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14 horsey terms… and what they really mean


  • To the uninitiated, the language used in the horseworld can be impenetrable and may appear deliberately exclusive. So Horse & Hound is here to do some tongue-in-cheek jargon busting…

    What they say: what they mean

    1. It’s very typey: I have no idea what breed it is

    2. True to type: I have no idea what breed it is but I like it

    3. He’s a bit sharp: it’s an unrideable lunatic

    4. What an old-fashioned type: looks prehistoric

    5. A real driving type: it would rearrange my kidneys if I rode it, moving like that

    6. A proper show hunter: looks like the pony my granny rode in the 1930s

    7. Has read the map: the horse is anticipating the aids, especially on corners

    8. Forward going: no brakes at all

    9. A good horse on the flat: can’t jump to save its life

    10. My co-judge and I couldn’t agree: she’s been a cow all day

    11. I enjoyed the championship: the classes were rubbish

    12. I had some difficult decisions to make: I made a complete horlicks of the judging

    13. Some were a little green: shouldn’t have been in the ring

    14. Competition: the competition is whether the judge can stay on it

    Stuck with your Christmas shopping? Take a look at our 14 gifts for the horsey person who has everything

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