Eventing Nation: (in)Famous Eventing Netspeak, Part 1

LOL actually means Lame On Left… and other ways to translate netspeak for eventers. By the (in)Famous Lindsay Kahn.

Read the following sentence aloud: “My prelim gelding goes better in a low-port Pelham during dressage, but I jump XC and stadium in a hackamore.” To non-horsey people, this probably sounds like some kind of bizarre word salad, but those in the know can easily translate these familiar phrases. This is a similar phenomenon to the blank expression I get when I read status updates and tweets overflowing with abbreviations, acronyms and hashtags. So perhaps I’m old-fashioned or just a little slow on the uptake. But maybe if these literary shortcuts were adjusted to fit the equestrian language I speak fluently, it could help me communicate conveniently with fellow riders.

Ever wonder what various trendy “netspeak” acronyms might stand for in the eventing world? Here are five possibilities:

1- LOL = “Lame On Left”

Example: “Didn’t ride Fancy today, LOL.”

Illustration by Lindsey Kahn

2- BRB = “Bringing Right Bit”

Ex: “Going to trailer, BRB.”

Illustration by Lindsey Kahn

3- BTW= “Bony Thoroughbred Withers”

Ex: “You should use a half-pad when you ride Topper, BTW.”

Illustration by Lindsey Kahn

4- FML= “Four Mares Loose”

Ex: “The warm-up ring was chaotic today, FML.”

Illustration by Lindsey Kahn

5- GTFO = “Get the Flyspray Out”

Ex: “GTFO before the horses get eaten alive!”

Illustration by Lindsey Kahn

Have any other suggestions for funny eventing slang? Eventing Nation wants your ideas! Send your (in)Famous eventing netspeak examples to [email protected] or comment here!

Go Eventing. YOLO.