Horsman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who is skilled at riding and managing horses ; a man who buys, sells or looks after horses as a trade
2. An expert horseback rider with a good command of the animal ; someone who deals in or tends to horses for a living
3. A capable equestrian who handles horses well ; a male dealer or keeper who works with horses professionally

Etymology: Horsman is an Old English compound, formed from "hors" (horse) and "man," and it has meant a skilled rider or horse-handler since the Middle Ages. Its surface is transparent, but it belongs to a family of similar formations, such as "horseman," which has long been the more common spelling. The older spelling without the e reflects the way the word was pronounced and written in earlier English, when compounds were often written as single words without a linking vowel. The word is best understood as a plain, productive compound rather than a term with a dramatic backstory. Its meaning has stayed close to its original sense: a person who rides or manages horses, often with a connotation of skill. The surprise, if any, lies in how little the word has changed while its spelling has drifted toward "horseman."