rabatsa
Confuddled
Polo used to be an olympic sport but they dropped it yonks ago.
Do you think horses riding will be kicked out of the Olympics in the future
- Thread starter Santa’s Irish draught
- Start date
teapot
Well-Known Member
Yup and Tokyo's is on a reclaimed piece of land. Horses will travel by road to get there.
teapot
Well-Known Member
Have seen a photo of thermal sensors being used on the horses in Tokyo so clearly welfare/heat issues are at the forefront of their minds.
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
I wouldn’t be surprised if they dropped the equestrian events sooner or later. Watching all the horses being flown over made me think what a monumental cost it must be - for a competition that’s not even top level.
Wishfilly
Well-Known Member
Maybe we should bring back some of the previous equestrian events- horse long jump and high jump could be entertaining for spectators!
littleshetland
Well-Known Member
Chariot racing! lol...
spacefaer
Well-Known Member
I think as environmental concerns and animal rights activists gain in popularity worldwide, it will be harder to justify the various costs.
I do think, yes eventually, equestrian sports will be dropped.
PETA has already influenced Facebook by making it enforce the pre existing ban on live animal sales. I wouldn't underestimate the power of these groups.
I do think, yes eventually, equestrian sports will be dropped.
PETA has already influenced Facebook by making it enforce the pre existing ban on live animal sales. I wouldn't underestimate the power of these groups.
Mule
Well-Known Member
I remember reading that the reason long format eventing was dropped was to keep the sport in the Olympics.
rara007
Well-Known Member
Now that I’m into.
lynz88
Well-Known Member
I think equestrian sports have been up on the chopping block a few times but have always pulled through.
....And totally agree on the skateboarders. Was saying to my mom last night that I was watching just waiting for someone to split their heads open and was amazed that helmets aren't mandatory!!
....And totally agree on the skateboarders. Was saying to my mom last night that I was watching just waiting for someone to split their heads open and was amazed that helmets aren't mandatory!!
TPO
Well-Known Member
Only me worrying about surfers being eaten by sharks? Ha ha
I do think equestrian sports will be dropped sooner or later for all the reasons mentioned already. They've already made eventing shorter and easier (relatively speaking) so that it's easier to build and so that its accessible for more nations.
I think climate change might okay a part too.
Good point about the "animal rights" groups too. While no sport is without risk I believe that equestrian sports are the only Olympic sports where tou put an animals life at risk.
I don't think that there have been any equine eventing fatalities but all you'd need is one crunching fall and I think that would be game over these days.
I'm always teetering on the rabbit hole but when you see some of the falls and worse at Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley it really doesnt seem like a fair ask of a horse. I know that the Olympics arent 5* technicality but the risk is always there.
I do think equestrian sports will be dropped sooner or later for all the reasons mentioned already. They've already made eventing shorter and easier (relatively speaking) so that it's easier to build and so that its accessible for more nations.
I think climate change might okay a part too.
Good point about the "animal rights" groups too. While no sport is without risk I believe that equestrian sports are the only Olympic sports where tou put an animals life at risk.
I don't think that there have been any equine eventing fatalities but all you'd need is one crunching fall and I think that would be game over these days.
I'm always teetering on the rabbit hole but when you see some of the falls and worse at Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley it really doesnt seem like a fair ask of a horse. I know that the Olympics arent 5* technicality but the risk is always there.
DirectorFury
Well-Known Member
They deployed loads of shark nets and the jetskis would be able to haul them to safety if a shark was sighted 
. Poor Mick Fanning got harassed by a shark during the J-Bay Open in 2015 (
) and I’ve noticed that jetskis have stayed much closer to the surfers in comps since.
. Poor Mick Fanning got harassed by a shark during the J-Bay Open in 2015 (
SantaVera
Well-Known Member
Yes I hope they are.
TPO
Well-Known Member
They deployed loads of shark nets and the jetskis would be able to haul them to safety if a shark was sighted) and I’ve noticed that jetskis have stayed much closer to the surfers in comps since.
Poor Mick!!! ???
coblets
Well-Known Member
I don’t know about this. The equestrian sports in the olympics are a tiny proportion of equestrian sports as a whole and very Eurocentric. Some of the horsiest countries in the world don’t send teams out, partially for economic reasons, partially because why promote dressage to a Mongol or an Afghan when they have their own nomadic sport on horseback. Tentpegging, buzkashi, the Olympics don’t even include any Western disciplines.
The Olympics is only promoting a very small angle of horsemanship.
Zuzan
Well-Known Member
Agree and Horseback archery ..
Arguably there are more audience / spectator friendly equestrian sports than those included in the Olympics at the moment..
.. wouldn't working equitation (although euro centric) be easier to host and understood than Dressage and Eventing .. ? or even vaulting.. ? but another consideration is that para equestrian sport is rather limited to dressage
Mule
Well-Known Member
A fatality, (especially caught on camera) would be the end for sure. I'd say there were many sleepless nights about that possibility back when there were all the eventing fatalities.
I could also see the argument for polo from a spectators pov. I can't see anyone being interested in dressage bar horse people.
Horseback archery would be very cool. Then again the current 3 disciplines go back to the start of the modern games, as far as I'm aware so there is a long tradition there.
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Charley657
Well-Known Member
Is anyone else really annoyed that BBC hasn't covered the Dressage that has happened? Its my least favourite discipline but still I want to watch it and I think we have a good chance with the medals.
I think more needs to be done to raise the popularity of the sport but its often seen as a rich (white) person sport and more needs to be done to address this.
I think more needs to be done to raise the popularity of the sport but its often seen as a rich (white) person sport and more needs to be done to address this.
Mule
Well-Known Member
I also want to see it on the BBC. I like watching it with commentary too. It makes it easier for me to understand what I'm watching
The BBC appear to be showing the grand prix special and the freestyle. I'm looking forward to that. I will set it to record, just in case.
TPO
Well-Known Member
It would be good if more was made of WEG.
Personally I do not count vaulting as an equestrian sport. Its gymnastics with moving apparatus; no horsemanship. So I'd be happy to drop that from WEG and add in working Equitation and archery ?
Personally I do not count vaulting as an equestrian sport. Its gymnastics with moving apparatus; no horsemanship. So I'd be happy to drop that from WEG and add in working Equitation and archery ?
Mule
Well-Known Member
I agree about vaulting. It's very impressive but as you said, it's gymnastics.
TPO
Well-Known Member
While I'm on a rant. I HATE that we are forced to pay a license. I watch and listen to zero that is BBC. Their only redeeming feature is that they cover the Olympics (equestrian), Badminton and Burghley. So not had that the past couple of years.
I think we should get a refund or at least not have to keep paying for it and hope it collapses and goes away.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
It's not the BBC's fault, it's because almost all the TV rights have been sold to Discovery.
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Charley657
Well-Known Member
I refuse to pay a fiver to watch something on Discovery. Its not a lot of money but I would only be watching the equestrian part of the games. I sound like a right winge bag but its so annoying.
TPO
Well-Known Member
The BBC have more than enough of our money. They manage to pay ridiculous salaries surely they should have left enough beans to buy the Olympics???
I feel like I need to get the poster paints out and channel by BBC rage into a placard ???
coblets
Well-Known Member
Now you’re making me wonder about horseball and polocrosse too.
For para, maybe driving?
Horseback archery would be brilliant: entertaining to watch, and forms of it practiced in any countries outside of Europe. (Like Yabusame in Japan).
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Not against a a worldwide subscription service. Times today reports that Discovery paid £920,000,000 for the Olympic TV rights.
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Mule
Well-Known Member
That's an enormous amount of money ?
Honey08
Waffled a lot!
I abhor vaulting. I admire the gymnastic element but hate the thought of the athletes landing on a horse’s back. It’s surely terribly bad for the horse’s spine.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
To be fair I think it was this year and future year(s) but the Beeb just can't stump up that kind of licence payer money.
Much as I think the amount star presenters are paid is ridiculous they haven't got hundreds of Gary Linekers to get rid of to pay for it.
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