By Sasha Koren
August 03, 2012
A fair question. If tradition is any guide, the presence of horses at the Olympics stems from the ancient games, where chariot races were held alongside events still held today, like the pentathlon and the discus throw. Equestrian events have been a part of the modern Games since at least 1912.
Horses’ natural strength and capacity for endurance make them phenomenal athletes in their own right (although they are far from immune to grave and even fatal injury), but if your bias is toward human feats, don’t discount the athletic prowess of the Olympic-level rider. As any novice learns quickly, equestrian sports require intensive muscle strength and sense of balance, without which it would be hard to stay on the back of a pony trotting around a ring, much less on top of a large thoroughbred running at a gallop of 20 miles an hour over four-foot-high jumps. Riders also exert a high degree of physical control, making subtle changes in posture and hand and leg positions to communicate commands to their mounts. Strategic thinking also comes into play, particularly in jumping events, in which clearing a jump safely depends upon a rider's ability to assess the height of and distance between jumps, and to control the horse's stride and speed accordingly.
Rather than remove riding from the Games, perhaps the International Olympic Committee should consider expanding the number of options for equines and their two-legged teammates. Seriously, would barrel racing be any less serious a display of fitness than canoe slalom?
Sasha Koren is a deputy editor on the interactive news desk.