack.

• Cavesson — The basic noseband, a strap that goes around the horse's nose below the cheekbones on a bridle. See nosebands explained.
• Flash — A cavesson with an extra lower strap that goes under the chin, used to help keep the horse's mouth closed. See nosebands explained.
• Figure 8 — A noseband whose straps cross over the nose and fasten under the chin, popular in jumping and eventing. Also called a crossed noseband. See nosebands explained.
• Double bridle — A bridle that holds two bits at once, a snaffle and a curb, with two pairs of reins. It is used in upper-level dressage and some traditional classes. See nosebands explained.
• Girth vs cinch — A girth is the strap under the horse's belly that holds an English saddle on. A cinch does the same job on a western saddle.
• Running martingale — A strap from the girth that splits into two, each branch ending in a ring that the reins pass through. It limits how high the horse can raise its head.
• Standing martingale — A single strap from the girth, between the front legs, to the noseband. It also limits how high the horse can lift its head.
• German martingale — A training aid with a split strap that runs through the bit rings and attaches to rings on the reins. It is generally a schooling tool and not allowed in many show rings, so ask your trainer first.
• Stirrups — The footrests that hang from the saddle on straps called stirrup leathers.
• Saddle pad — The pad that goes under the saddle. It keeps sweat off the saddle and cushions the horse's back.
• Half pad — A shaped pad that sits under the saddle, often beneath a saddle pad, for extra cushioning or a little lift. It does not fix a saddle that does not fit; a qualified saddle fitter can help with that.

These are the pieces that protect the horse or keep it safe at the barn.

• Bell boots — Bell-shaped boots that cover the hoof and the heel area to protect against the horse hitting itself with a hind foot, and to help keep shoes on.
• Brushing boots — Boots that wrap the lower leg to protect it from knocks from the opposite hoof.
• Breakaway halter — A halter made with a part designed to break under strain, so a horse that gets caught can free itself. Ask your barn which kind they use. We have a Barn Talk on what a breakaway halter is.
• Purple spray (wound spray) — A topical antiseptic spray, often tinted purple, sold for minor surface scrapes. This entry only says what the product type is; what goes on a wound, and whether it needs a vet, is a question for your veterinarian.

Blanket words are mostly about where the horse will be and how warm it needs to be.

• Turnout — Time a horse spends outside in a field or paddock. People also say turnout for a turnout blanket.
• Turnout blanket — A blanket for outside. It has a waterproof or water-resistant shell that keeps out rain, wind and mud. See which blanket cut fits your horse.
• Stable blanket — A blanket for indoors only. It is not waterproof.
• Scrim sheet — A lightweight, open-weave mesh sheet. It is used to keep flies and dust off a horse and as a breathable layer while a horse dries or cools off.
• Cooler — A blanket used after exercise to wick moisture away so a horse does not get chilled while it dries. See can I blanket a wet horse?
• Fill weight — The amount of insulation in a blanket, measured in grams. It tells you how warm a blanket is, not how heavy. A sheet has none, and heavyweights run 250 grams and up. See what weight blanket your horse needs.
• Denier — A measure of the thickness and durability of the outer shell fabric. A higher denier generally means a tougher shell; it says nothing about warmth.

These are labels that tell you what a helmet was tested to, so you can ask the right questions. They describe testing; they are not a promise that anyone is protected from injury.

• MIPS — Short for Multi-directional Impact Protection System, an added layer in some helmets aimed at rotational force from angled impacts. Our helmet guide says it adds to a certified, well-fitted helmet and does not replace either.
• ASTM / SEI — ASTM F1163 is the US standard for equestrian helmets, and SEI (the Safety Equipment Institute) is the independent group whose mark shows a helmet was certified to it. Our helmet guide says USEF requires ASTM/SEI at minimum; check current rules for your events. See can I use a bike helmet for riding?

These are the everyday words you will hear around the barn and at the show office.

• Schooling — Training and practice work, usually at home. A schooling show is a smaller, more relaxed show.
• Hack — A relaxed ride outside the arena, such as around the property or on a trail. At shows, "hack" can also be the name of a class, so read the class description.
• Tack — The gear a horse wears to be ridden or driven, such as the saddle, bridle and girth.
• Tack shop — A store that sells tack, riding clothes and horse care supplies.
• Tack sale — An event where riders buy and sell used (and sometimes new) tack and riding gear, often run by a barn or a club.