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| . The English style of riding differs from the Western style in many ways. The saddles are different. The English saddle has shorter stirrups, and it does not have a saddle horn, like the western saddle. |
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The English style of riding is more proper, and is more about posture and technique. There are many sports in the English style of riding, as well as the Western style of riding. You will learn more about the English saddle on the this page. |
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There are many sports that are done while riding in the English saddle. One event is called dressage. Dressage is when you ride your horse in a series of turns and transitions. Dressage is very hard. You have to work very well with your horse. They score you on how smooth your transitions are, and how smooth you and your horse move together. There is no jumping in dressage. They also watch the rider. They see if they are sitting up, have good posture, and that their heels are down. Dressage is very challenging and demanding. |
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| Another sport is show jumping. The stirrups are shorter, and there are jumps. In this event, there are a series of jumps that need to be jumped in a certain order. If you knock a jump over, or if your horse goes around a jump, you lose points. |
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This event is also very hard to compete in. There are many ways you can lose points. It is very fun to jump, but you need to practice often, and you must be able to trust your horse, or else you will not do well. Show jumping is a very fun event, but it is also hard. |
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Cross country is very hard on the rider and the horse. Cross country is when the rider is riding outside of the arena. This can be a leisurely activity, or a very competitive show event. There are a series of very challenging jumps when it is being shown. This event requires short stirrups, just like show jumping. |
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| Sometimes the horse is jumping into water, or the jump might be leading into a forest. The horse might be frightened, but as long as the rider is confident, then the horse should jump the jump perfectly normally. |
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It consists of a dressage test, a cross country course, and a round of show jumps. The beginner tests are usually only one day, while the intermediate and advanced competitions usually are two to three days. They are very challenging. Eventing is also very challenging. |
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They also have many games you can play while riding. They are called gymkhanas. These games are fast and fun. There are many games, like tent pegging, vaulting, and others. In order to play these mounted games, both you and your horse need to have precision, balance, coordination, and most of all, speed. These games are fun, and very cool to try! |
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| The English style is very different from the Western style of riding. This is not as relaxed as the Western sports. If you do take riding lessons, the proper headgear must be worn. You should not use a bike helmet, because they are not made as strong as a riding helmet. Also, when you ride a lot, then you run the chance of falling. |
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In order to compete in any of these events, then you and your horse need to be in good shape. If you and your horse are not, many things can go wrong, and it will not be safe for either you or your horse. If you want to compete, then you should take riding lessons, in order to get you better prepared for the event you want to enter. English riding is very demanding, but very fun! |