The Sport Of Show Jumping.

Show jumping is one of my very favorite equestrian events. Between the elegance of the horse and the amazing patterns that the horses and their riders are asked to perform is just amazing. Show jumping is judged based on whether or not a horse clears the jump, nicks it with his hoof, drops a rail, and the time in which the horse completes the pattern in. There is a course that the horse is supposed to perform.

Within this course there is different types of jumps that the horse is supposed to be able to perform. Some of these jumps include: verticals, spreads, double and triple combinations, and many turning of the direction. All this needs to be completed in a certain amount of time.

If there were two horses that completed a pattern perfectly, the time would be the determining factor. The fastest horse takes home the trophy. Before competing in a course, the riders are allowed to walk the course. This allows the rider to get a feel and know what to expect before jumping right in.

With higher level courses, the difficulty is increased. The width of the jump is decreased as well as the height of the jumps. There turns that the horse is required to do may be tightened so that the turn is harder.

The attire for a jumping class is very similar to that of an English class. One of the exceptions is that horses are allowed to wear protective leg gear. This is to make sure that the horse is not going to hurt its leg if it accidentally kicks a pole.

Jumping can be seen in the Olympics and is a highly competitive sport. Many warmbloods are also used for this event as well.

Show Jumping Video

What is Dressage?

Dressage is a competitive horse sport that according to the International Equestrian Federation is "the highest expression of horse training." In this sport, the horse and rider are supposed to work together with the horse understanding every que from the rider. The horse should respond to every que with willingness and ease. The horse and rider should perform as one. There are various levels that riders can participate in. In each level there is a pattern that the rider and the horse must perform. Within the pattern there are steps. Each steps are scored by the judge. Ten is the highest and zero is the lowest. A ten is the best that any rider can do and this is usually reserved for upper level riders and the Olympics. In a 4-H show you would not expect to see a rider walking out of the ring with a ten. At the end of the pattern your pattern is scored and your score is compared to the other riders score and you are then placed within your level.

Dressage horses are typically warmbloods. Warmbloods are horses that are of mid-size and they originated in Europe. Some specific breeds of these horses are the Traekner, Hanoverian, and Holsteiner.

The tack that is used for a dressage class is very similar to the English style of riding. The only exception is the saddle, in which a specific saddle is required. That saddle is called a dressage saddle.

There are many different maneuvers that a horse should be expected to perform. The most very basic steps include, ten and twenty meter circles. There usually is a free walk, extended walk, trot, and canter.

Here is a video of the Olympic trials: Olympic Trial Dressage Video.

Polo...A Shirt Or A Sport?

Polo is a horseback game in which the objective of the game is to score points against the other team. A mallet and wooden ball is used. The mallet is what is used to push the ball along the court and if you are lucky enough, into the opponents goal.

During outdoor polo, the field in which the game is played at can be up to 300 yards in length. There are four riders for the outdoor polo as where in indoor or arena style, there are only three players. This sport is played in sixteen different countries and is not a sport played in the Olympics.

There are rules and there is an umpire that is in the ring with the horses. When a penalty occurs he/ she will blow a whistle. When the ball is on the right side of the horse, this is considered the right of way. There are also fouls when a rider tries to intentionally harm another player.

The horses that are used for this event are called polo ponies. Many of these horses are a mix between Thoroughbreds or Thoroughbred crosses. Also, mounts should have different horses that they can trade between each different game so the horses do not get tired.

When there are four players on the field, player one is the most offense oriented person. Person number two is also important for offense reasons. They generally score points and are running around the field. Player number three is the most tactical player and they have the strongest hitting player. Lastly, player four is the most primary defensive player that tries to guard the other team from scoring.

What is Draft Pulling?

Draft horse pulling has been around for a long time. It originated back when neighbors would test to see who had the stronger horse. The horses that pull these heavy weights, are not your everyday Quarter Horse or Arabian. These are usually Draft horses that have been conditioned on a everyday basis. These horses are worked in order to keep their muscles and strength up to tip-top shape.

It has even been thought that this competition is harmful to the horses, but this is far from true. Draft horses are bred for their strength and ability to pull large weights. After a team has pulled their weight, the horses are proud of them selves.

There is certain equipment that is required for pulling a horse. You need to make sure that the collar of the horse fits properly. This is one of the most important things the puller can make sure is fitted properly. Another horse's collar is not going to fit every horse, they are specific for the horse. Next, the bridle and harness should also be fitted for the horse. It also is a lot of trial and error for attaching the bar to the actual pulling machine. These evener must know what to do and how to place the board on properly. This is extremely important and your horse will not pull correctly if you do not position it correctly.

Lastly, it is not unheard of for a man to have several different teams to pull on the pull day.

What is A Trail Class?

The common trail class is a class that included many different obstacles for your horse. There must be at least six obstacles that the rider is to perform. Of those six, three must be from the following list:

• open, pass through, and close gate.
• ride over at least four logs or poles that may be in a straight line, zigzag, curved, or raised

There also must be three obstacles from the following optional list:

• water
• serpentine obstacles at a walk or jog
• carrying of an object
• walk over a wooden bridge
• put on and remove a slicker
• side pass pole

These are some obstacles that are not permitted in a trial class:

• animals
• dismounting
• elevated poles or logs that roll
• flames, noise, dry ice, fire extinguishers
• ground tying
• hides
• jumps
• PVC poles
• rocking moving bridges
• tires
• water box

While judging the trail class, the rider should be able to ride the obstacles with a good speed that is appropriate for the course. Also, the horse should be alert and responsive to the rider. The overall look to the horse and rider should be natural. The judge wants to see that the horse and rider are working together. There should be no fake movements and the horse should be light on the bit and all cues that the rider is asking of the horse.

You will become disqualified if you:

• going out of order in the class
• illegal equipment or abuse of your horse
• obvious cues to lower the horse's head
• touching in front of the cinch
• rearing, bucking, etc.

What Are Mustangs?

A mustang is a free roaming horse that lives in North America. They originated here because of the Spanish bringing horses over into this country. Native Americans used the Mustangs on their settlements. It is common term to hear people call Mustangs wild horses, but in fact they have ancestry from tame horses. There are many Mustangs that do still run free in the plains and mountains of North America.

They are all managed by the Bureau of Land Management. This group trains a Mustang to round up all of the Mustang that are still in the wild. This makes it easier for the Bureau to keep tabs on all the wild horses that are out there. There are strict guidelines for adopting Mustangs. In order to make sure that they are not bought and sold for meat, the Bureau requires that you keep the Mustang for at least a year after you first purchase them.

There are many farmers that are mad at the Mustangs. They say that the Mustangs eat their crops and the food that their livestock need. 

It can be seen now that these Mustangs have been interbred with tame horses. Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, and even some draft breed characteristics are present in the Mustang.

Here is a short informational video clip about Mustangs: Mustang Video

Groundwork 101.

Groundwork is a fundamental part of training your horse. It is the first step in starting a young horse and can also be used to sharpen your older horse's skills. It also helps when you ride and it also can teach your horse new concepts. The following list is some different exercises that you can do with your horse.

1. Teach your horse to follow you without pulling on the lead line. Your horse should follow you, stop with you, and turn with you. This can be achieved by practice first off, but here are some pointers on how you can achieve this with your horse.
• Use a small whip and ask the horse to walk with you. You should be holding on to the line. If the horse does not move when you move your hand forward and begin to walk, give them a slight tap on the belly. Then ask the horse to stop. Place the whip in front of them as you stop. Continue this and eventually your horse will learn to follow you without the lead line or whip.
2. Teach your horse to back smoothly. This technique is extremely important when showing in showmanship. You want your horse to back in a nice manner with little effort.
• Begin by holding the lead line close to the halter. Apply pressure to your horse's face. As soon as they move their head toward their chest release. Do this until the horse knows that a little pressure and I move my head, the pressure is gone. Once the horse has mastered that, continue to apply pressure and the horse will try to shift his weight back.
3. You can also teach your horse to do transitions with you. This is also important for showmanship. You have already taught your horse how to follow you, stop, and smoothly back up so now you can begin combining it into one long session.
• You can start by walking along side your horse. Make different patterns like, walk, trot, stop, back. You can make a whole bunch of different combinations that your horse will enjoy. When you want to change directions, walk into your horse's shoulder, never pull the horse toward you.

Here is a video of different groundwork techniques that you can use that I did not mention above: Groundwork.

What is Horse Language?

Horses have their own way of communicating in herds and to you. They use their ears, tails, and face to communicate. Training a horse though is best achieved when you are on a mutual communication level rather than trying to dominate the horse. You want your training to be give and take, not constantly barking orders at your horse. They will not respond to this and in turn you will get an angry horse. First, lets look at how the horse uses their ears to communicate.

Figure 1, shows a horse with his ears pinned back. When a horse does this they are angry and mad and will probably bite you. If you are getting this expression out of your horse, you are doing something wrong before you get hurt.


Figure 1

Figure 2 shows an alert horse. The horse's ears are very forward and you can tell that he is looking at something or in interested in something. Sometimes, the horse may notice something and then get scared. If you are riding and your horse looks at something, try to identify it before your horse gets scared. This can also tell you that your horse is happy and excited. 

Figure 2

Figure 3 shows a horse that is paying attention to two separate things. This horse is paying attention to something behind him and in front of him. While riding, your horse may have his ear pointed in the back direction. This means that he is paying attention to you and your cues. This is different than a mad horse because the ear is still in the upright position, not pinned all the way down.

Figure 3

Horses can use their tails also to communicate. If your horse starts to swish their tail, the horse is irritated or does not like something. It can also indicate that he is uncomfortable. If the horse is carrying his tail just naturally he is more than likely happy.

Figure 4 shows a horse that is mad. We can tell this because his ears are pinned back, but we can see through his face that he is angry too. His head is lowered and he nose is pointed.

Figure 4

Figure 5 shows a horse that tasted something funny. This is not a mean gesture by any means. Sometimes stallions will show this when they smell mares.

Figure 5

The above pictures only touch the surface of how horses communicate. Once you are around horses often, you will become more acquainted with how they act to different things. The main thing tho to look at is their ears and facial expressions.