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Rodeo
Main article: Rodeo
Rodeo events include the
following forms of competition:
Timed
events
- Barrel racing and pole bending - the timed
speed and agility events seen in rodeo as well as gymkhana or O-Mok-See
competition. Both men and women compete in speed events at gymkhanas or
O-Mok-Sees; however, at rodeos, barrel racing is an exclusively women's
sport. In a barrel race, horse and rider gallop around a cloverleaf
pattern of barrels, making agile turns without knocking the barrels over. In
pole bending, horse and rider run the length of a line of six upright
poles, turn sharply and weave through the poles, turn again and weave
back, then return to the start.
- Steer wrestling - Also known as
"Bulldogging," this is a rodeo event where the rider jumps off
his horse onto a steer and 'wrestles' it to the ground by grabbing it by
the horns. This is probably the single most physically dangerous event in
rodeo for the cowboy, who runs a high risk of jumping off a running horse
head first and missing the steer, or of having the thrown steer land on
top of him, sometimes horns first.
- Goat tying - usually an event for women or
pre-teen girls and boys, a goat is staked out while a mounted rider runs
to the goat, dismounts, grabs the goat, throws it to the ground and ties
it in the same manner as a calf. This event was designed to teach smaller
or younger riders the basics of calf roping without the more complex need
to also lasso the animal.
Roping
Roping encompasses a number
of timed events that are based on the real-life tasks of a working cowboy, who
often had to capture calves and adult cattle for branding, medical treatment
and other purposes. A lasso or lariat is thrown over the head of a calf or the
horns of adult cattle, and the animal is secured in a fashion dictated by its
size and age.
- Calf Roping - A calf is roped around the
neck by a lariat, the horse stops and sets back on the rope while the
cowboy dismounts, runs to the calf, throws it to the ground and ties three
feet together. (If the horse throws the calf, the cowboy must lose time
waiting for the calf to get back to its feet so that the cowboy can do the
work. The job of the horse is to hold the calf steady on the rope) This
activity is still practiced on modern working ranches for branding,
medical treatment, and so on.
- Team roping, also called "heading and
heeling," is the only rodeo event where men and women riders may
compete together. Two people capture and restrain a full-grown steer. One
horse and rider, the "header," lassos a running steer's horns,
while the other horse and rider, the "heeler," lassos the
steer's two hind legs. Once the animal is captured, the riders face each
other and lightly pull the steer between them, so that it loses its
balance, thus in the real world allowing restraint for treatment.
- Breakaway roping - an easier form of calf
roping where a very short lariat is used, tied lightly to the saddle horn
with string and a flag. When the calf is roped, the horse stops, allowing
the calf to run on, flagging the end of time when the string and flag
breaks from the saddle. In the United States, this event is primarily for
women of all ages and boys under 12, while in some nations where
traditional calf roping is frowned upon, riders of both genders compete.
"Rough
Stock" competition
In spite of popular myth,
most modern "broncs" are not in fact wild horses, but are more
commonly spoiled riding horses or horses bred specifically as bucking stock,
many of whom were rescued from a fate as horsemeat. Most rodeo broncs
enjoy good food, regular veterinary care and get to work, at most, 10 seconds a
day.
- Bronc riding - there are two divisions in
rodeo, bareback bronc riding, where the rider is only allowed to hang onto
a bucking horse with a surcingle, and saddle bronc riding, where the rider
is allowed a specialized western saddle without a horn (for safety) and
may hand onto a heavy lead rope attached to a halter on the horse.
- Bull Riding - though technically not an
equestrian event, as the cowboys ride full-grown bulls instead of horses,
skills similar to bareback bronc riding are required.
Other
horse sports
- Bullfighting (rejoneo)
- Campdrafting
- Carriage driving, traditionally two or
four wheeled carriages pulled by a single horse, or a tandem or four-in-hand
team of horses. Some contemporary driving competitions are based on
traversing obstacles at speed (such as Combined driving). Pleasure
competitions are judged on the turnout/neatness or suitability of horse
and carriage.
- Charreada, the highest form of Mexican
horsemanship based on a mixture of Spanish and Native traditions.
- Chilean rodeo
- Combined driving
- Competitive Trail Riding, These
competitions are held across terrain similar to Endurance, but are shorter
in length (20 - 30 miles, depending on class) and conducted at a slower
pace. The point is not to see who gets to the finish line first. Instead,
each competitor starts out with 100 points and one is graded on everything
including one's campsite and the way the horse is tied to the trailer. Horsemanship
is how the horse is handled and presented to the judge and vet after
arrival and after the day's ride. The human participant is graded on
horsemanship on the trail while the horse is graded on performance,
manners, etc. The are two "pulse and respiration" stops where
the horse's recovery ability is checked. The judges also set up obstacles
along the trail and the horse and rider are graded on how well they
perform as a team. The whole point is the partnership between the horse
and rider.
- Cross Country Jumping, a jumping course
that contains logs, and natural obstacles mostly. The common clothes worn
are usually brighter colors and less conservative.
- Cutting
- Dressage
- Endurance riding, a competition usually of
50 to 100 miles or more, over mountainous or other natural terrain, with
scheduled stops to take the horses' vital signs, check soundness, and
verify that the horse is fit to continue. The first horse to finish and be
confirmed by the veterinarian as fit to continue is the winner. Additional
awards are usually given to the best-conditioned horses who finish in the
top 10.
- Vaulting (gymnastics and dance on
horseback)
- Fox hunting
- Gymkhana also known as O-Mok-See
- Horse hacking
- Horse show
- Hunter Pacing or Competitive Trail Riding,
sports where a horse and rider team travel a trail at speeds based the
ideal conditions for the horse, with competitors seeking to ride closest
to that perfect time. Hunter paces are usually held in a series. Hunter
paces are usually a few miles long and covered mostly at a canter or
gallop. Competitive Trail Rides are usually up to 30 miles, often over
mountainous terrain, using all gaits, but especially the trot. The
horsemanship and management skills of the rider are also considered in the
scoring, and periodic stops are required for veterinarians to check the
vital signs and overall soundness of the horses.
- Jousting
- Le Trec, orienteering on horseback -
consists of three stages covering orienteering, negotiation of obstacles
and control of paces.
- Mounted Games, a sport where games are
played in a relay-style with two to five members per team at very high
speed
- Polo, a team game played on horseback,
involves riders using a long-handled mallet to drive a ball on the ground
into the opposing team's goal while the opposing team defends their goal.
- Polocrosse
- Rapa das bestas
- Reining
- Rodeo
- Show Jumping
- Skill at arms - competition testing skills
using lances, swords and completion of obstacles such as jumps.
- Steeplechase
- Tent pegging
- 3-Day Eventing- a competition where you
are judged on your total score from a day of dressage, stadium jumping and
cross country
- Trail Riding, The art and sport of riding
any breed horse, any style across the land. It is important for trail
riders to know which areas are safe and which allow horses to cross.
Criticism
of horses in sport
Most horse owners are
interested in the well being and welfare of horses. Some are allied with
various animal welfare organizations that try to end genuine abuse of horses. Almost
all competitive events have well-established rules and regulations to prevent
abuse of animals and to encourage ethical behavior. Most high-intensity sports
like show jumping, endurance riding, eventing, rodeo, and horse racing are
closely monitored by veterinarians to prevent and treat injuries. On the other
hand, there are genuine abuses of horses that do occur. Some people, often
motivated by profit or a desire to win at all costs, may inflict pain,
overwork, injure, neglect, starve, or drug horses in ways that harm the
animal's physical health and mental well-being.
Organized groups dedicated
to protecting all animals, such as the Humane Society of the United States, and
animal rights groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,
target some horse sports with claims of animal cruelty. Horse racing and rodeo
are most commonly targeted both because of their visibility to the
non-horse-oriented public and because these are sports where it is sometimes
difficult for people who do not know much about horses to differentiate between
pushing equines to perform to their peak and actual abuse.
One problem is a
disagreement about terms like abuse. While some individuals consider even
fairly drastic discipline of horses as non-abusive, others consider abuse to be
anything done against the will of the animal in question. Some people consider
poor living conditions abusive, others think riding itself is abusive. There is
not a consensus on the issue.
Further, the perspective of
the individuals holding various viewpoints is sometimes quite different. For
example, horse professionals claim they know better what is best for horses
than people who live horseless lives, easily influenced by propaganda. On the
other hand, other individuals claim that many horse professionals are biased
because of motivation for personal gain.
However, many people take a
middle ground, primarily concerned that certain sports or training techniques
may unnecessarily cause pain or injuries to horse athletes, just as they do for
human athletes. Some people who advocate use of horses in equestrian activities
point out that horses in the wild have a shorter average life expectancy and
are injured more often and more severely than those used in sport.
Some behaviors and
activities are widely condemned as abusive by people within the horse industry.
Use of many performance-enhancing drugs is prohibited in most competitions, and
organizations that sanction various events spend a great deal of money testing
horses for illegal drugs. Some other training or showing practices are so
widely condemned that they have been made illegal. The most well-known is soring,
a practice of applying a caustic ointment just above the hooves of a Tennessee
Walking Horse to make it pick up its feet higher. However, in spite of a
federal law in the United States prohibiting this practice and routine
inspections of horse shows by inspectors from the United States Department of
Agriculture, the practice is still widespread and difficult to eliminate.
Some events themselves are
also considered so abusive that they are banned in many countries. Among these
are horse-tripping, a sport where riders chase and rope a loose-running horse
by its front legs, throwing it to the ground.
Other events frequently
targeted as abusive are more open to debate. Animal rights activists claim
rodeos are cruel to animals and turn a blind eye to minor injuries which do not
impair performance. Rodeo competitors, on the other hand, deny claims of
cruelty, pointing out that an abused or injured animal is not useful and thus
less profitable than a happy, healthy one. Rodeo sanctioning organizations
argue that they continually work to improve animal health and rider safety. Animal
living conditions vary, but many rodeo stock live in a natural setting on open
range during the off-season and often live in healthier, more natural
surroundings than many more pampered animals.
Horse racing is also seen
as cruel by some people, particularly when animals are injured while racing. Racing
came under renewed scrutiny following injury to the racehorse Barbaro, who
broke his hind leg during the 2006 Preakness Stakes, and was euthanized on
January 29, 2007. However, race horse trainers point out that horses who are
abused will not perform at their peak ability. Furthermore, racing itself is
conscious of the need to continually work to improve safety for both horses and
jockeys and has made many improvements that have reduced or eliminated past
abuses. Racehorses also live lives with excellent food, the best veterinary
care available, and plenty of exercise. The screening process for banned drugs
is the most rigorous in the industry, and many retired racehorses have a
satisfying future off the track as either breeding animals or pleasure horses.
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Equestrianism&action=history
http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html