Equestrianism

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For other uses, see Equestrian and Horse riding (disambiguation).
"Horseback" redirects here. For the back of a horse, see Back (horse).
"Horsewoman" redirects here. For the painting by Rudolf Frentz, see Horsewoman
(painting).

A young rider at a horse show in Australia

Lusitano riders of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, one of the "Big Four" most prestigious riding
academies in the world, alongside the Cadre Noir, the Spanish Riding School, and the Royal Andalusian
School.[1].

Equestrian tour on traditional local breed, Icelandic horses in Skaftafell mountains of Iceland

Equestrianism (from Latin equester, equestr-, equus, 'horseman', 'horse'),[2] commonly

known as horse riding (British English) or horseback riding (American English),
[3]
 includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes
the use of horses for practical working purposes, transportation, recreational activities,
artistic or cultural exercises, and competitive sport.
 Contents

 1Overview of equestrian activities

 2History of horse use
 3Horse racing
o 3.1Types of horse racing
 4International and Olympic disciplines
o 4.1Para-equestrian disciplines
 5Haute École
 6Horse shows
 7"English" riding
 8"Western" riding
 9Harness
 10Rodeo
o 10.1Timed events
o 10.2Roping
o 10.3"Rough Stock" competition
o 10.4International rodeo
 11Other equestrian activities
o 11.1Arena sports
o 11.2Horse sports that use cattle
o 11.3Defined area sports
o 11.4Cross-country sports
 12Health issues
o 12.1Mechanisms of injury
o 12.2Types and severity of injury
o 12.3Head injuries
o 12.4Rules on helmet use in competition
o 12.5Riding astride
 13Criticism of horses in sport
 14Horse riding on coinage
 15See also
 16References
 17External links

Overview of equestrian activities[edit]

Musicians riding horses, Tang dynasty

Horses are trained and ridden for practical working purposes, such as in police work or
for controlling herd animals on a ranch. They are also used in competitive
sports including dressage, endurance riding, eventing, reining, show jumping, tent
pegging, vaulting, polo, horse racing, driving, and rodeo (see additional equestrian
sports listed later in this article for more examples). Some popular forms of competition
are grouped together at horse shows where horses perform in a wide variety of
disciplines. Horses (and other equids such as mules) are used for non-competitive
recreational riding, such as fox hunting, trail riding, or hacking. There is public access to
horse trails in almost every part of the world; many parks, ranches, and
public stables offer both guided and independent riding. Horses are also used
for therapeutic purposes both in specialized para-equestrian competition as well as non-
competitive riding to improve human health and emotional development.
Horses are also driven in harness racing, at horse shows, and in other types of
exhibition such as historical reenactment or ceremony, often pulling carriages. In some
parts of the world, they are still used for practical purposes such as farming.[4]
Horses continue to be used in public service, in traditional ceremonies (parades,
funerals), police and volunteer mounted patrols and for mounted search and rescue.
Riding halls enable training of horse and rider in all weathers as well as indoor
competition riding.

History of horse use[edit]

Prehistoric cave painting, depicting a horse and rider

Main articles: Domestication of the horse and Horses in warfare

Though there is controversy over the exact date horses were domesticated and when
they were first ridden, the best estimate is that horses first were ridden approximately
3500 BC. Indirect evidence suggests that horses were ridden long before they were
driven. There is some evidence that about 3,000 BC, near the Dnieper River and
the Don River, people were using bits on horses, as a stallion that was buried there
shows teeth wear consistent with using a bit.[5] However, the most unequivocal
early archaeological evidence of equines put to working use was of horses being
driven. Chariot burials about 2500 BC present the most direct hard evidence of horses
used as working animals. In ancient times chariot warfare was followed by the use
of war horses as light and heavy cavalry. The horse played an important role throughout
human history all over the world, both in warfare and in peaceful pursuits such
as transportation, trade and agriculture. Horses lived in North America, but died out at
the end of the Ice Age. Horses were brought back to North America by European
explorers, beginning with the second voyage of Columbus in 1493.[6] Equestrianism was
introduced in the 1900 Summer Olympics as an Olympic sport with jumping events.

Horse racing[edit]
Main articles: Horse racing, Harness racing, and Parimutuel gambling
Humans appear to have long expressed a desire to know which horse or horses were
the fastest, and horse racing has ancient roots. Gambling on horse races appears to go
hand-in hand with racing and has a long history as well. Thoroughbreds have the pre-
eminent reputation as a racing breed, but other breeds also race.
Types of horse racing[edit]
Under saddle:

 Thoroughbred horse racing is the most popular form worldwide. In the UK, it is
known as flat racing and is governed by the Jockey Club in the United Kingdom. In
the US, horse racing is governed by The Jockey Club. other light breeds are also
raced worldwide.
 Steeplechasing involves racing on a track where the horses also jump over
obstacles. It is most common in the UK, where it is also called National Hunt racing.
In harness:

 Both light and heavy breeds as well as ponies are raced in harness with a sulky or
racing bike. The Standardbred dominates the sport in
both trotting and pacing varieties.
 The United States Trotting Association organizes harness racing in the United
States.
 Harness racing is also found throughout Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
Distance racing:

 Endurance riding, takes place over a given, measured distance and the horses have
an even start. Top level races are usually 50 to 100 miles (80 to 161 km), over
mountainous or other natural terrain, with scheduled stops to take the horses' vital
signs, check soundness and verify that the horse is fit to continue. The first horse to
finish and be confirmed by the veterinarian as fit to continue is the winner. Limited
distance rides of about 25–20 miles (40–32 km) are offered to newcomers. Variants
include Ride and Tie and various forms of long riding.[7]

International and Olympic disciplines[edit]

Main articles: Equestrian at the Olympics and International Federation for Equestrian
Sports
Equestrian events were first included in the modern Olympic Games in 1900. By 1912,
all three Olympic disciplines still seen today were part of the games. The following forms
of competition are recognized worldwide and are a part of the equestrian events at the
Olympics. They are governed by the rules of the International Federation for Equestrian
Sports (FEI).

 Dressage ("training" in French) involves the progressive training of the horse to a

high level of impulsion, collection and obedience.[8] Competitive dressage has the
goal of showing the horse carrying out, on request, the natural movements that it
performs without thinking while running loose.
 Show jumping comprises a timed event judged on the ability of the horse and rider
to jump over a series of obstacles, in a given order and with the fewest refusals or
knockdowns of portions of the obstacles.
 Eventing, also called combined training, horse trials, the three-day event, the
Military or the complete test, puts together the obedience of dressage with the
athletic ability of show jumping, the fitness demands the cross-country
jumping phase. In the last-named, the horses jump over fixed obstacles, such as
logs, stone walls, banks, ditches and water, trying to finish the course under the
"optimum time." There was also the 'Steeple Chase' Phase, which is now excluded
from most major competitions to bring them in line with the Olympic standard.
The additional internationally sanctioned but non-Olympic disciplines governed by
the FEI are: combined driving; endurance; reining; and vaulting. These disciplines are
part of the FEI World Equestrian Games every four years and may hold their own
individual World Championships in other years. The FEI also
recognizes horseball and tent pegging as its two regional disciplines.
Para-equestrian disciplines[edit]
Para-equestrian competition at the international level, including the Paralympics, are
also governed by the FEI and offer the following competition events:

 Para-Equestrian Dressage is conducte