Horse riding has been known since the taming of horses. For many centuries they have been constant companions of people. Before the invention of transport, their role in the development of civilization was key. True, with the development of scientific and technological progress, horses have become more pets for entertainment. Over time, when the cavalry lost its former relevance, equestrian sport appeared. And with it new species unknown to many people. Jumping - what kind of discipline? Consider below.
Horse Riding
There are many different activities with horses. For example, for the development of breeds of some horses, racetracks are carried out - running and racing. On the run, the horse runs at a trot, the one who comes the very first wins. In horse racing gallop. According to the test results, the most frisky horses are selected and allowed for breeding.
There is still equestrian sport. It includes several types. Dressage is a beautiful ride with different elements, where you need to drive in the arena from letter to letter in a special way. Jumping is overcoming obstacles of different heights. Eventing is the most difficult equestrian sport. Competitions last three days. These include dressage, field cross country and show jumping. According to the results of the sports pair, scored the least penalties, wins.
Jumping is an equestrian sport for the brave. Due to its effectiveness, it is one of the most popular among the population. Even people unrelated to horses are interested in watching beautiful jumps over obstacles. The larger the tournament, the more difficult the route to overcome and the higher the barriers. Special people, cross-designers, adorn obstacles.
History
Equestrianism appeared not so long ago. He appeared instead of the cavalry, as the army ceased to need trained horses. Therefore, almost a century ago, the "jump-hippik" appeared. Its main organizers were cadets of the Saumur riding school. Spectators enthusiastically accepted this type of competition. Gradually, show jumping began to appear in different countries of the world. He appeared in Russia in 1895. Cavalrymen highly appreciated such tests, since in war conditions the horse should be perfectly driven, accustomed to various soils, not afraid of obstacles in its path.
Jumping in Russia
Already in 1902, Russian riders took part in international competitions. Jumping is not only a spectacular sport, but also extremely traumatic. Since during the overcoming of the obstacle the horse may fall or throw the rider. The first performances were unsuccessful, but this gave athletes the opportunity to learn from someone else's experience. The result was not long in coming. Already in 1910, the Russian rider won the cup.
Jumping is an Olympic sport, and not immediately the Soviet team managed to win gold. But already in 1959 they became winners. The second triumph was waiting for them in 1980, at the Olympic Games in Moscow.
Jumping - what kind of sport and what training is needed?
To ignorant people, it seems extremely easy to jump on a horse through obstacles. In fact, riding in itself requires serious training for the rider. Jumping is divided into a number of classes, different in complexity. For beginners, the barriers are simple, with a height of not more than 80 cm, a route without sharp turns. The higher the qualification of the rider, the more difficult the tournaments become. The record for overcoming a single obstacle belongs to Albert Morales. He was able to overcome the barrier with a height of 2 meters 47 cm. No one else was able to repeat his feat.
In general, show jumping can be divided into several types: power, style, speed. Obstacles come in several forms: high-altitude, wide and high-altitude. A prerequisite - they must be easily destructible. This is due to the safety of the rider and the horse. Since if the barrier is "dead", hindering it at the time of the jump, the horse will roll somersault over his head and crush the rider. Barriers are different in structure: consisting of several poles or blocks (the so-called "wall"), sometimes an obstacle in the form of a ditch is put.
Rider training is conducted using low barrier heights. At this stage, the trainer's task is to work out the correct fit for the athlete. Jumping is a tandem of a rider and a horse. So that the horse can overcome the barrier, a person should not interfere with it. To do this, he stands up in stirrups and moves forward with the hull. Thus, he does not interfere with the horse's balance and does not risk knocking down the pole.
Ammunition and equipment of a competitive horse
Equestrian sport is a traumatic species. Therefore, riders must wear helmets. This is the only way to protect your head in the fall. For official competitions, a special dress code is required: white breeches (special riding pants), a redingote (riding jacket), and a helmet. This is a tribute to the judges. Ammunition is selected for each horse separately. It should not be dangerous for the pet and hurt him. Equestrian Federation is developing special lists of authorized ammunition. Everything is strictly regulated, up to the used “iron” in the horse’s mouth (there are special bits on the bridle that are placed in the animal’s mouth, and reins are attached to them outside).
Competition Rules
Jumping is a sport that has its own rules. So, for each obstacle brought down ( the obstacle from which one or more poles or blocks fell) is given four penalty points. There is no quantity limit. But for a throw (refusal to overcome an obstacle) the first is given the same amount of a fine, and for the second they will be disqualified. The penalty is also given for non-laying in the allotted time. Each route is given its own time span. For every second over it is assigned a penalty point.