Show jumping - obstacles

So... in show jumping we jump above obstacles... There are many types of them so I'll write only about some basic obstacles...



•Vertical - a jump that consists of poles right above each other with no spread, or width, to jump.

•Oxer - Basically two verticals close together, to make the jump wider. Also called a spread.

•Wall - This type of jump is usually made to look like a brick wall, but the "bricks" are constructed of a lightweight material and fall easily when knocked.

•Triple Bar - Is a spread fence using three elements of graduating
heights. It is a relatively easy jump although usually very wide.

•Combination - usually 2 or 3 jumps in a row, with no more than 2
strides between each. 2 jumps in a row are called double combinations, and 3 jumps in a row are triple combinations.

Show Jumping

Show jumping, also known as "stadium jumping" or "jumpers" is a olimpic discipline.
The Show jumping competitions takes place on special cours. Rider and his horse must jump above obstacles in a given order and time limit without knockdowns.

Penalties:
•knockdown or landing in the water - 4 faults
•fall of the horse or rider - elimination
•refusing or running down at any fence 1st - 4 faults, 2nd - elimination
•time penalties - 1 fault for each started second

Competitons classes:
•LL (mini L) - to 80 cm
•L - to 100 cm
•P - to 110 cm
•N - to 120 cm
•C - to 130 cm
•CC1 - to 140 cm
•CC2 - to 150 cm
•CC3 - more then 150 cm

Types of competitions:

•Grand Prix - Horses are scored on a combination of faults and time in some competitions it is judged on technique.
•Touch Class - a class held much like a normal show jumping class, except that if the horse touches the jump it is considered four faults.

•Puissance - high-jump competition, where the final wall may reach over 2 meters tall. The record (2,47m) was achieved by Captain Alberto Larraguibel Morales riding in 1949.
•And many, many more...

Horse Sports - introduction

So.. it's time for horse sports...

Horse riding is sport with very long past... People has started horse riding in ancient Greece, first horse riding school was built in 1773 year, first horse riding competitions started in 1902 in Turyn (Italy). This sport is very interesting and varied.

In next months I'll write about dressage, show jumping and eventing (which are olimpic disciplines), reining and equestrian vaulting.

Horse colors

There are four basic coat colors:

•Chestnut - Reddish or light brown body, mane, tail without black.

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•Black - Black body, tail and mane.

•Bay - Brown hair, black mane, tail and lower legs.








•Gray - Horse with white mixed with black hair. Gray horses can be born any color, lighten as they age.

Some other coat colors:



Pinto - a multi-colored horse with large patches of brown, white, and/or black and white.




•Brindle - One of the rarest colors in horses. Characteristics are any color with "zebra-like" stripes, but most common is a brown horse with faint yellowish markings.





•White - One of the rarest colors, a white horse has white hair and pink skin.

Horse gaits

There are four basic gaits:

•Walk - very slow (4 mph) four-beat gait. When walking, a horse's legs follow this sequence: left hind leg, left front leg, right hind leg, right front leg. At the walk, the horse will always have one foot raised and the other three feet on the ground.

•Trot - faster than walk (8 mph) two-beat gait. In this gait, the horse moves its legs in unison in diagonal pairs. A very slow trot is sometimes referred to as a jog.

•Canter - faster then trot (10-17 mph) three-beat gait. In the canter a horse's legs follow this sequence: outside hind leg, inside hind and outside front legs together.

•Gallop - the fastest horse gait known as racing canter (25-30 mph). Legs sequence: left hind, right hind, left front, right front, where is a moment when all legs are off the ground.

There are many other gaits used in dressage and reinig about which I'll write later.

Horse breeds

There are three types of horse breeds:

• warmblood - sport horses (dressage, show jumping, eventing, combined driving). The most famous warmblood horse breeds are: Arabian horse, Thoroughbred and Friesian horse.
• cold blood - draft horses. The most famous cold blood horse breed is: Shire horse.
• ponies - 'small horses' (less then 1,47m). The most famous pony breeds are: Shetland pony and Haflinger.

Now i'll write something about this breeds:

• Arabian horse - the most popular breed, is famous for stamina and beauty (but i think they are ugly - too small heads ).The Arabian horses are bred with horses of other breeds to add speed, beauty, endurance, and strong bones.






• Thoroughbred - English breed known as a race horse. The Thoroughbreds are the fastest horses so they are generaly used in races, but sometimes they start in show jumping and combined training.

• Shire horse - the heaviest and the tallest of the breeds (more than 1,80m) the tallest horse in the world (a Shire) was 2,20m. The Shires are draught horses but in England we can see them as a ridable horses.

• Friesian horse - The Friesians are trace-horse, but often they are use in dressage. The Friesians are always black. They often have wavy mane and they are beautiful. They are very tall (more then 1,60m). The Friesians are my favourite horse breed.




• Shetland pony - very small ponies (only 0,80m - 1,07m). They are intelligent and strong. Often used as children's riding ponies and pets zoos. They have short legs and a big belly

• Haflinger - the tallest pony (1,38m - 1,50m), mountain horse used sometimes to ride. They live long and they are very gentle. I think they look great whith white manes





• Mustang - free-roaming feral horse of the North American west. The Mustangs live in small herds in North American prairies. They were brought to America from Spain in XVI century. The Mustangs are the famoust feral horses.