Equestrian glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms you meet when booking a lesson, keeping a horse or choosing a yard. Written for riders and new horse owners, and cross-linked into Saddl's directory so you can go straight from a definition to the yards that offer it.
Livery & keeping a horse
Livery is the arrangement under which a yard keeps your horse. The tiers differ mainly in how much of the daily care the yard does versus you.
- Livery
- The paid arrangement under which a yard houses and cares for a horse someone else owns. The tier sets how much the yard does versus the owner. Browse livery yards.
- DIY livery
- The most basic and cheapest tier. The yard provides a stable, grazing and usually hay and bedding, but the owner does all the daily care — mucking out, feeding, turnout and bringing in — themselves.
- Part livery
- Between DIY and full. The yard does some daily tasks (often weekday turnout, bringing in and feeding); the owner does the rest. Exact terms vary by yard.
- Full livery
- The most comprehensive and most expensive tier. The yard does all daily care — mucking out, feeding, turnout, often exercise — so the owner just arrives and rides.
- Grass livery
- The horse lives out at grass year-round rather than being stabled, with the owner doing daily checks. The lowest-cost option, suited to hardy horses.
- Working livery
- A reduced-cost arrangement where a riding school uses the owner's horse in lessons for an agreed number of hours a week, in exchange for lower fees.
Lessons & yard types
Not every yard teaches, and not every teaching yard is licensed the same way. These terms describe the common types.
- Riding school
- A yard that teaches people to ride using its own horses and instructors, usually council-licensed. Distinct from a livery yard, which houses privately owned horses. Find one on Saddl.
- Hack / hacking
- Riding out in the countryside — on bridleways, tracks or quiet lanes — rather than schooling in an arena. A “hack” is one such ride. Browse hacking centres.
- Schooling / flatwork
- Ridden training in an arena to improve technique. Flatwork is schooling without jumps — the foundation of balance and control beneath dressage and jumping.
- Lunging
- Exercising or training a horse from the ground on a long rein, the horse circling the handler. Used for fittening, schooling young horses and assessing soundness.
- Groundwork
- Handling and training done from the ground rather than in the saddle — leading, long-reining and in-hand work that builds trust and manners.
Accreditations & schemes
These badges tell riders that a yard meets an external standard. They are optional, so not every good yard holds one — but they are a useful shortcut.
- BHS approved
- A British Horse Society Approved Centre has passed BHS inspection of safety, welfare, facilities and teaching — the most widely recognised UK riding-school badge. See BHS-approved yards or the BHS vs ABRS guide.
- ABRS approved
- The Association of British Riding Schools runs its own inspected approval scheme for welfare, safety and instruction — an alternative or complement to BHS approval. See ABRS-approved yards.
- RDA centre
- A Riding for the Disabled Association centre provides riding and horse-care for disabled children and adults, with trained volunteers and suitable horses. Find RDA centres.
- Pony Club centre
- Delivers the Pony Club's training and badges to children who don't own a pony, using the centre's horses. Browse Pony Club centres.
- Riding Establishments licence
- Any UK yard hiring out horses or teaching for payment must hold this council licence, granted after a vet and inspector check safety, welfare and insurance.
Disciplines & facilities
The main ridden disciplines and the arena terms you will see on yard listings.
- Dressage
- Training a horse to perform balanced, obedient, precise movements on the flat, judged in tests. Browse dressage yards.
- Show jumping
- Riding a course of coloured fences against the clock without knocking them down. Browse show jumping yards.
- Eventing
- One competition across three phases — dressage, cross country and show jumping. Browse eventing yards.
- Trekking / trail riding
- Longer-distance leisure riding across open country, usually in a group and often beginner-friendly. Browse trekking centres.
- Manège / arena / school
- The enclosed, level, surfaced area where horses are schooled and taught. Indoor schools are roofed; outdoor arenas may be floodlit for winter use.
- All-weather surface
- Engineered arena footing — often sand mixed with fibre, rubber or wax — that drains and stays rideable in most weather, unlike grass.
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