How to Compete in Equitation

Equitation is an English riding event that judges correct riding and proper body carriage of horse and rider.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spurs
• English Riding Jacket
• Light-colored Shirts
• English Reins
• English Saddle
• Breeches
• Headstalls
• Helmets
• Leather Riding Gloves
• Riding Boots
• Riding Crop
• Snaffle Bit
• Helmets

1. Select a horse that moves well and carries himself well. Thoroughbreds and warmbloods (large horses of European descent) are preferred since they're taller and better able to make the jumps.

2. Tack up with an English saddle and tack. It's required for this event.

3. Maintain proper body position at the walk, sitting trot and canter. Keep your head up, eyes forward, shoulders back, back straight and body leaning slightly forward.

4. Accentuate the forward body position for the posting trot, gallop and jump.

5. Hold your hands just above the withers and slightly apart, with your knuckles rotated 30 degrees inside the vertical. There should be a straight line from horse's mouth to rider's elbow.

6. Flex your ankles, keep your heels down, and maintain contact with the horse with your calves. Keep legs slightly behind the girth.

7. Follow the pattern. Each rider rides in a specific, required pattern.

8. Wear a dark jacket with a light-colored shirt; a riding helmet with light-colored breeches; tall, dark leather riding boots, spurs and a riding crop.

Tips & Warnings

• Riders ride one at a time in competition.
• When you're riding, look to the next move or maneuver; don't just look forward.

on 9/9/2006 Concentrate on your position throughout your round, not the way your horse is going, as you are the one being judged. Also make sure that your turnout is immaculate.

on 8/8/2006 Don’t concentrate so much on your form. You need to concentrate more on riding well, not on how low your heels are or how straight your back is. Also, don’t lean back when you sit up in the saddle. It will throw your horse off balance and you will look strange to the judge.

on 4/3/2006 Secure your hair into a hair net under your helmet to create the nice and tidy head. Make sure shirts are tucked in to your breeches. Also, check and make sure that everything is spotless, especially those boots! Remember when you go into an equitation ring to keep your head up to look very confident!

on 12/12/2005 Try to not make big upper body moves over your fences - it will magnify any position flaw you may have in addition to looking rough. Plan how you are going to ride your roll-backs in advance of getting into the ring. A smooth trip is essential to making you look good. "You judge the rider, not the ride," however, if your horse makes a mistake due to rider error, it can count against your equitation course.

on 11/30/2005 Say your horse decides that one part of the ring has monsters lurking and has a bad scare, don't sweat it if you're in an equitation class. The judges are looking at how well you handle the horse, although you may get points knocked off for that you could still place depending on how well you managed your horse then and how well you did during the class.