Equestrianism facts for kids

A horse being ridden by a man in a dressage competition

A young rider at a horse show in Australia

A Welsh pony in fine harness competition

Girls and their horses preparing for a polo game

Equestrianism (also called horse riding) is a sport where people ride horses. It is very popular in countries like the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and many parts of Europe. Horses take part in many different kinds of competitions.

There are two main styles of riding: English and Western. English riding includes three events seen in the Olympic Games: cross country, dressage, and show jumping. In show jumping, riders guide their horses over obstacles. Western riding events are not part of the Olympics.

Show Jumping: Leaping Over Obstacles

In show jumping, a rider guides a horse over a special course of jumps. They are timed to see how fast they can finish. The horse and rider must try not to knock down any of the jumps. The winner is the team with the fastest time and no knocked-down jumps.

There are many types of horse jumps. A vertical jump has only height. An oxer jump has both height and width. Combinations are two or three jumps placed close together. Not all horses are good at jumping. Most horses in show jumping are warmbloods. These horses were bred especially for equestrian sports. Show jumping has been a popular sport since 1900.

Dressage: Horse Dancing

Dressage is an event where horses do not jump. Instead, they show how well they listen to their riders. The horse and rider usually complete a set series of moves. Letters are placed around the arena to show where each movement should happen.

In dressage, the horse and rider can also perform a freestyle routine. This is often called "Dancing on Horseback." Dressage riders usually wear special tight pants called breeches. They also wear a blouse, a long coat, and a top hat. The moves horses perform in dressage are very graceful and fun to watch. Horses that compete in the Olympics have trained for many years to learn all the difficult moves.

Eventing: The Ultimate Horse Challenge

Eventing combines three different sports into one. These are dressage, show jumping, and cross country. This combined training comes from old military tests for cavalry (soldiers on horseback). In those days, a rider's life depended on their horse listening well.

Cross country makes eventing unique. It requires the horse to gallop at high speed over strong, natural-looking jumps. These jumps can be logs, stone walls, water, ditches, or banks. The cross country course is very long. At the Olympics, it can take up to 10 minutes to finish.

The dressage test makes sure the horse listens to the rider and is well trained. The cross-country course shows if the horse is fast and brave. This is because cross-country fences can look very scary. The show jumping part checks if the horse is still strong. They must do it the day after running the long cross country course. If the horse is too tired, it might hit the show jumps, making it harder to win.

Stock Work: Ranch Skills

Stock work started when horses were used on ranches. Riders used them to gather cows, sheep, or other animals. Today, horse shows have competitions that test these skills. These include:

• Cutting
• Reining
• Barrel racing
• Cattle Penning
• Calf roping
• Pole Bending

Driving: Horses Pulling Wagons

In the horse world, "driving" means a horse is pulling a type of wagon or cart. A person sitting on the wagon tells the horse where to go. Horses used for pulling wagons are usually bigger and heavier than most other horses. Their hooves are also much larger than a racing horse's.

Large horses are often calm, trustworthy, and good-natured. Some types of heavy horses include:

• Belgians
• Shires
• Clydesdales
• Friesian horses
• Gypsy Vanners

These calm horses are also good for beginners to learn with. Races where horses pull carts are called harness racing. The horses used for these races are usually smaller.

Barrel Racing: Fast Turns

Barrel racing is a sport where the rider guides the horse in a pattern around three barrels. The rider must be able to turn the horse very quickly around each barrel. The horse and rider team that completes the pattern the fastest wins.

Pleasure Riding: Just for Fun

Pleasure riding is riding a horse just for enjoyment, not for competitions. People ride horses on trails in forests, along quiet roads, or in arenas near their homes. Taking horse riding lessons can also be considered pleasure riding. It's all about having fun and enjoying time with the horse. Riding in a horse carriage can also be for pleasure.

Endurance riding is a long-distance horse race. There are two main types: competitive trail riding and endurance rides.

Racing: Speed and Agility

Horse racing tests how fast a horse can run. Different breeds of horses do different types of races. In the U.S., Thoroughbred racing is very popular. Only Thoroughbred horses can gallop around a track in these races.

There are also endurance races, trotting races, and steeplechases. Steeplechases involve horses galloping around a track with jumps. Most horses used for racing are ridden by professional riders called jockeys. Usually, the people who own or train the horse do not ride it in the races themselves.

Hunter-Jumper: Judging Rider and Horse

In Hunter-jumper events, people ride horses in various classes. These include Show jumping and Hunter-under-saddle. In these events, the rider is often judged, not just the horse. Any type of horse or pony can compete in Hunter-jumper classes.

Images for kids

• 

  Lusitano riders from the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, one of the most famous riding schools in the world.

• 

  People riding Icelandic horses in the mountains of Iceland.

• 

  Musicians riding horses, from the Tang Dynasty in ancient China.

• 

  A very old cave painting showing a horse and rider.

• 

  A Western rider showing how to trot.

• 

  A Cutting horse competition. The horse stops a cow from rejoining its herd.

• 

  A small group of horses in Texas.

See also

In Spanish: Hípica para niños