Editing Horse (section)

===Sport===
<!-- There is a whole article about Equestrianism for all details about every possible sport. This article should only give the bare summary. So, please do not add elaborate sections of your own favorite horse sport here. -->
{{Main|Equestrianism|Horse racing|Horse training|Horse tack}}
[[File:Beijing2008 HOKETSU Hiroshi.JPG|thumb|A horse and rider in [[dressage]] competition at the [[Equestrian at the Summer Olympics|Olympics]]|alt=A chestnut (reddish-brown) horse being ridden by a rider in a black coat and top hat. They are stopped in a riding arena with the rider tipping his hat.]]
Historically, equestrians honed their skills through games and races. Equestrian sports provided entertainment for crowds and honed the excellent horsemanship that was needed in battle. Many sports, such as [[dressage]], [[eventing]], and [[show jumping]], have origins in [[horses in warfare|military training]], which were focused on control and balance of both horse and rider. Other sports, such as [[rodeo]], developed from practical skills such as those needed on working [[ranch]]es and [[Station (Australian agriculture)|stations]]. Sport hunting from horseback evolved from earlier practical hunting techniques.<ref name="Olsen">{{cite book|author= Olsen, Sandra L. |chapter= In the Winner's Circle: The History of Equestrian Sports |title= Horses Through Time |edition= First |publisher= Roberts Rinehart Publishers |location= Boulder, CO |year= 1996 |isbn= 1-57098-060-8 |oclc= 36179575 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/horsesthroughtim00olse/page/105 105, 111–113, 121] |chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/horsesthroughtim00olse/page/105}}</ref> [[Horse racing]] of all types evolved from impromptu competitions between riders or drivers. All forms of competition, requiring demanding and specialized skills from both horse and rider, resulted in the systematic development of specialized breeds and equipment for each sport. The popularity of equestrian sports through the centuries has resulted in the preservation of skills that would otherwise have disappeared after horses stopped being used in combat.<ref name="Olsen"/>

Horses are trained to be ridden or driven in a variety of sporting competitions. Examples include [[show jumping]], [[dressage]], three-day [[eventing]], [[combined driving|competitive driving]], [[endurance riding]], [[Gymkhana (equestrian)|gymkhana]], [[rodeo]]s, and [[fox hunting]].<ref>[[#Edwards|Edwards]], pp. 346–356, 366–371</ref> [[Horse show]]s, which have their origins in medieval European fairs, are held around the world. They host a huge range of classes, covering all of the mounted and harness disciplines, as well as [[halter (horse show)|"In-hand"]] classes where the horses are led, rather than ridden, to be evaluated on their conformation. The method of judging varies with the discipline, but winning usually depends on style and ability of both horse and rider.<ref>[[#Edwards|Edwards]], pp. 376–377</ref>
Sports such as [[polo]] do not judge the horse itself, but rather use the horse as a partner for human competitors as a necessary part of the game. Although the horse requires specialized training to participate, the details of its performance are not judged, only the result of the rider's actions—be it getting a ball through a goal or some other task.<ref name=Edwards360>[[#Edwards|Edwards]], p. 360</ref> Examples of these sports of partnership between human and horse include [[jousting]], in which the main goal is for one rider to unseat the other,<ref>{{cite book|author1=Collins, Tony|author2=Martin, John|author3=Vamplew, Wray|title=Encyclopedia of Traditional British Rural Sports|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NWu6sLJn7-kC&pg=PA174|publisher=Routledge|year=2005|location=London|isbn=0-415-35224-X|oclc=57005595|pages=173–174|access-date=2020-09-28|archive-date=2023-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223813/https://books.google.com/books?id=NWu6sLJn7-kC&pg=PA174|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[buzkashi]], a team game played throughout [[Central Asia]], the aim being to capture a goat carcass while on horseback.<ref name=Edwards360/>

[[Horse racing]] is an equestrian sport and major international industry, watched in almost every nation of the world. There are three types: "flat" racing; [[Steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechasing]], i.e. racing over jumps; and [[harness racing]], where horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a small, light cart known as a [[sulky]].<ref>[[#Edwards|Edwards]], pp. 332–337</ref> A major part of horse racing's economic importance lies in the [[Gambling#Parimutuel betting|gambling]] associated with it.<ref>{{cite book |author=Campbell, B.N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-p7ZF9KW8-MC |title=National Gambling Impact Study Commission Final Report (1999) |publisher=DIANE Publishing |location=Darby, PA |year=2001 |isbn=0-7567-0701-3 |page=111 |access-date=2015-11-15 |archive-date=2023-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223813/https://books.google.com/books?id=-p7ZF9KW8-MC |url-status=live }}</ref>