Archive

Archive for August, 2010

Riding Disciplines by Eniola Odurinde

August 10th, 2010

Riding Disciplines

There are many different riding disciplines ranging from simple local shows to top class eventing.

Although most shows have a certain dress code, for local shows you can get away with smartly dressed, but anything higher you need to wear a proper show coat, long boots, beige jodhpurs, and certainly a riding hat with smart cover up to the current BHS or BSI standard, (if you are doing cross country body protector is an absolute must.)

One day event
A one day event is for those who are not at top level quite yet.
Iti s a mini version of three day eventing, and is dressage, cross country and showjumping all in one day.
The cross country is about twenty jumps long and stretched over several fields, the dressage is about two minutes long, and the showjumping about fifteen jumps long.

Eventing
The first discipline is dressage where the horse performs complex movements, the second is cross country and the third is showjumping.
The showjumping course is high and spooky and the horse is expected to jump clear without time faults, knocked rails, runouts and refusals. The cross country consists of barrels, solid wooden jumps and drops into water.

Jump cross
if you want to have a go at cross country but dare not risk your horse on the hard jumps, try jump cross, knockable show jump like jumps in across country situation.

Polo
At top level,Polo is a sport involving specially trained and bred polo ponies, and riders with their ‘mallets’.
There are two teams and each team are made up of four players. They play in a special polo field with a 3 inch ball of willow and bamboo which needs to be scored between the goal postsof the opposing team.
The game is divided into 71-2 mins long parts or ‘chukkas’ and each chukka has a three min interval afterwards.
You can play with your pony at a local club, but ponies must be agile and fit.

Endurance
For endurance ponies need ro be fit and healthy and have plenty of stamina. All breeds of horse and pony can be sufficiently fitenned to make endurance ponies but arabs are generally chosen because they are strong, willing and coragous.
Endurance ranges from pleaure rides beginning at about 10 miles going up to over 100 miles spread over several days.

For all of these riding disciplines ponies need to be fit, and have stamina.
Driving
Not strictly a riding discipline, carriage driving is done single, in pairs, in threes or in teams and requires skill and constant attention to the situation .
The harness looks daunting and complicated at first and must be correctly fitted. It istraditionally made of leather but now a days is made up of lots of man-made materials.

Countryside Blog