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
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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
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Nicola was one of H&H’s longest serving staff members and knows her Section Ds from her Section As. Over the years she has written six horse books and articles on topics as diverse as legendary showing producers and the best hipflask tipples. Nicola is our chief sub editor, point-to-point and showing editor. Nicola left Horse & Hound for pastures news in 2014.