Editing Equestrianism (section)

==Overview of equestrian activities==
[[File:Gansu Museum 2007 308.jpg|thumb|Musicians riding horses, [[Tang dynasty]]]]
Horses are [[horse training|trained]] and ridden for practical working purposes, such as in [[Mounted police|police work]] or for controlling herd animals on a [[ranch]]. They are also used in [[Horse#Sport|competitive sports]] including [[dressage]], [[endurance riding]], [[eventing]], [[reining]], [[show jumping]], [[tent pegging]], [[equestrian vaulting|vaulting]], [[polo]], [[horse racing]], [[driving (horse)|driving]], and [[rodeo]] (see additional equestrian sports listed later in this article for more examples). Some popular forms of competition are grouped together at [[horse show]]s where horses perform in a wide variety of disciplines. Horses (and other [[equid]]s such as [[mule]]s) are used for non-competitive recreational riding, such as [[fox hunting]], [[trail riding]], or [[Pleasure riding|hacking]]. There is public access to horse trails in almost every part of the world; many parks, [[ranch]]es, and public [[stable]]s offer both guided and independent riding. Horses are also used for [[therapeutic horseback riding|therapeutic]] purposes both in specialized para-equestrian competition as well as non-competitive riding to improve human health and emotional development.

[[Horses]] are also [[driving (horse)|driven]] in [[harness racing]], at [[horse show]]s, and in other types of exhibition such as [[historical reenactment]] or ceremony, often pulling [[carriage]]s. In some parts of the world, they are still used for practical purposes such as [[farm]]ing.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Leslie|first=Stephen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nkn-CgAAQBAJ&q=25%2C000|title=Horse-Powered Farming for the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Equipment, Methods, and Management for Organic Growers|date=2015|publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing|isbn=978-1-60358-613-9|language=en}}</ref>

Horses continue to be used in public service, in traditional ceremonies (parades, funerals), [[police horse|police]] and volunteer mounted patrols and for [[mounted search and rescue]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mounted Forces {{!}} The British Horse Society |url=https://www.bhs.org.uk/careers-recreational-awards/equestrian-careers-guide/mounted-forces/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=www.bhs.org.uk |language=en}}</ref>

[[Riding hall]]s, also known as indoor arenas or schools, enable training of horse and rider in all weathers as well as indoor competition riding.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Structures |first= |date=2023-03-27 |title=Benefits of Training Your Horses in an Indoor Arena |url=https://coastalsteelstructures.com/benefits-of-training-your-horses-in-an-indoor-arena/ |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=Coastal Steel Structures |language=en-US}}</ref>