Horse racing and equestrian sports
Horse racing: this branch of horseback riding depends mainly on the talents of the horse. There are two types: speed racing and trotting.
Speed derby
This type involves two or more jockeys riding horses over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports and its basic premise - to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance - has remained unchanged since the earliest times.
Trotting or harness racing
A form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky.
Equestrian sports: the other branch of horseback riding, which depends mainly on the talents of the rider. Naturally, we cannot separate the capabilities of horse and rider. The outcome depends on the cooperation and harmony of the two. Equestrian sports are further divided into different sporting events.
Show jumping:
Show jumping (concours hippique) is a widely cultivated type of equestrian sport, in which each entrant must jump from six to 13 different obstacles set up along a fixed course (parcours) from 200 to 1, 100 m long and on a special field measuring no less than 75 x 40 m.
Dressage:
It is called the highest school of equestrian art, which is the art of putting a horse through various pacings (including the walk, trot, gallop, passage, and piaffe). Competitions are held in an area 20 x 40 or 20 x 60 m with programs of varying degrees of difficulty, usually to be carried out in 5-12 minutes. Judging is on a ten-point system. Dressage is occasionally referred to as "Horse Ballet."
3-day eventing:
It consists of dressage, an endurance test, and stadium jumping (the rider performs on the same horse for three days in succession). Dressage competition is held in an open area or an enclosed hall (20 x 60 m) with a program including exercises in the basic maneuvers (walk, trot, and gallop); the endurance test, for a distance of 23-34 km, is divided into four sections and includes road riding, a steeplechase, and cross-country jumping; the stadium jumping is held at a distance of 800-1,000 m with 13 obstacles not more than 120 cm high and ditches up to 3.5 m wide.
Driving:
One of the fastest growing of all equine competitive sports is Combined Driving. This sport has three different phases: dressage, marathon and cones. Each of these requires specific abilities of the driver (referred to as whip). The Dressage phase is a test driven from memory and tests the harmony between horse and driver and the physical development of the horse through the progressive levels of training. Then there are three or five sections to a marathon, in which the driver and navigator must judge the speed at which the horses need to travel so that the team arrives at each section within the time limits. In the final phase, the horse must prove he has recovered from the marathon by having the energy, skill and obedience to perform a complicated cone course. Cones, with balls on top, are set in a pattern and the driver must wind his way through the course and not touch a cone. If a cone is touched, the ball will fall and will count against the team.
Equestrian vaulting:
It is most often described as gymnastics and dance on horseback, which can be practiced both competitively and non-competitively. Vaulting has a history as an equestrian act at circuses, but its origins stretch back at least two-thousand years. It is open to both men and women, and is one of ten equestrian disciplines recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Therapeutic or interactive vaulting is also used as an activity for children and adults who may have balance, attention, gross motor skill, or social deficits. In competitive vaulting, vaulters compete as individuals, pairs (pas-de-deux), and teams. Beginner vaulters compete at the walk or trot while experienced vaulters compete at the canter. The vaulting horse moves in a 15-metre circle and is directed by a lunger (or "longeur") who stands in the center. In competitive vaulting, the rider will first be judged on a score from 1 to 10. If two competitors tie, then the horse is judged.
Endurance riding or driving:
It is based on controlled long-distance races. There are endurance rides worldwide. There are two main types of long-distance riding: competitive trail riding and endurance rides. In an endurance ride, the winning horse is the first one to cross the finish line while stopping periodically to pass a veterinary check that deems the animal in good health and fit to continue. There are also longer, usually multi-day, rides as well. As with human marathon running, many riders will participate to improve their horse's personal best performance and consider finishing the distance with a proper vet completion record to be a "win". Distances can be 20, 40, 80 or 120 km.
Polo:
It is a team sport played on horseback. The objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet. The traditional sport of polo is played at speed on a large grass field up to 300 yards (274 meters) long by 160 yards (146 meters) wide, and each polo team consists of four riders and their mounts. Field polo is played with a solid plastic sphere (ball) which has replaced the wooden version of the ball in much of the sport. In arena polo, only three players are required per team and the game usually involves more maneuvering and shorter plays at lower speeds due to space limitations of the arena. Arena polo is played with a small air-filled ball, similar to a small football. The modern game lasts roughly two hours and is divided into periods called chukkas (occasionally rendered as "chukkers"). Polo is played professionally in 16 countries.