Horses at the Great Yorkshire Show
Sport
Horses are trained to be ridden or driven in many different sporting events and
competitions. Examples include horse shows, gymkhana, rodeos, endurance riding,
fox hunting, and Olympic-level events such as three-day eventing, combined
driving, dressage, and show jumping. Although scoring varies by event, most
emphasize the horse's speed, manoeuvrability, obedience and/or precision.
Sometimes the equitation, the style and ability of the rider, is also
considered.
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The most widely known use of horses for sport is horse racing, seen in almost
every nation in the world. There are three types: "flat" racing; steeplechasing,
i.e. racing over jumps; and harness racing, where horses trot or pace while
pulling a driver in a small, light cart known as a sulky. Most race horses in
the developed world are Thoroughbreds, a breed which can reach speeds up to 40
mph/70 km/h. In the case of a specialized sprinting breed, the American Quarter
Horse, speeds over 50 mph have been clocked. In harness racing, performed by
Standardbred horses, speeds over 30 mph have been measured. A major part of the
economic importance of horse racing, as for many sports, lies in the gambling
associated with it.
Work
There are certain jobs that horses do very well, and no amount of technology
appears able to supersede. Mounted police horses are still effective for crowd
control. Cattle ranches still require riders on horseback to round up cattle
that are scattered across remote, rugged terrain. Search and rescue
organizations in some countries depend upon mounted teams to locate people,
particularly hikers and hunters, who are lost in remote areas.
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