Equestrian is anything to do with horses, which relates to sports such as breeding or polo.

Players are usually split into teams, though sometimes people play individually.

In former times equestrianism was closely associated with the military: medieval knights were equestrians, as were their military successors, the cavalry.

Most animal rights groups such as the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which advocate against animal ownership, target wilder horse “sports”, with claims of animal cruelty.

Dressage, jumping and cross-country offer forms of what Americans refer to as ‘English riding’ (although the United States has a strong following of riders in those disciplines). Western riding evolved stylistically from the cattle-woking and warfare traditions brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, and evolved to meet the working needs of the cowboy in the American West.

Humans have always had a desire to know which horse (or horses) could move the fastest, so horse-racing has ancient roots. Today, several categories of racing exist.

Many horse owners are interested in the well being and welfare of horses, and are allied with animal rights advocates and animal welfare advocates in believing that genuine abuse of horses should end.

Equestrian is a broad description includes both riding horses for practical purposes such as in police work or for controlling herd animals on a ranch, as well as recreational activities and competitive sports such as riding sports, carriage driving, dressage, endurance racing, eventing, horseball, paraequestrianism, reining, show jumping, show hunter, tent pegging, vaulting, and polo.