Riding Horse
Encyclopedia
The Riding Horse is a type of show horse
in the UK. Riding horses can be any breed, but are generally warmblood
s or Thoroughbred
crosses.
The breeding and showing of riding horses is overseen by the British Show Horse Association
.
and a hunter
and should show quality, substance, good bone, correct conformation, presence and true action.
, canter
and (conditions permitting) gallop
together.
The judge will then ride the horses and then may require individual performances, called "shows," from the competitors. Individual shows should not exceed 1 minutes, and should include walk, trot, canter, gallop, rein back, stand still and demonstrate obedience to the leg.
Riding horses can be shown ridden astride or sidesaddle
.
, with a coloured browband
. Double bridle
s or pelham
bits are used. Saddles
should be straight-cut to show off the animal's shoulder. (This style is called an "English showing saddle" in some places, to distinguish it from both the "Forward Seat" and the "Dressage" saddle). Manes should be plaited, tails pulled and legs and faces trimmed.
Riders should wear tweed jackets and riding hats, cream or buff breeches
, a cream shirt with a tie and tall black riding boots. Show canes
are generally carried.
For evening championships riders should wear a black or navy jacket with a white or cream stock
, fastened with a pin, plus a top hat
.
in 2006. The format of the class is as for a traditional riding horse class, although horses which are good examples of a show hunter
or show hack
may also enter.
To be eligible, horses must be full thoroughbred
and registered in the Weatherbys
General Stud Book
. The horse must have been in training as a racehorse, but need not necessarily have raced. They must also be over four years old, and stand taller than 15 hands high
(hh).
Turnout and rider wear should conform to the appropriate class - competitors showing their horses as riding horses should wear navy jackets and hats, while those showing their horses as hunters should wear tweed jackets.
Competitors qualifying for the evening performance at the Horse Of The Year Show should wear black or navy jackets and a top hat
.
-type class known as "Hunter Under Saddle" in the United States
, though in the USA judges do not ride the horses nor are they asked to perform individually.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
in the UK. Riding horses can be any breed, but are generally warmblood
Warmblood
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...
s or Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
crosses.
The breeding and showing of riding horses is overseen by the British Show Horse Association
British Show Horse Association
The British Show Horse Association is the governing body for the showing and registering of hacks, cobs and riding horses.-Aims and Objectives:...
.
Showing the riding horse
The ideal riding horse should be somewhere between a hackShow hack
The show hack is a type of ridden show horse, exhibited to a standard first established in England.Affiliated showing and breeding of the show hacks in the United Kingdom is overseen by the British Show Horse Association....
and a hunter
Show hunter (British)
The show hunter is a type of show horse commonly seen at equestrian events across Britain. The British "show hunter" is shown primarily on the flat, while the "working hunter" must also jump a series of rustic fences .The governing body that oversees show hunter horses is Sport Horse Breeding ,...
and should show quality, substance, good bone, correct conformation, presence and true action.
Division of classes
Riding horses are divided into two sections:- Small riding horse: MareMareFemale horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
or geldingGeldingA gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
four years old or over, exceeding 148 cm (14.2 hands high), but not exceeding 158 cm (15.2 handsHand (unit)The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high).
- Large riding horse: Mare or gelding four years old or over, exceeding 158 cm (15.2 hands high).
Show
Classes are judged on type, ride, manners and conformation. Horses in the class are asked to perform a walk, trotTrot (horse gait)
The trot is a two-beat diagonal gait of the horse, where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time. There is a moment of suspension between each beat....
, canter
Canter
The canter is a controlled, three-beat gait performed by a horse. It is a natural gait possessed by all horses, faster than most horses' trot but slower than the gallop, and is used by all riders. The speed of the canter varies between 16-27 km/h , depending on the length of the stride of the horse...
and (conditions permitting) gallop
Gallop
Gallop is an asymmetrical gait used at high speeds by quadrupedal organisms such as the gait seen in the horse.Gallop may also refer to:*Conductor gallop, wind-induced low frequency oscillation of overhead transmission lines...
together.
The judge will then ride the horses and then may require individual performances, called "shows," from the competitors. Individual shows should not exceed 1 minutes, and should include walk, trot, canter, gallop, rein back, stand still and demonstrate obedience to the leg.
Riding horses can be shown ridden astride or sidesaddle
Sidesaddle
Sidesaddle riding is a form of Equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows a rider to sit aside rather than astride a horse, mule or pony. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way for women in skirts to ride a horse in a modest...
.
Turnout
Riding horses are shown in brown tackHorse tack
Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack...
, with a coloured browband
Bridle
A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit....
. Double bridle
Double bridle
A double bridle, also called a full bridle or Weymouth bridle, is a bridle that has two bits and four reins . One bit is the bradoon , is a modified snaffle bit that is smaller in diameter and has smaller bit rings than a traditional snaffle, and it is adjusted so that it sits above and behind the...
s or pelham
Pelham bit
A pelham bit is a type of bit used when riding a horse. It has elements of both a curb bit and a snaffle bit. In this respect a pelham bit functions similar to a double bridle, and like a double bridle it normally has "double" reins: a set of curb reins and a set of snaffle reins. Because it has...
bits are used. Saddles
English saddle
English saddles are used to ride horses in English riding disciplines throughout the world. The discipline is not limited to England or English-speaking countries. This style of saddle is used in all of the Olympic and FEI equestrian disciplines, except for the newly-approved FEI events of...
should be straight-cut to show off the animal's shoulder. (This style is called an "English showing saddle" in some places, to distinguish it from both the "Forward Seat" and the "Dressage" saddle). Manes should be plaited, tails pulled and legs and faces trimmed.
Riders should wear tweed jackets and riding hats, cream or buff breeches
Breeches
Breeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles...
, a cream shirt with a tie and tall black riding boots. Show canes
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
are generally carried.
For evening championships riders should wear a black or navy jacket with a white or cream stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
, fastened with a pin, plus a top hat
Top hat
A top hat, beaver hat, high hat silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, predominantly worn from the latter part of the 18th to the middle of the 20th century...
.
Racehorse To Riding Horse
The Racehorse to Riding Horse class was introduced to the Horse of the Year ShowHorse of the Year Show
The Horse of the Year Show - also known as HOYS - was founded to be a culmination of the British equestrian events year. Because of this, the show needed to be held indoors, making it a unique event....
in 2006. The format of the class is as for a traditional riding horse class, although horses which are good examples of a show hunter
Show hunter (British)
The show hunter is a type of show horse commonly seen at equestrian events across Britain. The British "show hunter" is shown primarily on the flat, while the "working hunter" must also jump a series of rustic fences .The governing body that oversees show hunter horses is Sport Horse Breeding ,...
or show hack
Show hack
The show hack is a type of ridden show horse, exhibited to a standard first established in England.Affiliated showing and breeding of the show hacks in the United Kingdom is overseen by the British Show Horse Association....
may also enter.
To be eligible, horses must be full thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
and registered in the Weatherbys
Weatherbys
Weatherbys provides British Horseracing with its central administration, acts as its bank and maintains the founding Thoroughbred breed register...
General Stud Book
General Stud Book
The General Stud Book was the original breed registry of the United Kingdom for horses. It specifically was used to document the breeding of Thoroughbreds and related foundation bloodstock such as the Arabian horse....
. The horse must have been in training as a racehorse, but need not necessarily have raced. They must also be over four years old, and stand taller than 15 hands high
Hand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
(hh).
Turnout and rider wear should conform to the appropriate class - competitors showing their horses as riding horses should wear navy jackets and hats, while those showing their horses as hunters should wear tweed jackets.
Competitors qualifying for the evening performance at the Horse Of The Year Show should wear black or navy jackets and a top hat
Top hat
A top hat, beaver hat, high hat silk hat, cylinder hat, chimney pot hat or stove pipe hat is a tall, flat-crowned, broad-brimmed hat, predominantly worn from the latter part of the 18th to the middle of the 20th century...
.
Comparable classes in other nations
The Riding horse class is roughly comparable to the English pleasureEnglish Pleasure
English pleasure is generic term for a number of different English riding classes seen at horse shows in the United States, where the horse is ridden in either hunt seat or saddle seat tack....
-type class known as "Hunter Under Saddle" in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, though in the USA judges do not ride the horses nor are they asked to perform individually.