What is the purpose of a shank?
The shank is used to lead a horse, either around the shedrow, outside grazing, going over to the races etc. It provides a little more control over a lead rope as it can be attached either: a: over the nose (standard application) b: in the mouth c: over the top lip It is standard equipment for racehorses in the US. What does it mean when a horse is described as sour? A sour horse is a horse that no longer wishes to do what it is supposed to do. A horse can be described as “racetrack sour”, it no longer enjoys being around the racetrack. The only solution is to give the horse some time away from the environment from which it is sour. What does “on the bridle” and “off the bridle” mean? A horse is considered “on the bridle” if he / she is taking a nice hold of the rider while galloping, breezing or racing. Thus the rider / jockey has a nice hold of the reins and has plenty of horse (energy) underneath. You would hope that horses at the beginning of races are “on the bridle”. If a horse is
