Show Jumping is probably the most well-known equestrian discipline, requiring a rider and horse to jump over between ten and 13 obstacles - which can measure as high as 1.6m - without touching them. This discipline requires the rider and horse to be in perfect harmony, as many factors such as momentum, speed, the course, and the number and length of strides taken must be combined in order to achieve a flawless performance.
Eventing has military origins and was developed to test the abilities of horses intended for the armed forces. This competition has evolved gradually to become a fully-fledged discipline today.
Endurance only became a competitive sport in the 1950’s and only appeared in Europe in the 1960’s. In 1982, the FEI recognised endurance as an official discipline and since then the number of riders has continually increased.
Reining, which comes from the United States, is often described as a Western form of dressage riding, as it requires the horse to be responsive and in tune with its rider, completing a series of precise patterns of circles, spins, and stops.
Para-equestrian Dressage is the only equestrian discipline in the Paralympic Games. In 2010, it became part of the competition programme of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Lexington, Kentucky for the first time.
Shorter version showcasing all of the different disciplines that will be at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy.
Dressage is one of three Olympic equestrian disciplines and it is often considered the parent of the others. Indeed, no other discipline can be mastered without horse and rider first learning the control and technique involved in the principles of dressage.
“Horses were driven long before they were ridden!” Driving is one of the oldest competitive equestrian sports. It is a discipline without a rider but with a driver who drives a carriage drawn by between one and four horses.
Vaulting owes its beginnings to military training in ancient Greece. Its original premise was the need for balance when in battle and when one’s hands were full of weapons!