Popular Riding Sports Explained

Eventing is an Olympic sport where a horse and rider teams compete over three days in dressage, show jumping, and cross-country.

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Learn More On the United States Eventing Association (-- USEA) Webpage

Learn More On the United States Dressage Federation (– USEF) Western Webpage

Equestrian vaulting incorporates gymnastics and dance on the back of a moving horse, and can be competitive or recreational. The horse is controlled by a person in the center of a circle called a lunger, and it moves around that person on a long rope called a lunge line. Riders learn the moves on equipment on the ground before they try it on the back of a horse. Large, sturdy horses that are even tempered and have consistent and rhythmic gaits make for good vaulting partners.

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Learn More On the American Vaulting Association Website

Combined driving is similar to eventing in that it has three phases, but you drive a horse from a carriage instead of riding it. The phases are dressage, a marathon section, which is similar to riding cross country in eventing, and a cone section which is similar to showjumping but you drive a horse or pony through an obstacle course instead of over jumps.

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Learn more on the USEF Combined Driving Webpage

Western Pleasure is a western style competition where the horses appear to be a pleasure to ride and very smooth and collected with minimal rein contact.

Learn More On the United States Equestrian Federation (– USEF) Western Webpage

Fox hunting has a long tradition of hunting a fox on horseback with a pack of foxhounds over open terrain. Participants must understand and follow the traditional rules and etiquette of of the sport. In current hunts in the United States, the fox is rarely killed. The hounds follow the scent of a fox (or coyote) until the animal hides underground, while the people on horseback follow the hounds. The horses are usually draft and thoroughbred crosses or full thoroughbreds, although any type of horse or pony can be used. The horse must be able to stop and stand, have endurance over long distances, and be able to jump solid obstacles.

Learn More On the Masters of Foxhounds Association and Founders Webpage