What is equestrianism?

- an overview

Equestrianism (or the ‘equestrian sport’) refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both the use of horses for practical, working purposes and for recreational activities and competitive sports.

Equestrian sport is the sport of horsemanship. At its best, it requires perfect understanding, communication, cooperation and partnership between the rider and his horse. Equestrian sport can be regarded as the ultimate in team sports: man and horse must work together for years to create the perfect partnership and to hone feats of grace, daring, agility and speed.

Today’s major equestrian sports have developed principally from 17th and 18th century mounted activities such as fox hunting and steeplechasing, although the use of horses in competitions dates back at least to the ancient Olympic Games.

Equestrian events were included in the Olympic Games for the first time in 1900. Equestrianism is the only Olympic sport where man and animal compete together, and, interestingly, is one of the few sports where men and women compete on equal terms.

DRESSAGE JUMPING EVENTING PARA DRESSAGE

Horse Inspection

A horse inspection is designed to evaluate that a horse is fit to compete. A horse inspection only takes place for FEI competitions and is conducted within a day before the competition starts. It is also held in the morning of the Show Jumping test of a 3-day Eventing event and is then known as the final trot up inspection. Competitions requiring horse inspection include (but are not limited to) the FEI Jumping World Challenge, the FEI Dressage World Challenge, the LONGINES Masters of Hong Kong, the China National Games, the Asian Games and the Olympic Games.

The competitor is required to trot its own horse up and if rider is unable to do so, he or she must inform the competition organisers and seek for permission to trot the horse up by a substitute. The horse and rider should be immaculately turned out for the ground jury and there is often a prize presented to the best turned out horse and rider.

Horse Inspections are placed under the responsibility of an Inspection panel comprising of the FEI Veterinarian Delegate as well as the President of Ground Jury. The Inspection Panel will decide one of the three outcomes:

The horse is accepted to move forward with the competition;

The horse is not accepted to continue in the competition; or

The horse is sent to the Holding Box and examined by the Holding Box Veterinarian, then presented for re-inspection by the Inspection Panel again.

Horses MUST be inspected and pass the Horse Inspection before participating at any FEI competition.

Below are the procedures for a Horse Inspection presented by our Senior rider, Patrick Lam.