Equestrian sports are popularly known as horseback riding in America and horse riding in the UK. It is a broad term for anything to do with having a ride on the back of horses. It is one of the best skills to teach a kid who is above seven years of age. Many kids love horse riding, so it shouldn’t be hard to get them on the back of one and to learn how to do it proficiently. They can do it for fun, competition, or for exercise.

However, after they discover how to ride a horse, they may be interested in gaining additional skills by exploring equestrian sports. The following are some of the horse riding activities that you can introduce your kid to as soon as they discover how to ride.

Horse Racing

Horse racing is among the oldest forms of equestrian sports. It exists in many types that have undergone development over the years. Thoroughbred horse racing is one of them, and it is perhaps the most well known.

Other kinds of horse racing include steeplechasing and endurance riding. Steeplechasing is when a horse jumps over obstacles, such as hedges and ditches, in a racecourse. Hurder races are similar, but they involve smaller obstacles. Endurance riding that involves a horse running over a certain measured distance. This kind of race takes place on natural terrain rather than a man-made racing track or obstacle course.

Polo

Polo is one of the oldest team sports and is believed to have begun in Central Asia sometime between 500 BD and 100 AD. It is also known as the sport of kings. It is an equestrian sport that involves two teams of four players each. In this game, each player rides a horse as they handle mallets with long handles. The players use the mallets to hit a small ball which is the ground. The main aim of the game is to drive the ball into the goal of the opposing team. 

Dressage

Horse dressage is the training of horses to memorize and perform a series of movements and perform those movements on command. It takes approximately ten years to train a horse for dressage for the top tier levels. It is a gradual process that progresses as the child learns and gets to know the horse, and it takes a lot of effort to train it efficiently.

German dressage horses are among the most superior sought after dressage horses that are available in the market. They provide the owner with a perfect opportunity to practice the equestrian sport. However, where you purchase the horse that you plan to use matters a lot. Thus, you should make sure that you buy a quality horse from a reliable and reputable seller.

Rodeo

The rodeo features a variety of different kinds of events that display the agility of the rider with the horse. Because it came from cattle herding, many of the events are related to testing the skills that would have been required of vaqueros and cowboys. Some of these events include steer wrestling, pole bending, and barrel racing. There are also bronc riding events where the rider attempts to stay on a bucking horse. 

Of course, these events can be dangerous, so if your child is interested in this sport, it is best to make sure they are trained under close supervision. There are teams and associations for children and teens to learn rodeo riding.

Showjumping

It is an equestrian sport that involves horses with riders who jump over a succession of obstacles. It is a timed event that is monitored by judges. The highest points are awarded in the merit of the horses jumping with the least knockdowns and refusals.

Equestrian sports are a great way of introducing your kids to the other side of horseback riding. When you deal with horses, it is always good to purchase a quality animal. It will further assist you in practicing the type of sports above.