Introduction

There are many ways to enjoy riding your horse and building a relationship between the two of you.

Dressage

This sport is for a more advanced rider. It consists of guiding the horse through a series of predetermined steps that has been described as ballet-like. Just by using you legs to manouvre the horse, this gentle and refined sport can very satisfying once understood. It is not recommended for riders with limited patience or for breeds of horses which are high spirited.

Jimcana

Jimcana is a fast paced series of games in which it is vital for the rider to collect a certain amount of objects in a limited amount of time. It can also involve retieving flags before another rider. For beginners, the game can be played at a walking pace, while for advanced riders it would be played a gallop. This can be played as a team sport and is not for riders with skittish or unsocial horses.

Jumping

Horse jumpingis an exhilarating sport which is fast paced and for a more advanced riders. However, it is possible for a beginner to start, but on a lower height of jump. The style of riding is much different than the other sports(it is similar to the stance of a horse jockey) as it requires to sit upright for the trot and lean into the horse for over the jumps. The difficulty of this sport is determined by the height of the jumps and the complexity of the course. A variation on the usual sport jumps is the addition of water and hedges as an obstacle.