Within the overall heading of ‘horse riding’ there are different‘disciplines’ or ‘types’ of riding, each of which represent a different aspectof horse riding skills.

For many, the two most common styles of riding are ‘English’ and ‘Western’ –the latter being particularly popular in the USA and easily identified tospectators by the type of saddle used ( the Western Saddle is larger anddeeper).

The English discipline also features some lesser known styles of ridingincluding saddle seat and side saddle.

Followers of horse riding competitions will be well acquainted with thedisciplines of Dressage, Show Jumping and Three Day Eventing (a combination ofdressage, cross country and stadium/show jumping).

In reality most children will either start off with learning English orWestern style riding, but understanding the basis or the rudimentary foundationfor each of the disciplines will give you a broader understanding of the sportand help you understand how the sport could develop for your child.

So for your information, let’s take a look at the three main competitivehorse riding disciplines:

Dressage: Considered the ballet of equestrian sports, the term dressagecomes from the French and roughly translates to training. Horses and ridersschool in a series of movements and techniques that ultimately are put togetherinto a workable routine referred to as a test. Early levels focus on basicskills whereas tests at the highest level, including Grand Prix, feature aweinspiring advanced movements including the piaff, passage and extremelycollected gaits.

Show Jumping: Most equestrian spectators are familiar with show jumping.Here riders and their equine partners are faced with a course of jumps whichvary in height, scope and difficulty, depending on the level of partnershiptackling the course. At low levels, riders will navigate simple courses ofcross-rails. International level riders and their mounts are faced with largeand challenging obstacles, with rails set on flat or shallow jump cups, andencouraged to complete the course within an optimal time limit. Penalties willbe assessed for dropped rails or exceeding the posted time allowed.

Three Day Eventing: Three Day Eventing is designed to test the fitness,finesse and overall athletic ability of horse and rider partnerships. Featuringa combination of phases including the technical precision of dressage, followedby a fast-paced and physically demanding trip cross-country over naturalobstacles and finalized with a final test over a course of show jumpingobstacles, eventing comes from cavalry exercises of days gone by. Thecombination of horse and rider is constant for the three phases of the eventand horses must pass soundness tests at the start and throughout the course ofthe competition. Varied levels of competition are available to participantsranging from novice through international four star events.

Anyway that is all some time away but it’s good to think big and who knowswhere your child’s horse riding skills could end up!

Meanwhile when starting your child in riding lessons, it is worth spendingtime finding a school and trainer that will provide a good foundation of thebasics. While your child may have a preference for one discipline over anotherin time, a broad based beginning in the saddle, concentrated on position andtechnique will be the best way to start riding. In time, picking up adiscipline will be easier with a mastery of the basics.

The only deviation from this advice is if your child is interested in ridingWestern. Here, it would be advisable to locate a school that offers Westernlessons, as the style of riding is so markedly different from English.