What is a contest: a general description

Since ancient times, the horse was an ally of man. Basically, it was used to move people and cargo, occasionally - to get meat and milk. Now the horse has become one of the most common pets along with a dog or a cat. And today it is used in sports and amateur skating. In this article we will tell you about what a contest is and how it happens.

Overcoming hurdles on horseback is considered a relatively new sport for horses and people. Hunters and cavalrymen have always used the horse's ability to overcome obstacles in his own interests. True, in nature, a horse moves without a rider and therefore it is difficult for it to jump with a person, especially if the animal is not previously prepared for this. The horseman himself must certainly sit and do everything in such a way as to facilitate the horse jumping over obstacles. That's why many athletes respond to the question "what is a contest", that first of all this is the art of controlling their bodies.

Necessary equipment for jumping

This is a sporting business! The competition requires the rider not only to invest in forces and time, but also to purchase expensive equipment. First of all you need to get a good and expensive competitive saddle. It should allow a person to sit, slightly bending forward. In addition, the saddle should approach the back of the horse. The whip for jumping should be comfortable and short. The length of the whip for competitions and training should not exceed 75 centimeters.

Protection for horses

What is a contest? This is primarily dangerous for both the rider and horse sports. On legs or foots it is necessary to dress nogavki or bandages. They help to avoid leg injuries with an accidental impact on the barrier. Noggles are usually made of plastic, foam rubber, a leather substitute or even felt. They protect the wrists, pasterns, and joints of the animal from blows. Most often, horses are injured on too soft and loose ground. Nogavki from the skin are fastened to the feet, while the fasteners should be on the outside. Rubber legs are stretched to their feet.

What should be the horse for jumping?

Competitions in equestrian sport are usually very complex for both rider and horse. The competitive horse can be of very different breeds, special standards currently do not exist. However, the structure of the horse's legs is very important. They must be long and strong. Especially important are the hind legs, since it is from them that the horse's jumping ability depends. If he has a short back, then he is not suitable for jumping, since jumping classes assume a wide range of movements.

Torso tilt forward

The cherished dream of many athletes is the Olympics (equestrian sport, competition) and victory in the competition. But for it to come true, one must learn a lot and pass a lot. First of all, the horse should be able to easily maintain the necessary balance in the jump. For this, the rider must keep his weight in one position and do not cling to the occasion. When a person reaches the full balance, he can correctly guide the horse and start winning equestrian competitions. During the jump, the rider leans slightly forward. To make this possible, the stirrups are usually shortened by two or three divisions. In this case, the heels should look down, and the shoulders should be relaxed. It is this position that will significantly reduce the weight on the horse's back, helping him to maintain his balance.

Technique of leap

Before you know what a contest is, you need to understand that, in fact, the jump is a gallop at an increased pace. In this case, the technique of jumping depends on the technique of movement of the legs, neck and muzzle. The horse must lift the forelegs high and pick them up under the trunk. But in the event that the horse will pick up the hind legs, it will be considered a mistake. The movements of the muzzle and neck largely depend on the correct shape of the animal's back.

Approach to the barrier in jumping

The horse must run up to the barriers in one rhythm and pace (usually a canter). A man must push his horse forward with his feet, so that he does not stop in any way and all obstacles to jumping have been overcome. Before the barrier, one must try to move in a straight line, so that the animal has the best balance to overcome the barrier. Wide barriers in sports require the horse to overcome more quickly.

Separation from the ground

First, the horse bends the neck with his head in order to correctly determine the distance. Then in a jump the muzzle and neck quickly rise, and the forelimbs are bent under the stomach. Then the body rises, the neck effectively shrinks, and the hind legs repel forcefully from the ground.

During the separation from the ground, a person sitting on a horse gently carries the weight of his body forward. In this case, contact with the horse's mouth should remain soft and light. Hands must move with the horse's head. This stage of the jump is considered the most difficult.

Freeze

All limbs of the animal at the moment of hovering above the ground are in isolation from the ground. Before sinking to the ground, the animal must return the forelimbs to the desired position. It should be said that hanging requires an extremely high coordination of all parts of the horse's muscles and the rider does not play any role at this stage. That's why they say that the most difficult sport is a contest. The rules are even more complicated. An occasion during a jump can not be pulled. It is important that the rider look forward, not down. Otherwise, he will react to the movement of the horse with a delay.

Landing

When the horse lands, it pulls the front legs forward. When the ground is touched by the front feet, the horse raises its muzzle upwards for restoration. Hind legs land on the ground almost on prints from the front hooves. During the landing, the person sitting on the horse should not lean back. When landing the hind limbs, he must send the horse forward.

What are the competitions?

Competitions in jumping can be held at absolutely any level. It can be competitions for children of different ages or even international ones. Of course, the cherished event, which all lovers of jumping want to visit, is the Olympics. Equestrian sports, competitions are extremely difficult. And not everyone can get to prestigious competitions. All competitions have a level of difficulty, so a rider can start improving his skills with simple local competitions. And someday he will take part in some international tournament on a beautiful horse. The route itself will always be different. It depends on the level of the competitions themselves.

What is a gith

Git is the complete passage of the route from the beginning (that is, the finish) to the end (that is, the finish line). After the round is over, the participants of the competition determine the order in which the seats will be distributed.

Where are competitions usually held in jumping

Important is where the competition will be held. After all, what is a contest? This is a kind of sport that requires a lot of space. Therefore, the area of the arena should be at least 3200 square meters. In this case, the parties must be at least forty meters. But you can compete for ponies on a field of not less than 2400 square meters. The open training field must be at least 15 by 35 meters in size. It must have one latitudinal obstacle and one high-altitude obstacle.

What is a bell and flags

To give participants a signal, for example, about the beginning of the performance, a bell is used. They can also stop the performing rider, disqualify the competitor or give a signal that the performance has begun.

On the edges of the obstacle are installed multi-colored flags. At least one pair of red and one pair of white flags shall be installed on the latitudinal barrier. Barriers must be overcome by a horse so that the flag on the left is white and the right side is bright red. We hope, now you know what a contest is.

Route and jump-off

In the event that two or more riders of competitive competitions have passed the route with equal values, then all of them must necessarily pass the route again. As a rule, to shorten the route, the rider is shortened and the rider with the highest score is considered the winner.

The distance with the barriers, which the rider and his horse must pass from start to finish, is called a route. Barriers should be numbered. There are competitions in which the rider has the right to choose the order of passing the barriers himself.

What are the barriers to jumping

Obstacles to jumping can be very different:

• Single barriers (for example, oxer) are high and latitudinal;
• The system of barriers is triple and double (that is, the triple system the horse must overcome in three jumps);
• Height barrier (this is a single obstacle);
• A wall constructed of light blocks (this is a high-altitude obstacle);
• Latitude obstacle implies that the horse should not only jump high, but also overcome a considerable latitude;
• Joker (there is no obstacle to the standards);
• The tee is a barrier in which the bars are arranged like a ladder;
• Ditch filled with water.

That's a small part of what you need to know about jumping. You can add that competitions in jumping are very different. Most often, classical competitions are held. There are competitions in jumping, designed to determine the power of a horse's jump or its endurance. In some types of competition, the difficulty of the route increases in increasing order, and in others the rider participates until he makes the first mistake. There are competitions, relay races, free-route competitions and competitions, on which the rider wins, who will gain the most points. A sea of emotions and vivid impressions will give spectators equestrian sport. The competition is able to make the rider more strong-willed, and the horse - more powerful.

Particular attention deserves colorful horse shows. Participants here are judged not by the purity and height of the jump, but by the spectacular and colorful, as well as the style of clothing and equipment. Important is the planting and bearing of a person, and only then themselves jumping. Competitions in jumping have always differed not only in their entertainment, but also in high injuries.