top 5 facts/details about horses/showjumping that the average person doesn't know or that you want people to know 👀
oh god i really have to think for this one
if the horse doesn't want to do it, they won't. if the horse is in pain, they will let you know (loudly). this is a sport that relies on cooperation and communication.
horse back riding is the only sport in the world that men and women compete equally in. there is no division by gender. that said it is dominated by women at the amateur/junior level, and leans more towards men at the highest professional levels. it is however a mixed sport at all levels.
the idea that horses/equestrian disciplines are only for rich people is quite funny to me, because most if not all the people i know who own their own horse are a) working overtime to make ends meet and to give their animal a comfortable life and b) worked their asses off to get to that point. yes horses are expensive. you make it in this world by working manual labour, grooming for professionals, catch riding, coaching, re/starting horses, and bearing the brunt of the damage on yourself and not your horse.
it might seem like the difficulty of a course increases with height (that is, a 1m60 course is harder than a 1m course bc the jumps at 60cm higher) but the truth is that height doesn't actually matter so much. what actually increases the difficulty between those two courses is the types of turns and obstacles you're going to encounter. the technicality of the ride is the true test of skill.
many of the riders you see in the olympics are not very good at what they do.
