You might have noticed by now that I absolutely love collective nouns—like a “creep” of tortoises or a “murder” of crows! While I was out riding my magnificent trail horse, Poncho, this morning, I started wondering: is there an official collective noun for horseback riders?
Off to the internet I trotted to find out. As it turns out, the answer is a bit complicated.
An accepted collective noun for a group of riders is a cavalcade, which specifically describes a procession of riders traveling together as a group. However, if you are looking at a group of cavalry members, they are called a troop. Meanwhile, a group of riders competing against each other in a race or hunt is referred to as a field.
To make matters more interesting, there is a wide variety of terms for the riders themselves, which leads to distinct collective nouns for each specific type of handler: horseman, horsewoman, rider, jockey, cowboy, cowgirl, and, of course, equestrian.
The Weird World of Jockeys and Dressage
Jockeys have picked up a few highly unusual collective nouns over the years. A couple of the terms mentioned online are a widget or a weigh-out of jockeys.
“Weigh-out” makes perfect sense given the sport, but a widget? What on earth is a widget, and what does it have to do with horse racing? Being of a certain age, I remember “widget” simply being slang for a small, unnamed gadget. Nowadays, a widget is a mini-app or an interactive tool on your phone that provides quick access to information so you don’t have to open the full app. I still don’t quite understand how a group of jockeys makes up a widget!
Riders who engage in dressage have inspired a whole bunch of unique terms as well. Dressage is widely considered to be a sort of ballet on horseback, with the rider and horse acting as seamless partners in a dance. When referring to these competitors, you might hear terms like a team, a club, or a class. Other creative options include:
- A collection of riders: This plays on the dressage term “collection,” which refers to the horse shifting its center of gravity backward.
- A test of riders: Named after the complex dressage tests that competitors must memorize and perform.
- A tailcoat of riders: A nod to the fancy, formal attire dressage riders are famous for wearing.
My Personal Collective Noun
As I trail ride through the beautiful desert landscapes on my wonderful horse, I think I fall into an entirely different category. Given how lucky I feel to share these mornings with my equine companion, I think I belong in a privilege of riders.
Photo by Gerry Abernathy
Join Curtis on a Caribbean Adventure!
From the desert trails of Arizona to the sunny shores of the tropics, animal adventures are everywhere. Before my next equestrian outing, dive into the fictional adventures of a very special lizard in the Curtis Curly-tail Lizard Series!