Horse Riding Skills - What Are The Different Disciplines? - By: David W Lee

Within the overall heading of 'horse riding' there are different 'disciplines' or 'types' of riding, each of which represent a different aspect of horse riding skills.

For many, the two most common styles of riding are 'English' and 'Western' - the latter being particularly popular in the USA and easily identified to spectators by the type of saddle used ( the Western Saddle is larger and deeper).

The English discipline also features some lesser known styles of riding including saddle seat and side saddle.

Followers of horse riding competitions will be well acquainted with the disciplines of Dressage, Show Jumping and Three Day Eventing (a combination of dressage, cross country and stadium/show jumping).

In reality most children will either start off with learning English or Western style riding, but understanding the basis or the rudimentary foundation for each of the disciplines will give you a broader understanding of the sport and help you understand how the sport could develop for your child.

So for your information, let's take a look at the three main competitive horse riding disciplines:

Dressage: Considered the ballet of equestrian sports, the term dressage comes from the French and roughly translates to training. Horses and riders school in a series of movements and techniques that ultimately are put together into a workable routine referred to as a test. Early levels focus on basic skills whereas tests at the highest level, including Grand Prix, feature awe inspiring advanced movements including the piaff, passage and extremely collected gaits.

Show Jumping: Most equestrian spectators are familiar with show jumping. Here riders and their equine partners are faced with a course of jumps which vary in height, scope and difficulty, depending on the level of partnership tackling the course. At low levels, riders will navigate simple courses of cross-rails. International level riders and their mounts are faced with large and challenging obstacles, with rails set on flat or shallow jump cups, and encouraged to complete the course within an optimal time limit. Penalties will be assessed for dropped rails or exceeding the posted time allowed.

Three Day Eventing: Three Day Eventing is designed to test the fitness, finesse and overall athletic ability of horse and rider partnerships. Featuring a combination of phases including the technical precision of dressage, followed by a fast-paced and physically demanding trip cross-country over natural obstacles and finalized with a final test over a course of show jumping obstacles, eventing comes from cavalry exercises of days gone by. The combination of horse and rider is constant for the three phases of the event and horses must pass soundness tests at the start and throughout the course of the competition. Varied levels of competition are available to participants ranging from novice through international four star events.

Anyway that is all some time away but it's good to think big and who knows where your child's horse riding skills could end up!

Meanwhile when starting your child in riding lessons, it is worth spending time finding a school and trainer that will provide a good foundation of the basics. While your child may have a preference for one discipline over another in time, a broad based beginning in the saddle, concentrated on position and technique will be the best way to start riding. In time, picking up a discipline will be easier with a mastery of the basics.

The only deviation from this advice is if your child is interested in riding Western. Here, it would be advisable to locate a school that offers Western lessons, as the style of riding is so markedly different from English.

About the Author

David Lee was thrown unprepared into the world of horse riding lessons in 2002, when his daughter Katie, then aged 8 decided she want to learn to ride. To help other parents benefit from his and Katie's experience he has a blog at http://www.horseridingforbeginners.com where you can get additional information and download a FREE resource for parents.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/David-W-Lee/113594

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