Horse Jumping is an olympic sport but not poodles jumping hoops? Whats the difference?

Question

I thought the Olympics were people competing with people. Not racing your pets...

Answer 1

Try riding a poodle and jumping a fence on his back. Then you will know the difference.

Answer 2

Have you ever tried JUMPING over a 5ft+ jump WHILE maintaining your balance AND controlling a huge animal?

It's very hard, I assure you.

And I'd like to see you try it, just so you'd fall flat on your face. Or over the horse's neck.

Then maybe, just maybe, you would understand.

And unlike TABLE TENNIS, this SPORT actually requires athletic ability and a lifetime of training.

Answer 3

I'd love to see you try and do what the equestrian teams do.  Dressage is way more than 'prancing around in an arena', and one wrong move in cross country jumping could paralize or even kill you.

It takes a lot more talent than basketball, that's for sure.

Answer 4

I have been saying the same thing!  Why not have dog obedience events in the Olympics if we're having equestrian events?  Dog obedience is as much of a human sport as equestrian events are.

How about that dressage BS, have you seen that?  The horse prances around an arena for 10 minutes.  Where's the human sport in that?

For those saying staying on a horse's back while jumping 5 feet makes it a sport, how do you explain dressage?

And no matter how hard it is to stay on a horse's back, the horse is still doing the jumping and it's still the animal's sport.

Answer 5

Maybe you should start the K9 Olympics. Horse riding is as much about the rider as it is about the horse. The medals are not awarded for the best horse. They are for the best horsemanship.