Forms of English Riding

There are numerous styles of horseback riding, but most can be generalized as "English" or "western." The English style is a blanket term that includes dressage, hunt seat, showjumping, eventing, and polo. The English riding style is also called the classical style, with its origins found in England. Dressage, show jumping, and three-day eventing (a combination of dressage, eventing and show jumping) appear in the Olympic games.

  1. Dressage

    • Dressage stresses horse and rider form and interaction.

      As with many English riding styles, dressage (French for "training") originated for military purposes. Dressage is a remarkably formal and elegant riding style, and competitions focus on the interaction between horse and rider. The horse must be attentive and obedient while expressing proper gait, and the rider must exhibit correct form and control. Horse and rider are judged in different categories, where the equestrian leads the horse through specified maneuvers. In each category, judges score competitors according to a predetermined scoring rubric.

    Show Jumping

    • Show jumping requires successful navigation through an obstacle course.

      Show jumping, a physically demanding event, requires the timed and successful completion of an obstacle course. All competitors begin with a predetermined amount of points. Points are removed due to slow speeds, "faults" (incompletely cleared obstacles), or refusals to jump. Competitors with equal scores enter a jump-off, which is a timed round from which the winner is determined.

    Equitation

    • Hunt seat equitation judges the rider's form.

      Hunter equitation competitions can be "on the flat" or "over fences." In flat events, an equestrian follows a judge's instructions, moving a horse through gaits, reversing directions and halting. Over fences, the judge critiques a rider or horse's form as he or she maneuvers over jumps. The jumps are much smaller than those found in show jumping (where successful clearance is the objective). Most hunt events have several classes, both flat and fences, resulting in an overall winner. The rider's performance is judged in hunt seat equitation, whereas show hunt equitation competitions judge the horse (also known as "under saddle").

    Polo

    • Equestrians maneuver a ball into a goal, on horseback.

      In polo, two teams of four equestrians each maneuver a ball across a field and into a goal in timed intervals called "chukkers." The horses used are called polo ponies, though Sport Polo explains that they are actually horses (usually Thoroughbred hybrids). Because of the demanding nature of the sport, equestrians switch mounts after each chukker. Polo events serve as popular social gatherings, and the spectators are encouraged to enter the field between chukkers, stomping down the torn-up sod.

    Side saddle

    • Unlike other English saddles, both stirrups lie on one side of the horse.

      Another form of English riding, side saddle is an elegant and formal style. Side saddles are different than other saddles in that an equestrian's legs fall on only one side of the horse. Equestrians are predominately female, and their formal outfits are called "habits." This riding style originated in the early ninth century, though undocumented evidence suggests a much earlier time. In the years following, the side saddle enthusiasts formalized and organized the discipline, introducing governing organizations and judging criteria.