Checkrein

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An instrument used to control a horse's movement by guiding its head while riding
2. A type of restraint that manages the direction and speed of an animal to prevent it from rushing forward
3. A device for maintaining control over the horse's head, facilitating safe riding and steering during activities

Etymology: A checkrein is a horse's bridle strap that runs from the saddle or girth up to the bit, holding the head in position. Its name is plain compounding: "check" in its older sense of restraining or curbing, joined to "rein," the strap used to steer and control a horse. The "check" element comes from Old French "eschec," a term from the game of chess meaning the king is under threat, which is also the source of "check" in the sense of halting or holding back. The two parts were meant to work together. The rein steers, while the checkrein restrains the head so the horse cannot drop its nose or swing its head down to the ground, which made the animal easier to keep under control at speed or on uneven ground. The compound is a technical coinage from the horse-riding tradition, and the sense of "check" as restraint is the one that carries through into the word.

Synonyms: reins, leash, control, restraint, curb