What is Finished?

A finished horse is one that's well trained and ready to do the job it's trained for. Some finished horses may be ready for an inexperienced rider - but not all (temperament plays a role too) - so a finished horse and a schoolmaster are not quite the same thing.

Can a horse really get the bit between his teeth?

You hear this saying all the time. Sometimes talking about things not related to horses. If a person or animal "has the bit between their teeth" then they're the one in control of the situation.

Okay. The bit sits in a gap between the teeth (caused by the fact that horses don't have premolars). If the horse stops responding to the bit, we may say it 'has the bit between its teeth' - but is this literal?

Actually? Very few horses can get the bit between the molars. It involves opening the mouth very wide and then lifting the bit up with the tongue. It's not impossible, but it's highly unusual. Instead, the horse may lift its head into a position (above the bit, as discussed before) such that when the rider pulls the reins the bit pulls against the teeth rather than the gums. Or, the horse may lift the bit with its tongue, tense its lips against the bit, and perform other maneuvers to reduce the bit action.

But "between the teeth" does not mean the horse literally has the bit between its molars in most cases. It simply means it is not responding to the action of the bit.

What is "Green Broke"?

In the US, a green broke horse is one that has been ridden but is a long way from being solid and well trained. The other term you might hear to refer to this is "started under saddle." (Or "started in harness.")

A green broke horse should only be ridden by an experienced rider. (You want horses ridden by novices to know more than their riders).

What is the rail?

The term "rail" has three meanings in the horse world.

1. In racing, the rail is the fence that marks the inside edge of the race track.

2. In showing, and sometimes general riding, the rail is the outer fence or wall of the arena. An instructor may, for example, insist a student keep their horse "on the rail" which means riding around the outside edge of the arena.

3. In jumping, a "rail" is horizontal element of a jump.

Riding "on the rail."

What is behind the bit?

Behind the bit is when the horse ducks his head back behind the vertical, sometimes all the way to the chest, in order to avoid the action of the bit. Like being above the bit, it's fixed with training and sometimes a change of bit.

Unfortunately, behind the bit is sometimes mistaken for correct in modern dressage.

What is above the bit?

"Above the bit" is a term used for a horse that is avoiding the bit by lifting its head. This habit tends to also lead to a hollowing of the back (and can make horses more prone to soreness in the back and neck).

It's generally fixed by training or, possibly, changing the bit.

What is a horse's topline?

The topline of a horse is basically its back - from the poll to the dock. Horsemen will critique a horse's topline or top line as part of discussing overall conformation.

However, a "poor topline" is more often an indication that a horse is unfit and out of shape, especially in riding horses. Being ridden tends to build muscle around and above the spine. Therefore, any horseman will look at a horse's topline to see how fit that animal is and how much it has worked lately - which can also indicate how it might behave when you put a saddle on it. (Trust me, riding a horse that hasn't worked in a while is not always fun).

This is a fit horse with a very good topline. Note the slight elevation of the hindquarters above the spine - in this case a sign of draft breeding.