The Truth About Horseback Riding

Did you know that horseback riding is the fifth hardest sport, according to TheTopTens.com? If so, why do people say it is easy, and that equestrians don’t work hard enough to do their sport? More importantly, horseback riding is misunderstood and an underestimated sport.

People who are misunderstood about horseback riding think that it is easy. Many people think all they need to do is sit there and steer the horse. Truth is, it isn’t that easy. +78,000 people have visited the emergency room since 2007, and that 75% of head injuries occur while physically mounted on a horse, according to ridersforhelmets.com. To be an equestrian, a person who rides horses, it takes skill to control an animal than is 1,000 pounds or more. Focus is key, because horses have a mind of their own, and are unpredictable. Balance is also needed. Horses can go up to 20 miles per hour, and the rider needs to be able to sit balanced, keep their equitation, the proper way to sit mounted on the horse, correct, all while controlling the horse properly and stay safe. If people were to understand this, equestrians would be more respected.

Equestrianism has been featured in the Olympics since 1912, and in every one ever since. So why do people still think it isn’t a sport? According to cbssports.com, the activity has to meet six standards to be considered a “sport”. The first standard is athletic ability. Yes, athletic ability is needed to ride and care for your horse. The rider needs to have strength, to control the horse and post. Posting is where the person sits and stands every beat at the trot, which can be very tiring if you do not have the muscle, which leads to the second standard, strength. Standard three is endurance. Most professional equestrians t...

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... Therapeutic Horse Riding Program, which provides disabled people with a horse that can be their companion and be cared for by them. It is proved that horses can help with physical, emotional, and social skills, according to povatrc.org. If this was more widely recognized, more money can be invested in this program and help it thrive into a bigger, more better service.

On the other hand, horses themselves have benefits, too. Their manure can be used as a non-toxic fertilizer for plants and crops. Plants would have a safer, less harsh fertilizer at almost no cost if people were more knowledgeable about this.

Horseback riding is much more than just sitting there, asking the horse to go, and holding on. “It gives kids confidence to do things when they can handle a 1200-pound animal,” Richardson said, from oregonlive.com. No one can do much without a little confidence.