Phrases that get up your nose?

Be free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the word 'spooked' wasn't around 40 years ago, it used to be known as 'shy'.
 
You say that red-1 but in my few experiences of selling horses, they've always done something entirely out of character. I've HAD to utter those words. And luckily I've been believed and the horses haven't missed out on lovely homes because of it!

My peeve is 'leg in each corner'. Well. Really? My horses legs are all along one side.

Me too!! Not selling but letting various people ride the nag. Cantering INTO the fence Was the most recent incident. He's only naughty if I've assured them he's nice to ride...
 
I am surprised how many people hate the phrase 'poo picking' - if you are "poo picking the fields" you're picking up (horse) poo in the fields. There is nothing misleading or irritatingly cute in that. I can't think of a more word efficient way to describe the action!

perhaps 'crap collecting' or the obvious '**** shovelling' is preferred ? don't have a problem with the phrase although the actual job is tedious :)
 
It's really funny what annoys some people and not others. I am sure all hobbies, professions and sports will have their own slang terms and I LOVE that the horsey world has so many weird and wonderful phrases.

"A leg at each corner" doesn't annoy me if it is used in context because the phrase tells me something about the horse in the same way "he has both fore-legs coming out of the same hole." means something.

I wouldn't get annoyed at someone describing my horse as herring gutted because it makes my horse sound like a fish that lost a fight with a knife. I would know the person meant and actually agree with them!

You have horses that brush, dish, plait or speedicut, some have a daisy cutting movement. You've got cribbing and weaving or windsucking, some horses have socks whilst others have stockings and parrot mouth or a ewe neck; they can shy, spooky, jib, bolt, nap or tie up and get thrush. You muck out, skip out and water your horse, you can even strap it or quarter it.

All of it sounds bonkers when you think about the words 'literally' but they all means something and is usually a quicker way of saying something long winded.

Horsey phrases only annoy me if they are so vague they have no meaning or if they are used in the wrong context or an outright lie - but that is the fault of the user, not the phrases!
 
Quote: "You muck out, skip out and water your horse, you can even strap it or quarter it."

Sorry, completely off topic but this reminds me of a lovely joke - is it correct to say that you water your horse? In that case, I'm just off to milk the cat.
 
Hee hee. I've gone from the vaguely amusing image of someone standing with a watering can sprinking their horse's hooves to the 2nd vaguely disturbing one!
 
"How many were in the class" when asked in response to you saying that you have been placed. Roughly translates to "my god, I always thought you were utterly hopeless so presumably you were the only competitor and had I bothered going you would have been one place lower."

Yup! Why be happy for me and my horse when you can just scrutinise our results and compare the competition instead! :D

'It's pelvis is/was out'.....

Another major annoyance to me. You're seriously telling me that there are hundreds of horses out in fields with wonky pelvises?! Not buying it.
 
I work on freight trains. When they have 2000 tonnes up their chuff, and you stick them in notch 8, trust me they pull.

When they have 2000 tonnes up thir chuff?! Sorry, but this just made me laugh the most out of all the replies. It just sounds so wrong in every way that I almost feel sorry for the train! :D
 
Pony for sale.
17.3 3yo recently gelded.
One not to be missed, perfect stamp of a horse, stunning, with a leg in each corner, bombproof, Im not an expert, but first to see will buy, perfect ponio, huge potential will go far in the right hands, horse came to me as a rescue, bridle lame, pelvis out, not lame but stiff, chucked it on a tether to chill for 2 weeks, now he works on the bit and has a massive scopey jump, doesnt bat and eyelid at anything or put a hoof wrong, quirky but ploddy, carted and pulls like a train, perfect on the longe, flashy horse with flashy paces, dope on a rope, does natural horsemanship, perfect in everyway, he is such a dude, and pops a jump or cross country questions like a stag, produced superb offspring, manners to burn, out of MR Super fantastic never seen before sire, old head on young shoulders, follows you around like a dog, Genuine sale, No novice or tyrekickers. £9238659238ONO

:D couldnt resist, SORRY!
QUOTE]

Loving it

He sounds lovely :)

How's his 'confirmation'?

Lol :p

Iv just thought of another 'mareish'. I hate that word & hate that some people think bad behaviour is attributed to the gender of a horse. Usually find people who say it are trying to make excuses for their own lack of ability to control their horse. Iv seen plenty of terribly behaved/aggressive geldings & they are never called 'gelding-Ish'! I also hate 'typical chestnut mare'. I find it akin to 'typical (insert ethnic origin here) female'. Total unacceptable nonsense!!
 
Last edited:
"How many were in the class" when asked in response to you saying that you have been placed. Roughly translates to "my god, I always thought you were utterly hopeless so presumably you were the only competitor and had I bothered going you would have been one place lower."

Don't see a problem asking how many in a class - surely the more in the class, and the higher up someone comes, the better they have done and the more you can be pleased for them?

What grates me is people how make out to everyone who wasn't present that they have done really well to have been placed 2nd/3rd/4th etc etc, when in actual fact they came last...to me that's just glory hunting....
 
He sounds lovely :)

How's his 'confirmation'?

Lol :p

Iv just thought of another 'mareish'. I hate that word & hate that some people think bad behaviour is attributed to the gender of a horse. Usually find people who say it are trying to make excuses for their own lack of ability to control their horse. Iv seen plenty of terribly behaved/aggressive geldings & they are never called 'gelding-Ish'! I also hate 'typical chestnut mare'. I find it akin to 'typical (insert ethnic origin here) female'. Total unacceptable nonsense!!


Funny you should say about mareish, that is exactly what I was thinking whilst typing it.

The horse, his head is the same size as his @$$ and he could win a race by stepping forward his back is that long, but he is just one of a kind...
 
I have a major gripe with 'stand UP' lately. Mainly because a girl at the yard yells it at her pony (it is a pony, I promise!) constantly, when the poor thing doesn't seem to be doing much at all. I had a giggle earlier actually as she seemed to use it as some sort of separable verb, as in 'stand [name of horse] UP!'. I suppose the pony is doing a good job at standing up though, since I am yet to see her sitting down.
 
Ooh, one that upsets me is 'make it submissive'. Every word in there makes me cringe. I hate the 'make', I hate the 'it' and I hate the idea that my horse has to be subservient in order to work properly.

I know most people use it to mean 'don't let him/her argue with you', but eeek, really struggle when instructors use it.
 
How about 'oh she's just a happy hacker' - usually said by someone who is too terrified to hack their own horse out.
Also it implies that all hackers are happy - I reserve the right to be a miserable old hacker :)
 
What grates me is people how make out to everyone who wasn't present that they have done really well to have been placed 2nd/3rd/4th etc etc, when in actual fact they came last...to me that's just glory hunting....

Or maybe they weren't aware of how many was in their class? I know I did that at my last comp as a few had withdrawn.
 
Top