A horse that has reached a high standard of training.
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Aerobic
Describes bacteria/muscle etc needing oxygen to flourish.
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After-Birth
The membrane consisting of placenta, amnion, and umbilical cord expelled from the uterus after a foal has been born.
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Afterbirth
Placenta, surrounding the foal in the uterus, which transfers nutrients between mare and foal. Excreted with the foal at birth.
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Against the Clock
Tterm used in show jumping competitions in which the final round is timed. The winner is the competitor who has the least number of penalty points combined with the fastest time over the course.
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Age
The length of life of a horse varies according to usage, care and attention. Light and regular work and good food have a large bearing on age.
The greatest recorded age is that of 'Old Billy,' who originally worked as a farm horse and was later purchased by the Manchester and Irwell Navigation Co., as a barge horse and died aged 62.
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Age (of the horse)
Computed from January 1 of the year in which the horse is foaled.
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Aged
A horse over six years old. This term is used in a general sense to describe a fully developed horse/pony.
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Agisters (or Marksmen)
The person employed by the Verderers in the New Forest to collect marking fees in respect of all ponies and other animals turned out in the Forest. (Also, see Verderers).
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AI
(See Artificial Insemination.)
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Aid/Aids
Natural aids, hands, seat, weight, legs, and voice are signals from the rider to the horse telling the horse what to do. Artificial aids are whips, spurs noseband, draw reins and martingales.
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Aids
Signals through which the rider communicates with the horse. The hands, though the reins, direct and control the forehand; the lower part of the legs, collect, control and motivate the hindquarters through application by the girth.
There are two types:
Natural aids - hands, legs, seat/weight and voice.
Artificial aids - whip and spurs.
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Aintree
Race course near Liverpool where in 1839 the first Grand National Steeplechase (then known as The Grand Liverpool Steeplechase), distance 4 miles 856 yards, was run.
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Airs - Classical
The aim is to develop and perfect the natural movements of the horse. Exercises on the grounds required in dressage tests, ranging from walk, trot, and canter on a single track, through lateral work, when the horse moves sideways as well as forwards.
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Airs above the ground
Are high school movements in which the horse jumps into the air, i.e. ballotade, croupage, courbette, capriole, and levade. They were developed from the natural leaps of the hors.
Levade and pesade with the horse rising on bent hindlegs (rearing) and the forelegs tucked onto his chest.
Capriole where the horse leaps in the air and simultaneously kicks with his hind legs. When not kicking out the horse is performing a Ballotade.
In the courbette, the horse leaps several times on his hind legs without the forelegs touching the ground. A single leap on the hind legs is called a croupage.
