AHHH! Have you ever had to decide what sytle to ride, or tried to decide what style? Or are you wondering what style you
should chose when you start to ride? Here's a page all about the different styles or riding to help ya'll out!!! If there are any other styles of riding
you want up here email me at saddleup@mailcity.com and I'll put them up ASAP with your
name and email address under it if you supply the info!!
Combined Training
Competitive Trail
Cutting
Dressage
Driving
Endurance
Show Jumping
Combined Training
Combined training (also known as three day eventing) is prefect for the rider that loves to jump and likes a bit of dressage. Its a marathon
of sports that makes a horse display a lot of different skills. The first day of a three day event is a dressage test, the second is a cross country (jumping)
course and the third day is stadium (show) jumping. In the three day event the horse will do many different things. On the first day you'll see
a graceful, delicate horse prance around a dressage test, on the second the same horse will be racing around a cross-country course and
on the third the horse will have to jump a course of difficult fences, from oxers to liverpools. The horse has to be extremly fit to compete in these
events, they are also unique, being able to do all those things well. They have to be well managable to compete in dressage, very bold for cross
country and be fit enough to do well over the stadium jumping course. A part of riding for fitter horses/riders.
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Competitive Trail
A sport for riders that want to hit the trail, in a SERIOUS way. Its designed for riders that lkike trailes but want more than just
a pleasure ride. Serious trail riders compete against one an other in competition trail rides. These challengins (but fun) events are usually
25 - 50 miles for a one day ride across different types of land. Horses ae judged on their condition, manners and way of going. Speed sin't
important, as long as they complete the course within the min. and max. amount of time. Horses are examined by both vets on the trail
and lay judges periodicially throughout the ride to determine their fitness and skill on the trail. A good competitive trail horse has
comftorable gaits, excellent health and soundness, and a good head on his/her shoulders. Riders need to be in good shape too. Even a
25 mile ride can mean a min. of 5 hours straight in the saddle. A good type of riding for people that love the outdoors!
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Cutting
You'll see a horse and rider in a pen with a small herd of cattle. Then the bell clangs and the horse and rider are after these
cattle. Seperating them, one at a time, from the hers. The rider sits motionless, the horse knows what to do. Cutting started
as a cowboys job on 1000's of cattle ranches throughout the West in the 19th century. Origionally used to seperate cows
from large herdsout on the open range, cutting was a basic skill for both horse and rider. Nowadays, cutting has been mad
into an art. Judges look for horses that are athletic and have innate cow sense. The rider's role is to let the horse do the job.
Some people belive good cutting horses are born, not made. So for all ya cowboys and cowgirls out there, this is a great sport for you
and your horse to do!!!
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Dressage
If you're into the classics, you'll love the sport of dressage. One of the oldest styles in the world, classical horsemanship became
the roof of military manuevers in Europe. As a riding discipline that has been a staple in Europe for centuries, dressage is now growing
in popularity in the US and Canada thanks to the United States Dressage Federation. Dressage consists of subtle manuveurs that are
meant to emphasize the horses natural movement. A difficult disipline that requires considerable fittness in both the horse and rider.
Dressage is often compared to ballet because of the demanding nature and poetic grace. Riders can star out at the very basic levels and
go all the way to the Olympics. Dressage riders execute a test made up of patterns and movements. They are scored on each element
of the test. The rider with the least amount of points is the winner. Points are scored if there is a mistake, fall, etc... Any breed can
compete in dessage but warmblooks are usually seen in the ring.
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Driving
This is a style for the riders that want to see the horse (or pony) from a different point of view! Driving, alive and well, in the 21st
century is an active sport that can be appealing to older riders or handicapped equestrians. You don't need a team of horses, one will
do. You can use a 2 wheeled or 4 wheeled cart. The majority of driving classes call for one or two horses but with draft horses there
may be up to 6 or 8! Harness classes are all judged differently, depending on the # of horses, the type of horse etc... Both horse AND
rider must be carefully trained in this style, since a variety of unique skills are required in both.
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Endurance
Think you have what it takes to compete in the equestrian sport that you have to be incredibly fit and tough? Well, lets see!! Endurance
riders sure do! Endurance riding has grown over the last few decades into an internationall y recognized sport. Similar to competitive
trail, endurance riding calls for speed over manners and way of going. The horse that gets to the finish line first is the winner. There
are vet checks all the way through it so an unfit horse can be taken out. It can be from 25-100 miles long per day, or cover 50 miles a day for
several days. Serious training is needed before you can compete in this. It is a great sport for fit horses and riders!
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Show Jumping
You see a horse and rider come around the bend and effortlessly clearing each fence in its path. Snapping its knees up and leaping
at just the right time. This is Show Jumping. This is a 'parody' of fox hunting, but is held in a ring and there are no foxes or hounds. It
is ridden one at a time too. There are different classes, including equitation where the riders posistion is judged, or hunters where the horses
form is judged. Faults can be collencted and can b cause by a refusal, fall, poles knocked down or going over the time limit. There
are different divisions, based on the age, skill, breed (of the horse) etc.. of the horse or rider.
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