The World of Horses and Equestrian Sports

Why Horseback Riding is a Sport

When I was in junior high and high school, my classmates would often ask what kinds of sports I played. When I answered that I rode horses, I was invariably met with identical responses: “Horseback riding isn’t a sport!”

To this day, my adult friends have the same misconceptions about the difficulties of riding. They assert that it requires no muscle strength, coordination, or endurance, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Other than soccor, and perhaps hockey, riding is the most physically challenging sport that I have ever tried. Depending on your chosen sport, riding will exercise nearly all of the muscles in your body, and will quicken your heart rate almost instantly.

Equestrian sports have been a major part of the Olympics since 1896,when jumping became the first category. Since then, it has grown in fan base as well as participation, and the competition for the United States Olympic team is fierce. The most popular Olympic equestrian sport is three-day eventing, which will be described later on in the article.

If you are thinking of taking up horseback riding, or if you are considering several of the sports, it’s a good idea to be well-informed of your choices so that you can pick the sport that will work best with your abilities. Each sport requires a different set of skills, and has varying levels of difficulty. I have seen four-year-olds participate in western pleasure shows, but I have never seen anyone younger than seven in a three-day event.

I have divided the sports into two categories: western, english, and racing. The western sports are performed using a western saddle, and are geared towards the representation of life on the farm. The english sports use an english saddle, which is flat and has no “horn”. These sports are more refined and were the original “proper” sports of Great Britain many years ago.


WESTERN

Western events are performed using a western saddle, a western bridle, and other western gear. Riders wear a cowboy hat, a fancy western-style shirt or blouse, jeans, and cowboy boots. The horses are always groomed to perfection.