LONGINES : partner of Equestrian Sports competitions

“We are committed to deliver successful sport at the Olympics and are passionate about universality and growing our sport to reach new audiences and develop talent around the world” FEI President Ingmar De Vos continued.

Is horseback riding hard on the body?

Horse riding, while generally beneficial for physical fitness and balance, can potentially lead to knee problems, especially if certain precautions are not taken: Possible Strain: Prolonged or improper riding posture can strain the knee joints.

What Is Equestrian

Tightness here can lead to lower back pain and poor leg position in the saddle. RIDER FITNESS IS a growing area of interest among the equestrian population and researchers. We are now finding out much more about what physical requirements make for better riders, sounder horses and improved performance. It also requires the pair of competitors to be in excellent shape and to trust each other. Riders have to overcome up to 40 various obstacles spread between 5700 and 6800m at the higher levels. They considered that full cooperation between the horse and rider was required as the ability to stride, change direction, and burst into a gallop were vital skills.

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The team event is the same as the individual event but the three participating riders’ scores are combined. This competition consists of a series of tests evaluating an exact sequence of movements with gradually increasing difficulty. The amount of time and dedication required to simply build a partnership with a horse, let alone getting to the point of being able to compete at a high level, should NOT be underestimated. From the outside, it may look like the rider is simply ‘sitting there’ and it is the horse doing all the work (I think I speak for all riders when I say this is probably the most frustrating stereotype of all!). However, the amount of precision, balance, timing, skill and ‘feel’ needed to guide a 600kg animal into doing your bidding is enormous, requiring hours upon hours of hard work to hone.

  • Furthermore, the Swede Axel Nordlander won both the individual and team Eventing gold and Germany took silver ahead of the United States.
  • Competitors are judged on their horsemanship skills as they ride using a series of commands for walk, trot and canter.
  • A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage, repairing) must be established and enacted for all equipment used in the activity (e.g. helmets, reins, saddles).
  • “I’m really scared of kangaroos … every time I descend — like anytime I’m doing, say, 80kph down a hill — I’m always scared of getting taken out by a kangaroo and getting totally destroyed.

is horse riding a sport

People follow fashions and seem happy to do what everyone else is doing, without really considering the horse in the process. Dr Tiffany Hall, an equine internal medicine specialist, says we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of gut health in our horses. Based in Kentucky and Florida, she shares insights into managing chronic GI issues, her partnership with Poseidon Animal Health, and the importance of the microbiome in supporting long-term equine health and performance. A rider with excellent aerobic endurance will be able to perform sustained exercise without fatiguing, giving them the ability to respond to sudden changes in conditions and to be more effective at making decisions quickly. Consider the effects of a tired rider on their horse – they may not be able to balance as well, be in sync with the horse movement, or apply the aids as smoothly resulting in poor performance or worse yet, risky situations. This equestrian event first came to be once people started to raise fences in the British countryside.

Athletes are required to submit medical reports and meet the minimum impairment criteria in order to http://austin-shows.relix.com/artists/red-riders compete. “We really are very safety-minded — other than letting yourself go off on a wild horse who may or may not want to do what you’re asking it to do. Sporting Schools has partnered with Equestrian Australia to deliver equestrian in schools across Australia. In the Jumping discipline, the deselection of Jamie Kermond, could have resulted in the withdraw of the entire 3-member Australian team, but the IOC ruled that Edwina Tops-Alexander and Katie Laurie would be allowed to compete as individuals. Ensure students dismount under supervision following an established protocol (e.g. at a safe distance of other horses, toward the inside of the area away from fences, not onto a freestanding mounting block). A maintenance schedule (e.g. checking for damage, repairing) must be established and enacted for all equipment used in the activity (e.g. helmets, reins, saddles).

Parent consent (DOCX, 306KB) is required for all activities conducted off-site. For activities conducted at an external venue, and/or when engaging external expertise, request written risk assessment advice and attach it to this CARA record. Science tells us that it is the release of pressure that actually trains a horse, and that many conflict behaviours ranging from tail swishing to bolting are caused by people not knowing exactly when to release. As riders, we are all taught how to apply pressure – think ‘leg, leg, leg and more leg’ , ‘pull to stop’, ‘take a contact’, but what tends to not be mentioned is when to release that pressure.

After completing the training, riders exerted more even pressure through their seat bones onto the horses’ backs and horses showed a nearly 10 per cent increase in stride length. More and more research is looking at the influence of rider asymmetry on horse health and performance. Laterality, or a preference for using one side of the body over the other, is common amongst riders. Coaches insist on consistent and even aids from left to right, however, some studies have shown up to a 40% difference in pressure through the left and right reins. It’s little wonder that training misunderstandings, and horses not being straight and even, is common.

Injury prevention strategies are crucial to maintain long-term health and performance in equestrian athletes. Cherbon Waters Equestrian Centre’s instructors are passionate horse people who are experienced with horses and riders of all levels, as well as being fully insured professionals. We have horses and ponies to cater for all ages, sizes, and levels of experience and confidence levels, ensuring a safe and pleasant horse riding experience for everyone.

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