What Are the Different Disciplines of English Riding?

Dressage

• Dressage is an English riding discipline that focuses on the collection and discipline of the horse and rider. The term is derived from the French term "dresser," meaning "to train." Horses are ridden in a collected frame and overall impulsion, balance and accuracy are valued in dressage. There are many competition levels, the Grand Prix being the highest. For each competition the horse is shown in a flat, rectangle-shaped arena and it is required to perform a series of movements previously memorized by the rider. Dressage riders use dressage saddles that have long flaps almost directly beneath the saddle, and utilize long stirrups. Frequently, horses being trained in other disciplines will cross-train in basic dressage because the flexibility, balance and responsiveness it teaches a horse can improve its performance in other disciplines.

Hunter/Jumper

• In hunt seat riding, a rider sits more forward than the upright dressage position to enable the horse to move freely beneath her and to fully use its body when jumping over obstacles. The hunt seat position is used in the hunting discipline, evolved from fox hunts. Hose and rider jump over courses of natural-looking obstacles, such as wooden logs and brush fences. The horse is expected to remain calm and confident when confronted with this variety of fence types. A more forward hunt seat is typically used in show jumping, a discipline in which horse and rider travel rapidly over high fences. The fences are designed to test a horse's precision, and they can easily fall if hit. In show jumping, the pair's style is not judged; rather they only need to clear the obstacles and complete the course within the allotted time.

Cross Country

• The cross country discipline requires horse and rider to travel across great distances. It tests the endurance and athleticism of both horse and rider as the pair must navigate many challenging obstacles. The obstacles are designed so as to resemble natural obstacles which would be found in nature, such as brush banks, ditches, and water jumps. The fences are solid and do not easily fall, so horse and rider must be accurate but confident to navigate the course safely. Cross country riders wear safety helmets and vests because of the danger, and the horse's legs are often greased to help them slide over jumps if they should hit them.

Three Day Eventing

• Three-day eventing combines dressage, cross country, and show jumping to test each horse and rider in all three areas. The first day tests the horse's willingness to submit to the precision demanded by dressage. On the second day the horse must go boldly and willingly over a cross country course. This is followed by show jumping on the third day, which tests a horse over obstacles that easily fall. Each team of horse and rider accrues penalties through each day; the team with the fewest penalties wins the event.

Saddle Seat

• Saddle seat is an English riding discipline which is typically ridden on breeds of gaited horses, among them the Tennessee Walking Horse, Morgan, Paso Fino, Missouri Fox Trotter, or Saddlebred. These gaited horses have a flashy appearance, often stepping up high with their knees and carrying their heads up in the air, but the way that they move provides the rider with a smooth, enjoyable ride. Saddle seat riders ride in a flatter, longer saddle than the average English saddle, and the stirrup leathers are longer than those used for English pleasure or jumping. The purpose of saddle seat showing is to exhibit the horse's gaits, high-stepping action, and high head carriage. These are typically displayed at the walk, trot and canter.