Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine August 2016 Vol 1 Issue 3

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine

Keeping things in perspective

Competing in equine competitions can be a fun way to enjoy the company of our horses and our friends. But it is important that we continue to think of it that way - as fun. Showing a horse should be simply that. “Showing” what a horse can do. Being proud of our animal, not critical about the details. We need to let the show be his moment, not ours. Racing of some sort is the most popular equine event in the world. Besides racing there are mainly two types of competitions. Rodeo type events sometimes referred to as speed events where primarily a clock is used to determine the placings, and then there are shows that are judged according to individual rules, standards and style for the particular organization. Each specific discipline has its own unique set of maneuvers. These maneuvers simply pertain to each sport that we have invented for competition. Most disciplines of equine sports were originally patterned after a real world use for horses, such as farming, battle, livestock work on stations and ranches, or check- ing crops and traveling across the countryside. I find it fascinating learning about the history of our equine sports and their origins, whether it be show jumping, cutting, polo or harness and sulky racing. The most interesting part for me, of each of these sports, is that they are all horses and no matter their game, they all start and end their life with same basic needs. Whether they are a local western pleasure pony or a Kentucky Derby winner, the fundamentals of how they operate do not change. Today most of these competitions bear only a vague resemblance to anything pertaining to real life. Loosely connected to some real life tasks, over centuries we have created some fun and exciting horse events. Which, when done safely and correctly, can be good for both horse and rider. But before there was reining, before dressage, before trail riding, there was the horse. Prideful and scared. Open minded yet cautious. He didn’t need us then and he still doesn’t need our games now. But we as human beings seem to need something from them, and so the horse is willing to comply. The maneuvers that make up the games and disciplines we do with horses should be layered upon a cor- rect foundation that we help the horse develop from the beginning. It doesn’t matter which discipline we Continued on Page 14 EHALmagazine.com | August 2016 | © Everything Horses and Livestock 9