What is "fanning"?

Fanning is when a driving team is asked to go sideways, turning the cart in that way. It's used to turn large carts and teams in small spaces.

What is "tuning up"?

Tuning up or giving a horse a tune up is taking an already trained horse back to basics to work on problems such as untidy transitions. Cutting riders also use the term for demanding perfection while working. It may also refer to reminding a horse of its manners, especially one ridden by novices.

What is a "sidepass"?

A sidepass is when a horse moves sideways, in either direction, without moving forward or backward. It's considered an advanced movement that is particularly difficult for a horse to perform correctly.

What is "rating"?

Rating is controlling a horse's pace when working at speed. For example, a jockey not allowing a horse to go to the front too early, a show jumper slowing the canter to get the right number of strides, or a cutting horse staying parallel to a cow.

A horse that is "hard to rate" is one that consistently wants to go faster than the desired pace, and which objects to being rated by throwing the head, rushing or otherwise showing a negative reaction to the rider.

What is bearing in?

Bearing in or out is when a racehorse doesn't run in a straight line, losing ground. It's usually caused by jockey error (the jockey tries to go around a horse in front of them and ends up moving too far) or by the horse being tired or slightly lame. Inexperienced horses, especially two year olds, may also "bear in."

What is a bat?

A bat can refer to one of two kinds of horse whip. The kind of whip a jockey uses and a short whip sometimes used in show jumping to remind the horse to pick up its hooves. The latter, usually called a jumping bat, is a few inches shorter than a standard riding crop.

What is an "open" mare?

An open mare is any mare that is not currently carrying a foal. It's often used in sales lingo as a way of saying the mare is ready to be bred to your choice of stallion. A breeder may also say they're "leaving a mare open" - meaning they're giving her a year off from having babies.