The action of horseback riding can be carried out as entertainment, in the military context, as therapy for people with disabilities or as a sports discipline. Horse riding, also called horse riding, is an equestrian sport and has three different modalities: dressage, show jumping and full competition.
Dressage
It is carried out on a 20 x 60 m track and consists of the rider getting the horse to move its legs in different ways and with the greatest harmony and beauty possible. There are three movements or gaits: walk, trot and gallop (between the walk and the trot you can also trotinate).
The rider-horse pairing performs a series of gaits such as the Piaffe or the Passage and the harmony that they communicate with them is valued by some judges. Dressage has been integrated into the Olympic Games since its edition in Stockholm in 1912 and it is a discipline in which men and women compete together.
Show jumping
As its name suggests, the rider and his horse must cross a series of obstacles along a course within a track. The winner of the test is the one who knocks down the fewest obstacles in the shortest time possible. This modality has been part of the Olympic Games since the Paris edition in 1900.
Show jumping is also integrated into another Olympic sport, the modern pentathlon. This discipline consists of five events: the aforementioned jumps plus pistol shooting, fencing, swimming and cross-country running.
Full contest
This discipline includes three differentiated competitions: dressage, cross-country jumping and track jumping. The three tests are carried out over three days and the rider is obliged to always ride the same horse. This modality is also an Olympic sport.
Basic terminology
Like all sports, horse riding has its own vocabulary. The horse must have a saddle or saddle, reins and a bridle to handle it and stirrups to get on it. The bit is the part of the bridle that goes into the horse's mouth. The task of placing the different pieces or harness is called harnessing.
The classical art of horsemanship is also known as high school. The right end of an obstacle is marked with a red flag and the left with a white one. Horse breeds are classified according to their color and coat and some of them are sorrel, albino or bay.
In the world of horsemanship, horses are divided according to their temperament into "cold blood", "warm blood" and "warm blood", the latter being the most valued for most sports competitions. The rules established by the International Equestrian Federation are known as scales.
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