Thank you so much to visiting my blog. I really enjoyed learning loads more about all of these equine sports. I learnt so much about my favourite animal, the horse and all of the sports that horses are involved in. Being able to ride a horse is a great thing to be able to do. I highly recommend that you go out and find your nearest riding stables and give it a try. What have you got to lose?
Thank You!
Thursday 29 September 2016
Barrel Racing
Barrel racing is a rodeo sport that involves racing around a number of barrels within a certain time. The sport was usually set up for woman because they wanted to get involved in rodeo as the men were always taking part in bull riding. The pattern done by the rider was usually a simple figure of eight but to make it harder it was changed to the shape of a cloverleaf.
The very first Barrel racing event took place in Texas and was held by a group of woman from the 'Girls Rodeo Association'. The sport has grown and the name has also changed but it is now one of the most popular Rodeo sports. It is also now open for male and females.
The rider is judged on the speed the course is completed and the time is usually recorded on a stopwatch or a laser system which is a little machine that catches the exact time it takes the horse and rider to go around the three barrels following the pattern. The horse will already be going very fast when it enters the arena and it will head straight for the first barrel then the second and then the third and out again. The rider can decide to start with the barrel on the left or on the right. If a barrel is moved or knocked over, five seconds is added to the time.
The rider must wear an old western long sleeved shirt tucked in, western jeans, a western hat and also western boots. The horse is tacked normally with no extra special equipment. Its a very popular sport but isn't played a lot in Ireland.
The very first Barrel racing event took place in Texas and was held by a group of woman from the 'Girls Rodeo Association'. The sport has grown and the name has also changed but it is now one of the most popular Rodeo sports. It is also now open for male and females.
The rider is judged on the speed the course is completed and the time is usually recorded on a stopwatch or a laser system which is a little machine that catches the exact time it takes the horse and rider to go around the three barrels following the pattern. The horse will already be going very fast when it enters the arena and it will head straight for the first barrel then the second and then the third and out again. The rider can decide to start with the barrel on the left or on the right. If a barrel is moved or knocked over, five seconds is added to the time.
The rider must wear an old western long sleeved shirt tucked in, western jeans, a western hat and also western boots. The horse is tacked normally with no extra special equipment. Its a very popular sport but isn't played a lot in Ireland.
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| Photo Credit: cjuneau |
Monday 19 September 2016
Equestrian Vaulting
Equestrian Vaulting is basically gymnastics on horse back. It first started as a circus sport but is now classed as a proper sport and is quite popular. This can be a competitive sport or just for pleasure. It is also very calming and has been used for adults and children that have balance or social difficulties.
Equestrian vaulting is when a horse moves around in a circle and is being lead by a lunger that stands in the middle. The rider then has to perform a number of exercises and movements on the horses back. When competing you can either go as a group of 2-3 people or go freestyle by yourself. For group work each performance is four minutes long and a dance like act is done to music. The riders do a lot of balancing skills and also do some typical cheer leading moves. For example, two riders would perform a balance on the horses back while they throw a third rider in the air. An individual person will perform a one minute freestyle act. If the rider is really experienced they will do things such as handstands, jumping on and off the horse and some tumbling. A performer is judged on balance, skill and movement. The horse can also sometimes be judged.
The horse isn't saddled but does wear a thick padding for protecting its back that also has a small bar to help the rider perform tricks. There are also small hoops used as stirrups if needed. The horse wears a bridle and the lunge rope is usually tied to the mouth bit on the left side. When competing the riders can wear coloured leotards. This makes it easier to perform tricks and it makes sure that a performer isn't wearing anything that could hurt the horse.
This sport is not commonly played in Ireland but can be seen.
Equestrian vaulting is when a horse moves around in a circle and is being lead by a lunger that stands in the middle. The rider then has to perform a number of exercises and movements on the horses back. When competing you can either go as a group of 2-3 people or go freestyle by yourself. For group work each performance is four minutes long and a dance like act is done to music. The riders do a lot of balancing skills and also do some typical cheer leading moves. For example, two riders would perform a balance on the horses back while they throw a third rider in the air. An individual person will perform a one minute freestyle act. If the rider is really experienced they will do things such as handstands, jumping on and off the horse and some tumbling. A performer is judged on balance, skill and movement. The horse can also sometimes be judged.
The horse isn't saddled but does wear a thick padding for protecting its back that also has a small bar to help the rider perform tricks. There are also small hoops used as stirrups if needed. The horse wears a bridle and the lunge rope is usually tied to the mouth bit on the left side. When competing the riders can wear coloured leotards. This makes it easier to perform tricks and it makes sure that a performer isn't wearing anything that could hurt the horse.
This sport is not commonly played in Ireland but can be seen.
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| Photo Credit:Voltige123 |
Polo
Polo is a game played on horse back in a big field. There are two teams and each player has a long mallet which they use to hit a plastic or wooden ball into the goal of the other team. Polo has been around for a very long time.
Horses that play polo have to be specially trained to do their job correctly. They are trained to move very quickly and to cope well with pressure and sudden movements. Horses can get tired easily, especially in such a long game. So many players would have a second horse that they would switch to during the game. The horses also train to get used to their rider holding the reins with one hand and be able to respond to the riders leg movements and weight during the game. Polo can be played inside an arena or it can be played in a field which is more common with the full team of four a side. When it's played inside, there are only 3 players a side because of the smaller space which makes it more difficult.
The basic rules of Polo are that the rider can only hold the mallet in their right hand and if the ball is hit, that rider would have the right away. To get the ball away from the opponent, the attacker must come up beside the other pony and compete for the ball shoulder to shoulder trying to knock the other player off the line of the ball. It's against the rules if another pony turns in front of a pony or they attack head on. A mallet can never touch the horse or the rider.
Polo is a sport played in Ireland and it is also an Olympic sport. There are a number of Centers that play Polo. This year the Irish Polo Team won the 2016 European Championships in Berlin.
Horses that play polo have to be specially trained to do their job correctly. They are trained to move very quickly and to cope well with pressure and sudden movements. Horses can get tired easily, especially in such a long game. So many players would have a second horse that they would switch to during the game. The horses also train to get used to their rider holding the reins with one hand and be able to respond to the riders leg movements and weight during the game. Polo can be played inside an arena or it can be played in a field which is more common with the full team of four a side. When it's played inside, there are only 3 players a side because of the smaller space which makes it more difficult.
The basic rules of Polo are that the rider can only hold the mallet in their right hand and if the ball is hit, that rider would have the right away. To get the ball away from the opponent, the attacker must come up beside the other pony and compete for the ball shoulder to shoulder trying to knock the other player off the line of the ball. It's against the rules if another pony turns in front of a pony or they attack head on. A mallet can never touch the horse or the rider.
Polo is a sport played in Ireland and it is also an Olympic sport. There are a number of Centers that play Polo. This year the Irish Polo Team won the 2016 European Championships in Berlin.
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| Photo Credit: Siddha |
Sunday 4 September 2016
Show Jumping
Show Jumping is a relatively new equestrian sport. It came about just after the Enclosure Acts in 1801. Once fences and other boundaries were put up, people who wanted to start jumping needed horses that would get over these obstacles.
The sport was not popular at first as the riders would go off cross country and the spectators found it difficult to follow. It was then moved to inside an arena which was a lot more popular and was called Leaping. This first appeared in Dublin in 1869 as Horse Leaping which is now the Dublin Horse Show.
Jumping was done with a deep seat and long stirrups. This was preferred and it meant the horse would feel more free going over the jumps. But years later, forward position and short stirrups were introduced making it easier for the rider without interfering with the balance of the horse.
Now, Show Jumping is very commonly found all over the world. We have our own Dublin horse show and it is also an Olympic sport. The horse and rider get four faults if the horse knocks a pole from the jump. The course must also be completed within time or time penalties will be added. Denis Lynch, Bertram Allen, Greg Broderick and Cian O'Connor were our Irish team at the Aga Khan Nations Cup at the Royal Dublin Horse Show this year. They were narrowly beaten by Italy in a dramatic jump off. Ireland also has 8 jumpers in the top 100 show jumpers in the world.
The sport was not popular at first as the riders would go off cross country and the spectators found it difficult to follow. It was then moved to inside an arena which was a lot more popular and was called Leaping. This first appeared in Dublin in 1869 as Horse Leaping which is now the Dublin Horse Show.
Jumping was done with a deep seat and long stirrups. This was preferred and it meant the horse would feel more free going over the jumps. But years later, forward position and short stirrups were introduced making it easier for the rider without interfering with the balance of the horse.
Now, Show Jumping is very commonly found all over the world. We have our own Dublin horse show and it is also an Olympic sport. The horse and rider get four faults if the horse knocks a pole from the jump. The course must also be completed within time or time penalties will be added. Denis Lynch, Bertram Allen, Greg Broderick and Cian O'Connor were our Irish team at the Aga Khan Nations Cup at the Royal Dublin Horse Show this year. They were narrowly beaten by Italy in a dramatic jump off. Ireland also has 8 jumpers in the top 100 show jumpers in the world.
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| Photo Credit; Eponimm |
Thursday 1 September 2016
Introduction
Hey,
My name is
Lauren and this blog will be about horses. I will be blogging about different
types of horses and also on the different sports they are involved in. I love
horses myself and I hope you will learn new things that may interest you.
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