Backstretch
[Horse Racing] The backstretch is one of the four sections of an oval race track and is the one that is a straightaway farthermost from the viewing stand. The term is also used for the area in which horses are stabled adjacent to the racetrack and also part of the term "backstretch family," referring to the people working at the track.
Bars of the Hoof
[Equine Anatomy] The bars are two ridges of hoof material on the sole that run partway along the edges of the frog and support the frog. They are trimmed when a farrier works on the hoof.
Bareback Pad
[Equine Equipage] A bareback pad is a special pad designed to be place on a horse's back, when riding without an actual saddle. It appears similar to a saddle pad but has a built-in girth strap. It offers a little extra padding for both parties and is a compromise between riding with a saddle or fully bareback. They may have cloth loops that can act like stirrups but do not get tangled in them and the girth can more easily slip around the horse's body than that of a true saddle.
Bareback Riding
[Equestrian Technique] A rider riding a horse bareback is not using a saddle but is mounted directly on a horses back. There are many disadvantages to doing this, which is why you see most riders in a saddle. It is a different feeling, being in direct contact with the muscles of the horses body, and working to maintain your own balance without the aid of the saddle and stirrups. A rider must have adequate experience before doing this and it is best if the horse has been introduced gradually to it as well. I have know people who impulsively hopped up on their horses back only to spend the rest of the day in an ER getting their fractures treated. I found on my horse bareback that I was very aware of being "sawed in half" by a prominent equine backbone. Bareback riding is equally taxing on a horse's back. I would suggest that It should be limited to short sessions for training purposes or done when swimming with your horse.
Barefoot
[Horse Management] A barefoot horse is a horse that is unshod, either on a temporary or permanent basis. Horses in their natural environment have done fine without shoes for millennia. However, humans typically do not ride horses on natural surfaces. Horse shoes have been used since ancient times and the Romans shod their horses, which were often ridden on paved roads or other hard surfaces. In more recent times most horses in urban environments were shod and the practice of leaving a working horse unshod became uncommon. In even more recent times what is called the "barefoot movement" has developed and advocates maintaining most horses barefoot. This is a judgement call and is influenced by the surfaces on which you ride and the natural toughness of an individual horse's hooves, which can vary. We ride on relatively soft surfaces and have barefoot horses but I notice in hot, dry weather they can be a little gimpy at the end of a long ride. To a degree the hoof will toughen with exposure. There are also various temporary hoof covers that can serve like shoes. Many people maintain horses shod on the forelegs but unshod on the rear. Barefoot horses usually require an occasional trim by a farrier.
Barrel
[Equine Anatomy] The barrel is the central part of a horse body between the shoulders and the flanks. A typical saddle covers the barrel and most of the barrel area conforms with the horse's rib cage.
Braiding a Horse's Mane
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[Horse Care] Horse's manes are often braided in preparation for a show or hunt. There are several styles of braiding and several techniques for performing it.
Barrel Racing
[Equestrian Sport] Barrel racing is a competitive rodeo event during which a horse and rider run a cloverleaf pattern around water barrels with the fastest time winning. In rodeos the event is limited to female riders. It requires a fast, responsive and maneuverable horse and a rider skilled at balance and timing.
Bars
[Equine Anatomy] The bars are the toothless area of gums located between the incisor and molar teeth in a horse's mouth. The bit rests in the area.
Behind the Bit
[Basic Riding] A rider always wishes to be what is called "on the bit." This is maintaining proper contact pressure with the reins and bit so as to effectively use the bit as an aid in communicating the rider's intentions to the horse. When a horse gets behind the bit it has lowered his head and has broken this contact. The rider then has lost any leverage on the horse's mouth. This often happens naturally when a horse is extending during a canter or it might be willful misbehavior on the part of the horse. When a horse gets behind the bit during a canter you might experience a sudden acceleration and the challenge is to get the horse back on the bit without overreacting to it and maybe precipitating bucking. The opposite of being behind the bit is called being above the bit.
Billet Straps
[Saddle Terminology] Billet straps are straps under the flap of a saddle that hold the girth band in place. If not tight enough and partially with horses having a wide back the saddle can rotate, depositing the rider on the ground. I have seen this happen several times to others and provided no one is harmed it generally results in snickers from more veteran riders and maybe even the nearby horses. Always before mounting slide your fingers between the girth and the horse's body to check for proper tightness. You particularly should do this if someone else has tacked your horse for you. Too much girth tightness will result in the horse being uncomfortable. On an English saddle the billet straps have holes and the girth buckles in place.
Bit
[Equine Equipage] Bits are objects made of various materials but most often stainless steel that serve to exert pressure on the horse's month and cause the horse to stop or turn. They belong to the class of artificial aids and are divided into non-leverage and leverage types. The particular design of a given bit may cause it to act on one part of the mouth more so than another and to be milder or harsher and thereby more controlling. A given horse may do better with one style of bit versus another. Evidence of tooth ware from the use of a bit on equine skeletal remains is evidence of both domestication and the riding of horses. It suggests that the use of bits in horses' mouths was a truly ancient practice. An important lesson for the inexperienced rider is that bit pressure under usual circumstances should be very subtle and not a jerking movement.
Black Walnut Tree (Juglans nigra)
[Toxic Plant Material to Horse] Many people, including myself, use wood chips as horse bedding in stalls. However, those made from the wood of the Black Walnut trees should never be used. Ingestion of them may cause colic, edema or laminitis. These effects are mediated by a chemical compound called juglane.
Blanket
[Horse Equipment] You might think that a blanket is a superfluous for an animal who is covered by a coat of hair. However, there are many good reasons that domestic horses are blanketed by their owners. Domestic horse are kept in situations that they are not genetically adapted to live under. For example, a breed that developed in a warm climate is now exposed to wind chills in a cold climate. Similarly, horses that in nature would move to a nearby sheltered area, find themselves confined to a pasture exposed to the elements.
Blemish
[Showing] A blemish is a surface imperfection, generally resulting from an injury, that does not interfere with the horse's performance but that may count against it in certain types of showing.
Blinkers [Tack]
[Showing] Blinkers are a type of head gear that are designed to limit the horse's vision to that which is in front of him and prevents things that are behind and to the side from being a distraction. For driving horses they project forward from the bridle and for race horses they are a fitted hood worn under the bridle, going over the ears and under the chin, exposing the eyes, but having a rim in the back that limits vision to the rear. The use of blinkers are optional, expect in most competitive events that do not allow them.
Bolt
[Equine Behavior] A horse that becomes disturbed and suddenly runs off while being ridden or driven is said to bolt. The challenge to the rider is to hang on and bring the animal back under control. The behavior is dangerous for both the human and the horse. Often the horse ignores aids. Emergency dismounts might be done but themselves entail risks of injury. Turning the horse's head and body away from the direction of movement, including using pulley reins is an option. It is a particularly scary feeling the first time in happens to you and the realization hits you that you have no control over a galloping animal. However, fight down the tendency to panic. Horses are wonderfully intuitive animals and they sense our emotions better then you think. Your fear only reinforces their fear. Always remember if you have no control over yourself you cannot expect to have any control over the horse. Have faith that they will eventually stop.
Boot Jack (Boot Puller)
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[Equipment] A boot jacker or boot puller is designed to help remove a pair of boots. It is possible to remove boots without one, but the puller makes it so much easier. I remember on one of our riding trips, the other riders initially encounter my wife and I struggling to remove my boots. It was not the most dignified introduction and did I mention we forgot to pack our boot jack.
Boot Strap Puller
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[Equipment] Traditional Leather Riding Boots are not so easy to get on. They came with a pair of boot strap pullers. The inside of the boots had pairs of leather loops in which the ends of the pullers passed. One then pulled the boots on by pulling against the handles of the boot pullers. This is a possible origin of the expression to "pull yourself up by your bootstraps." It the case of leather ridding boots it only seemed like it. I valve my boots with zippers personally.
Breaking a Horse
[Equine Training] Breaking is a traditional term for the initial training of a young, totally inexperienced horse. In prior times methods were extremely harsh and there was a sense that any spirit of resistance should be totally broken. To do otherwise was undesirable and making a spoiled pet of an animal. Child rearing practices were not much better in those times either. I am happy to say that attitudes have changed and modern horsemen totally avoid any harsh means in training. I discovered that if a young animal trusts you, the process is rather bland and the horse reacts more with confusion regarding your intentions rather than any great resistance. The first time I climbed into the saddle, my young horse did not buck as I feared he would, having watched too many cowboy movies and he seemed more puzzled by the whole thing. Additional terms indicate the stage of training; for example, halter broke indicates a young horse that willingly accepts having a halter placed on its head but has not yet advanced beyond that.
Breeds
[Horse Types] I use the term horse breed repeatedly and so do others yet if you google horse breeds you tend to get lists of breed names rather than a general discussion of just what the implications are of the term "breed" are. It is all a matter of population genetics. Historically, there was an ancient population of horses in their natural state. The gene pool contained so many genes governing various traits that allowed the animal to adapt to its environment. Nature tends to select genes that allow animals to survive predation, exploit potential food sources, and surmount environment challenges, etc. Horses are fast runners because those that were not were taken by predators. Horses survive because they are adapted to eat grass, something that humans cannot do. Certain horse breeds survive in cold, harsh climates because they have a second insulating winter coat. The ancient horse in its natural state is nothing like our modern horse breeds. What we see today as breeds are totally the work of man with domesticated animals and the product of our selected breeding. Humans did this often simply for the novelty or for the aesthetics of a given feature. Since horses can have multiple generations within the lifetime of a given human breeder it is possible to bring out a trait that the breeder desires as a feature within a restricted breeding herd. For example, the native color of ancient horses was dun but if you have one that has a slightly different coat color you can restrict that individual's ability to mix its genes in the general population and in time develop a herd with a different color. We tend to take pride in saying our animal is "pure bred." However, this is not all for the population's good. By restricting a breeding population of any animal, even humans, we are placing that population at risk of not having a healthy decree of genetic diversity. There are many examples of genetic diseases commonly found in both equine and human populations that tend towards being inbred.
Breeze
[Horse Racing] Race horses being briskly exercised for conditioning outside of actual racing are being breezed.
Brougham
[Carriage Type] A Brougham was a 4-wheeled, box like, closed carriage, holding two to four people with the driver's perch outside.
Brush
[Fox Chasing] Term used in fox hunting for the tail of a fox. Often it is the first part you see.
Brush Fence
[Jumping] A brush fence is a jump constructed with brush like material on the top surface. It is made such that the horse can brush through (skim through) the brush in a flat jump, which is not considered a fault. Learning to jump a brush jump correctly is a challenge for both horse and rider.
Bucking
[Equine Behavior] Bucking is a normal behavior under certain circumstances. Some examples are when a horse is playful, excited, releasing pent up energy, being tormented by biting insects, defending against a predator or just wants an annoying rider off its back. To buck horses throw their heads downward, arch their backs and push up and kick out with their rear legs. It is possible in a group of horses for a kick to connect and injure another herd member. Under usual circumstances you do not want a horse to buck when under saddle. If you are alert to what is about to happen, it is possible to ride a buck out. Many bucks are half-hearted and place the rider at little risk. The secret is to keep your balance, stand slightly in the stirrups to allow some air space between your bottom and the horse's arching back and hold on tightly with your legs. If the horse's back gets under you, it is able to propel you up into the air with enough force to break you grip and cause the loss of your stirrups. Once that happens chances are the ground is next for you. Turning the horse to one side forcefully and riding in a circle interferes with bucking. Attempting to pull the head up with both reins common results in the rider doing a flip over the horse's head. They are the stronger ones after all. When a horse habitually bucks under saddle it cannot be ignored and a trainer should be working with you.
Bucking Rolls
[Western Saddle Accessory] Bucking rolls are a pair of removable oval padded pieces that are added to the front of a Western slick fork style saddle just behind the horn. They often are brightly colored to match other features of the saddle and have the appearance of a pair of headphones lying flat on the saddle. Their purpose is to add additional stability for the rider.
Buckskin
[Horse Coat Color] A horse termed a buckskin has a yellowish or grayish tan coat color, similar to a buck deer. Buckskins appear similar to duns, but lack the duns' so-called primitive markings (wild type markings), such as a dorsal stripe.
Buggy
[Carriage Type] A buggy was a light, four-wheeled carriage with a single seat.
Bulldogger
[Rodeo] In steer wrestling the bulldogger is the primary rider, who must grab the steer by the horns, slip out of the saddle and wrestle the steer to the ground.
Bulldogging (Steer Wrestling)
[Rodeo] bulldogging is rodeo event in which the primary rider grabs the steer by the horns, slip out of the saddle and wrestle the steer to the ground. He is assisted by a second rider, called the hazer, who must ride parallel to the steer and keep it running straight. Unlike many other rodeo events, bulldogging is not practiced on working ranches and the event was devised as a purely rodeo event.