Riding Disciplines
Welcome to Riding Disciplines which covers every English and Western riding style! The English riding covers Dressage, a ballet on horseback, Driving which features both the beautiful horses and the carriages they pull, Foxhunting, Eventing, Jumping, Saddle Seat, and even the sport of Polo.
The Western riding category includes Pleasure, Reining and all Rodeo events involving a horse, so look for Barrel Racing, Bronc Riding, Chuck Wagon Racing, Cutting, Pole Bending and Roping.
Want to know the date of your favorite horse show or rodeo? Don’t miss it! Dates and locations are included in the in both the Calendar of Events for English Riding and the Calendar of Events for Western Riding. Are we missing a category or event? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!
by Maxwell Hauptman
Lamoine, Maine — Dance and gymnastics seem hard enough, given the physical strength, flexibility and coordination demanded. Now picture doing both on the back of a moving horse.
Through Aurora Vaulters, their nonprofit organization, mother and daughter Deb and Cynthia Andrews coach the international equestrian sport at Starlight Horse Farm off Route 184 in East Lamoine.
Their “gentle giant” Rosie, a 13-year-old draft horse, serves as the firm platform for these equestrian gymnasts to execute the mount, basic seat, flag and other compulsory moves.
“Equestrian vaulting is gymnastic dance performed in harmony with a moving horse,” said Deb. As the lunger or trainer, she uses a longe line (a French term meaning long tether) to guide Rosie around a 15-meter circle.
Read more: Equestrian Vaulting is Finding a Foothold Among Children
Some people have success handed to them and some have to work for it; Martha Josey has had to work harder than most.
Martha grew up in a small town in East Texas. Her father was one of the first presidents of the American Quarter Horse Association. He had a great passion for horses and taught her how to ride at a young age. Together, they would ride through the cornfields and pastures. These experiences nurtured Martha’s early love for horses. Then tragically, when Martha was 10, her father died suddenly of a heart attack.
In the aftermath of his death, Martha’s mother sold all but one of the family’s horses. Years later, a teenaged Martha attended a rodeo and felt inspired to compete in barrel racing.
by Lisa El-Ramey
Despite how it might feel with their eyes upon you in the show ring, the judge is actually your ally as an equestrian: Lisa El-Ramey, USEF Senior “S” judge, shares her expertise.
You are ready to go to your first horse show, or maybe you have been to a few. You have prepared yourself and your horse. You have all the right tack, the right clothes, everything is clean, and you are ready… or are you?
Before you enter the show you have one more step to complete: it is important to know what horse show to enter. Not all horse shows are equal, nor should they be. Most riders begin their show careers at a local show facility or farm, at what is widely known as an open show. These competitions are generally attended by local barns and competitors, managed by the local riding club or stable, judged by mostly local judges or trainers, and offer a wide array of classes in western, hunter/jumper, saddleseat, and possibly, dressage.
From these humble beginnings, riders improve their skills and work their way up to their first “rated” show. These competitions are rated by the equestrian organizations that administer them. This could be the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), breed or discipline specific organization, or the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). The USEF oversees many riding disciplines, as well as most breeds. The AQHA is American Quarter Horse specific and while they offer most riding disciplines at their breed specific competitions, entry is limited to Quarter Horses.
by Kathy Farrokhzad
You might have liked horses all your life.
Or you might have had an awakening not too long ago that is urging you to explore horseback riding for the first time.
You can't tear your eyes away from the sight of glowing coats and rippling muscles.
You get excited every time you drive by horses in a field.
Contrary to your friends, you even like the smell of a barn!
And now, you know you are ready to take the first steps on the long road of becoming an equestrian. You've booked riding lessons at a local barn and you are convinced that you are ready to tackle the learning curve that lays ahead. Before you begin, here are nine tips to smooth the way into your new adventures!
1. Be prepared to be a beginner - for a long time!
Once you step into that stirrup for the first time, forget all about instant gratification. Instead, get all pumped up for the accomplishment of doing something for the long term.
Don't worry if your fingers fumble when putting on the bridle. Have no worry when the horse gives you a knowing look out of the corner of his eye: "This one is a beginner!" Just take the plunge into new feels, new learning curves and new coordination. It's all about the joys (and challenges) of being on the path.
2. Every horse has something to teach you.
Read more: 9 Things You Need to Know if You Want to Ride Horses
by Jessica Roberts
As the owner of a boarding farm, I am often the one who is setting up courses. When you’re putting a course together, a lot of variables are taken into consideration, such as the ring size and the number of jumps you have. Now that we’ve covered the basic guidelines for setting up a typical hunter course, we’re going take the hunter course that we built last time, adjust it a bit, and use it to build some “equitation” courses that can be practiced at home. Many times, I’ve seen smaller horse shows have a basic hunter course and use it, or slightly modify it to also be used for equitation classes.
Most shows will include at least two of the following parts to be built into an equitation course:
• Bending line
• Narrow jump
• Roll back turn
• End fence
• Long approach to a single
• Combination
Here, I’ll walk you through these different pieces:
A bending line is just that – it’s a set of two fences that are setup up so that the path between them has a bend in it. One can either “step out” and ride an outside track to add a stride – or they can “stay in” and ride an inside track for a more direct path. A lot of times the inside track has the rider jumping one or both of the fences at an angle to help with the direct line.
A narrow jump is a jump that is shorter than normal from side to side. The normal width of a jumps is 10 to 12 feet, but a narrow jump is 6 to 8 feet. Sometimes it’s all called a “skinny”.
- Up & Coming Young Professional: Geoffrey Hesslink
- Career in Three-Day Eventing for The Pamplemousse
- How Can I Stop Bouncing In The Saddle?
- America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred, Old Tavern, a Brave Polo Pony with Nerves of Steel
- A Horse With a Different Gear
- When Two Spines Align: Dressage Dynamics
- Three Secrets to Show Ring Success
- My Memorable Mentor
- North American Western Dressage gets punchy with Ranch Horse Western Dressage tests
- Jennifer Malott Kotylo - Movement & Body Awareness Specials for Equestrians, Introductory Video (1:33)
- Mario Dino Di Salvo at the Saratoga Polo Club
- OMR Sisters Gallop to Glory
- Horse Carriage Driving Enthusiasts Compete on Brean Beach
- Boyd Martin Sets Record at Jersey Fresh International Three Day Event