The first item on the Horsemanship Level One practical test is:
- Identify colour, near and off side, and twenty simple parts of the horse
Why do I need to know this?
While this type of knowledge may seem rather trivial or esoteric at first, it is actually quite important to be able to share the common language of equestrians. If you are asked to catch the chestnut mare and check her off hind pastern before tacking up, you’d better not come in from the field with the bay and be looking at her knees!
Going further For higher levels of Horsemanship you will need to know face and leg markings, colour points, breeds, types, and conformation. The Manual of Horsemanship is a good starting point, and there is a wealth of information available online.
