Trust me, I’m not exaggerating with that title. Before I became a full-time writer, I spent my days teaching riding lessons. I went to university for Equine Sciences, and spent my teenage years apprenticing under a marvelous horseman who taught both working cowhorse and fixed ‘problem’ horses.
Note: if a term isn’t defined, feel free to ask for the definition in the comments. It likely isn’t a term you would want to use in a fantasy setting, but further education is always awesome!
Getting the Details Correct: Why Does It Matter?
Immersion, first and foremost. Horseback riding is not an uncommon hobby, especially among fantasy readers. While some readers are fairly forgiving of issues, it’s one of my personal biggest pet peeves. So to make it easy for writers, here are all the major details most people don’t know, don’t get correct, etc etc.
The Basics: horse 101
Anatomy
Hoof & Leg
Horses stand on what is the equivalent to the human middle fingernail. The leg is the equivalent of the finger. That’s why horse legs are spindly and fragile.
hooves need to be picked out by their caregivers (riders or grooms) at minimum before and after riding. Debris can get caught in the grooves of the hoof (or in the shoes) which can lead to injuries (think of if you had a piece of gravel jammed under your fingernail and then had to type with it)
Mouth
Horses have a space between their incisors before their molars, which is where the bit fits in their mouth.
The older the horse is, the more ground down their teeth are and the harder it is for them to break down forage.
Eyes
Horses have horizontal pupils, though their eyes are dark enough you don’t normally see them. Because their eyes are on the sides of their heads, they have blind spots directly in front of their nose, below their neck, and behind their tail.
Horses have terrible depth perception. They aren’t colorblind, but they are dichromatic (unlike humans who are trichromatic) and see blues and greens. No reds.
Mares are female, stallions are male. Geldings are castrated males. Foals are babies. Colts are male foals, fillies are female. Ponies are horses that are under 14.2 hands (a hand is four inches and is the measurement for a horse at the withers)
Tack (Gear)
Halters & Lead Ropes/Shanks
Rope or leather that goes around a horse’s muzzle, along the cheeks, and then behind the ears and below the jaw. Depending on the time period and culture, these can be plain and simple or highly decorated.
Arabian halters are usually styled differently as a thing chain that goes behind the ears, sometimes across the brown, down the cheeks and around the muzzle.
Halters do not have anything go into the horse’s mouth and the lead rope attaches underneath it. Halters can be left on when the horse is being ridden (under the bridle) and the lead rope can be tied around the neck or attached to the saddle if there is a place for it.
Bridles
The general style of a bridle is similar to a halter, except that instead of having a piece that attaches around the muzzle (a noseband), the cheek pieces attach to the bit.
Reins attach to the bit and then go back to the rider. There are two main types of rein: split reins and loop reins. Loop reins are one single piece of leather (or two that buckle or tie together in the middle) from one end of the bit to the other. Split reins are two pieces of leather, one for each side of the bit. Managing split reins can be very difficult for beginner riders (I always tied them together to make a loop rein or just gave my students loop reins until they mastered the basics).
Bits
There are too many different types to break down and this isn’t for the faint of heart to play around with. If you really want to get into this level of detail, comment and I’ll give you more info!
Bitless Bridles, Hackamores, Riding Halters, etc.
Lead ropes can be made into loop reins and the halter can be turned into a bitless bridle in this way. The average, well started horse will understand the pressure cues being given this way.
Saddles
Modern day saddles come in two main types: western and english. Both of these riding styles have ancient roots. Western saddles are bulkier, with a horn in the front. English saddles are smaller and lightweight.
Many ‘working saddles’ have a built up pommel area in the front of the saddle (in front of where your thighs would be if you were in the saddle). Consider what sort of setting you have, what kind of tools horses are being used for, etc. in your worldbuilding to figure out what kinds of saddles make the most sense.
Cinch/Girth
Cinch is the western term for the band that goes underneath the horse’s belly and keeps the saddle in place. Girth is the english term for it. As long as you keep consistent, either word is an acceptable term to use. To tack up properly, you need to “tighten the cinch”.
Stirrups need to be adjusted between riders that have different leg lengths. So if you have an extremely tall character and an extremely short one, please take a moment to adjust the stirrups before they sit in a saddle the other was riding in.
Saddle Blankets
Saddle blankets go underneath the saddle as a protective layer between the saddle and the horse. Western style saddles have lambskin on the underside of the saddle to have additional padding for the horse, but still require a blanket.
English style saddle blankets (saddle pads) are smaller and thinner than the western blankets as the english saddle is smaller and lighter.
““Are you sure you are?” Loralee asked, glancing dubiously at Jin’s tack. Loralee handed her mare to Jin before double-checking the amira’s saddle. The cinch tightened an inch. Loralee buckled the clip and retied the knot before taking her mare back from Jin.”
Diet & Care Needs
Obligate herbivores with one stomach, horses need frequent small meals to keep their gut-fill at appropriate levels. Large meals several times a day is harder on a horse’s body.
Horses primarily eat roughage (grasses). They can also have their diet supplemented with different grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Fun fact: horses don’t get drunk off beer.
Personality & Body Language (They Aren’t Dogs)
Horses are prey animals first and foremost, unlike dogs, and react to the world through that lens. It means there is a high likelihood of horses spooking at nothing, or at dark spots on the ground. They tend to be cautious at water crossings unless trained. They can be loyal, but they certainly don’t do things like wag their tails happily.
Whinnying and nickering aren’t anywhere near as common a behaviour as movies and television would have you believe (once again, prey animals). Horses will shriek, whinny, and nicker to communicate with each other for different reasons.
Blowing (exhaling loudly) in combination with lip licking is a stress relief/self soothing behaviour.
Horses greet each other by sniffing noses and smelling breath. A horse will do the same with a person or an animal that comes up to it (like a dog or a cat).
Pinned ears are a threat and sign of imminent danger. Pinned ears are usually followed by nipping, biting, shrieking, striking, and/or kicking
Striking is with the forelegs, kicking with the back legs.
HERD DYNAMICS
Lead Mare
decides where the herd stops to graze, drink, etc. etc.
helps decide whether or not spooking is necessary
Lead Stallion
protects the herd from predators and competition
Mares
make up the rest of the herd. These may be a group of sisters and aunts, but mares will come and go from herds as other stallions harass/steal mares, so they aren’t always related. Liking the stallion has a greater bond than family.
Bachelor Bands
colts (male foals) are kicked out of their birth herds when they reach sexual maturity. For safety, they will often form bachelor bands. During mating season, these bands may break up or splinter depending on whether there are herds with mares nearby.
Gaits (speeds)
Walk (4 beat)
Trot (2 beat, diagonals)
Canter/Lope (3 beat)
Gallop (4 beat with hang time)
