Equestrian Sports by Wikipedia
Historically, equestrians honed their skills through competitions,
games and races. Equestrian sports have the dual purpose of providing
entertainment for crowds and creating and preserving the excellent
horsemanship that was needed in battle. Many sports, such as dressage, eventing and show jumping, had origins in military training, which were focused on control and balance in both the horse and the rider. Other sports, such as rodeo, developed from practical skills such as those needed on working ranches. Sport hunting from horseback evolved from earlier practical hunting techniques.[139] Horse racing,
whether the horse was ridden or driven, evolved out of impromptu
competitions between riders or drivers. The evolving competitions,
requiring ever more demanding and specialized skills from both horse
and rider, resulted in the systematic development of specialized breeds
and equipment for each sport. The popularity of equestrian sports
through the centuries has resulted in the preservation of skills that
would otherwise have rapidly disappeared after horses stopped being
used in combat.[140]
Horses are trained to be ridden or driven in many different sporting events and competitions. Examples include show jumping, dressage, three-day eventing, competitive driving, endurance riding, gymkhana, rodeos and fox hunting.[141] Horse shows,
which have their origins in medieval European fairs, are held around
the world as venues in which horses are competed, exhibited and sold.
They host a huge range of classes, covering all of the mounted and
harness disciplines, as well as "In-hand"
classes where the horses are led, rather than ridden, to exhibit their
conformation. The method of judging classes varies depending on the
discipline, but winning awards usually depends on style and ability of
both horse and rider.[142] Sports such as polo
do not judge the horse itself, but rather use the horse as a partner
for human competitors as a necessary part of the game. Although the
horse assists this process and requires specialized training to do so,
the details of its performance are not judged, only the result of the
rider's actions—be it getting a ball through a goal or some other
achievement.[143] Examples of these sports of partnership between human and animal also include jousting (reenacting the skills used by medieval knights), in which the main goal is for one rider to unseat the other,[144] and buzkashi, a team game played throughout Central Asia, the aim being to capture a goat carcass while on horseback.[143]
Horse racing
is an equestrian sport and also a huge international industry, watched
in almost every nation of the world. There are three types: "flat"
racing; steeplechasing, i.e. racing over jumps; and harness racing, where horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a small, light cart known as a sulky.[145] A major part of horse racing's economic importance lies in the gambling associated with it.[146]
Communication between human and horse is paramount in any equestrian activity;[139] to aid this process horses are usually ridden with a saddle on their backs to assist the rider with balance and positioning, and a bridle or related headgear to assist the rider in maintaining control.[147] Sometimes horses are ridden without a saddle,[148] and occasionally, horses are trained to perform without a bridle or other headgear.[149] Many horses are also driven, which requires a harness, bridle and some type of vehicle.[150]
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