EQUESTRIAN SPORTS HAVE TAKEN place throughout the world for centuries: events involving mounted horses were recorded in the Olympic Games of 642 BC. Showjumping, however, is a much more recent innovation, and the first competitions were held at the beginning of the 1900s. In this sport, horse and rider must negotiate a course of variable, unfixed obstacles, making as few mistakes as possible. Showjumping fences consist of wooden stands, known as standards or wings, that support planks or poles. Parts of the fence are designed to collapse on impact, preventing injury to the horse and rider. Judges penalize competitors for errors, such as knocking down obstacles, refusing jumps, or deviating from the course. Depending on the type of competition, the rider with the fewest faults, most points, or fastest time wins. There are two basic forms of horse racing—flat races and races with jumps, such as steeplechase or hurdle races. Thoroughbred horses are used in this sport, since they have great strength and stamina and can achieve speeds of up to 40 mph (65 kph). Jockeys wear “silks”— caps and jackets designed in distinctive colors and patterns that help identify the horses. In harness racing, the horse is driven from a light, two -wheeled carriage called a sulky. Horses are trained to trot and to pace, and different races are held for each of these types of gait. In
pacing races, the horses wear hobbles to prevent them from breaking into a trot or gallop. Breeds such as the Standardbred and the French Trotter have been developed especially for this sport.
