What is a lariat?

The same thing as a lasso, essentially, but lariat is considered the more technical term. It's a rope, often but not always made of rawhide, that is used to capture stock. (Usually cattle, but it's also possible - if tricky - to rope horses. Horses are more likely to see the rope coming and dodge). When not in use, a lariat is generally hung from the saddle horn or otherwise secured to the saddle.

What are tapaderos?

Tapaderos are a leather hood that goes in front of a (western) stirrup. Their primary purpose might seem to be to act as safety stirrups - preventing the foot from slipping through.

That's actually a secondary purpose. The primary purpose of the tapadero is to prevent brush, branches, etc from catching in the stirrup. Tapaderos are seldom seen today, but are still sometimes used in parades (for decorative purposes), for children (for the safety purpose) and when riding in wilderness or on the range.

Me and Greg on mules at the Grand Canyon. With tapaderos - in this case, over ninety percent of the riders have never been in the saddle before. And there's quite a bit of brush further down...

Why do some people ride with fringes on the bridle or breastplate?

It's a traditional means of fly prevention. (Zebra stripes are also supposed to deter flies). The fringes deter flies from landing on the horse by the way they move around and are sometimes also coated with a chemical repellent.

Fringes, particularly on breastplates, are also used for pure aesthetics. That is to say, some people think they look good. You'll often see fringed breastplates at rodeos, in a variety of colors and sometimes with beading.

Why do western saddles have a horn?

The western saddle has an upright piece at the front which is called the "horn" or "saddle horn." Horns are seen on western saddles, Australian stock saddles, gaucho saddles and other variants. They are not seen on English type saddles.

In other words, saddle horns are put on saddles used by horsemen who are working cattle. The correct purpose is to wrap the end of a lasso or lariat around so that the horse is holding the captured cow or steer, not the cowboy.

Saddle horns have developed other purposes over the years, and are sometimes called the "Oh shit" handle by serious trail riders. (I.e., yes, people do grab the horn to keep from falling off. English people tend to use the horse's mane or a strap around the neck as a "security handle" and some pony saddles actually have a handle on the front).

Trail riders might also hang things such as a quirt or a water canteen or even a camera from the horn...and thus it sticks around even when not being used for its original purpose.

Are horses really called just by their color?

I had somebody question this. Yes.

It's pretty normal to refer to an animal as "the bay" or "the black" if you don't know the animal's name. Sometimes the sex or breed might be tagged on.

This can throw non horse people who start looking for a noun. Nope, the color is used as the noun - it's perfectly acceptable in the equestrian world. Maybe not entirely correct grammar, but tradition wins out in language.

The grey ;).

What is a Fjord horse?

I feel like introducing some breeds, and I'm going to start with the very distinctive Fjord horse.

The Fjord horse is a draft pony that originates in Europe. It's known for its color - all Fjord horses are dun and have a mane that is black in the center and white on the outside. The bicolored mane is normally hogged or roached to show off the coloring.

Fjord horses are great driving horses and very, as you can see, cute. They're an old breed (like most of the draft/heavy ponies in Europe).

Look at that spiky mane-hawk.

What is a war bridle?

A war bridle is basically a rope or cord that runs through a horse's mouth, around the chin and over the poll.

They are one of the harshest devices that can be used on a horse. (They're made in a similar way to English rope halters, but those don't go through the mouth). In fact, many people think a war bridle is inherently abusive.

However, they are sometimes used by experienced horsemen, especially western, to control a "rogue" horse or one that is doing things which are dangerous, when no other tool is working.