what is the horse obstacle course race called

by Kenton Hartmann 5 min read

A men's 3000 m race in which runners must clear hurdles and water jumps.

What is obstacle course racing?

Mar 17, 2021 · Horse Racing. Racing takes place either “on the flat” or over obstacles. Flat racing is a test of speed, stamina and the skill of the jockey to choose the right tactics for their horse, the racetrack and the unfolding race. Races are held over distances from 5 furlongs (a sprint) to 2 …

What are the different types of obstacles in horse jumping?

Wikipedia (2018a; 2018b) informs us that “The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.”, and originated in Ireland. As competitors ran from one steeple to the next, runners would encounter obstacles such as small rivers/streams and low stonewalls.

What are the different types of horse racing competitions?

Sep 10, 2015 · Obstacle Courses in WWII. “Running, jumping, vaulting, climbing, and crawling are basic activities required of all soldiers. They are also excellent means for developing endurance, agility, confidence, and self-reliance. Instruction and training in these basic activities are best conducted on an obstacle course.”.

What are the different disciplines of horse racing?

Obstacle course racing (OCR) is a sport in which a competitor, traveling on foot, must overcome various physical challenges in the form of obstacles. Races vary in length from courses with obstacles close together to events of several kilometers which incorporate elements of track, road and/or cross country/trail running. Courses may include climbing over walls or up ropes, …

What do you call a horse obstacle course?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Equine agility or horse agility is a sport similar to dog agility but using horses. Horses are asked to navigate an obstacle course with guidance from a human handler on the ground.

What is a horse race course called?

In most English-speaking countries they are called "racecourses"; the United States and some parts of Canada use "racetracks" (some parts of Canada also use "raceway"). In many non-English speaking countries the term used is "hippodrome".

What is an obstacle race called?

Obstacle course racing (OCR) is a sport in which a competitor, traveling on foot, must overcome various physical challenges in the form of obstacles.

What is horse racing with jumps called?

A steeplechase, also known as “Jump Racing”, is a horse race over fences combining the raw power of the flat racing Thoroughbred with the precision and impulsion of high speed cross country jumping, creating a sport that is both thrilling and exciting to watch to fans and the uninitiated the world over.

What does Roarer mean in horses?

The terms 'whistler' and 'roarer' are used to describe horses that make an abnormal respiratory noise during exercise. The noise is heard during inspiration (i.e., breathing in) and may be anything from a high pitched soft whistle to a harsh 'roar'.

What does RPR mean in horse racing?

Racing Post RatingOR - official rating assigned by the British Horseracing Authority. RPR - Racing Post Rating (compiled by our private form handicapper), adjusted for that day's weights.Dec 15, 2020

What's another name for obstacle course?

What is another word for obstacle course?ropes coursemilitary obstacle courseoutdoor gymteams coursetraining courseadventure parkaerial adventure parkcourse

What are the types of obstacle course?

Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed, endurance and agility.

What is obstacle relay?

A fun relay event for teams of four incorporating a series of obstacles along a linear track. Rules. • All four team members sit on the team base mat.

What is the difference between a hurdle and steeplechase?

Modern usage of the term "steeplechase" differs between countries. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, it refers only to races run over large, fixed obstacles, in contrast to "hurdle" races where the obstacles are much smaller.

What is a bumper race?

A bumper is a Flat race run under the rules of Jump racing. It is designed for horses who have not previously run on the Flat to get experience of racing. Horses who have previously raced in flat races are not eligible to run in bumpers. You will normally see bumpers run as the last race of the day.

Why is it called a bumper race?

The term "bumper" arose because in the past only amateur riders were allowed to compete and had an ungainly bumping style in comparison to the professionals. Bumpers are most commonly run over distances of 13–20 furlongs.

What are the obstacles in horse jumping?

Horse jumping obstacles. Various obstacles are found in competitive sports involving horse jumping. These include show jumping, hunter, and the cross-country phase of the equestrian discipline of eventing. The size and type of obstacles vary depending on the course and the level of the horse and rider, but all horses must successfully negotiate ...

What is the lesson for a horse jumping through a brush?

The horse must be taught to jump calmly through the brush, as attempting to jump over the brush could lead to a refusal, a run-out at the next fence, or a misstep and possible injury. Bullfinches must be approached positively, with much impulsion, in order to prevent stops.

What are fences used for in hunter events?

Fences used in hunter and eventing are generally made to look relatively rustic and natural.

Why do horses use fences?

These fences are often used in combination with other obstacles to increase their difficulty, such as right after a bank or as the second obstacle in a bending line. This tests the rider's ability to regain control of his/her horse following an obstacle.

Why do you need to drop a horse before jumping?

Drop fences require a great deal of trust of the horse in the rider, because often the animal can not see the landing until it is about to jump. It is important for the rider to keep their leg on to the base, and not "drop" the horse before the fence, as this may result in a refusal.

What is a horse jumping uphill bank?

Horse negotiating uphill bank. These jumps are steps up or down from one level to another, and can be single jumps or built as a "staircase" of multiple banks. Banks up require large amounts of impulsion, although not speed, from the horse. The drop fence incorporates a down bank.

What does a bounce do for horses?

A bounce (or several can be used in a row for more advanced horses) teaches the horse good balance, to push off with his hind end, and to fold his front end well. It can also be used to slow down a speedy horse, as a horse cannot go flying over a bounce (he/she will knock a rail) as he could with a single jump.

1.0 Introduction

With names like the Warrior Dash, Tough Guy, Spartan Race, Muddy Race, Total Warrior, and Tough Mudder, mud-run races and obstacle course race (OCR) events have become extremely popular among exercise enthusiasts.

1.4 Other Terms for OCR

There are a number of terms which are often used interchangeably, and include:

1.5 A Brief History of Obstacle Course Races

The aim of this part of the article is not to provide a definitive history of OCR, but to highlight some of the more pertinent aspects of OCR history.

What is starfishing in barrel racing?

In starfishing, people push their horses to perform. When the horses are at the top of their performance, the rider spreads their legs. This act is called “starfishing” because it looks like a starfish.

Why this is a controversial sport

A lot of people think that horse racing is a sport, but it’s not. Horses don’t like this sport. Starfishers and barrel racers say the horses love what they do, but that can’t be true because horses are always being abused in their races.

How barrel racing has changed over time

There are different kinds as of now. We used to only do figure-eight and cloverleaf pattern racing. Now we have starfishing, cloverleaf pattern racing, O-Mok-See, and pole bending.

Conclusion

Starfishing is a way of riding a horse where the rider stands up with no support from the saddle. People come to watch and cheer for this person as they ride.

Georges Hebert and the Origins of Obstacle Courses

Illustration from one of Georges Hebert’s physical education books (1913).

American Military Obstacle Courses During the World Wars

The idea of obstacle course training for soldiers and sailors would migrate across the Atlantic and be implemented and modified by the American military during the 20th century’s two world wars.

Obstacle Courses in WWI

While it is often said General William Hoge introduced obstacle courses to the American military in 1941, doughboys had in fact trained on them during the First World War.

Obstacle Races as Intentional Challenge, Competitive Sport, and Weekend Diversion

Obstacle racing as a competitive sport — where being the fastest wasn’t a matter of pride or passing a physical fitness test — can be traced back to the steeplechase. Originally run as a cross-country race at the University of Oxford during the mid-19th century, the event eventually became standardized and run on a flat track.

The Future of Obstacle Racing

The future of obstacle races may lie in smaller, regional events. For my money, the best OCR in the country right now is Conquer the Gauntlet, a series based in the middle of the country that does pretty much everything right: reasonable prices, well-organized, smaller crowds, lots of challenging obstacles, and plenty of healthy competition.

When was the first obstacle course race?

First staged in 1987, Tough Guy claims to be the first official and toughest obstacle course race in the world. It is held on the last Sunday in January in Perton, Staffordshire, UK. The race is held twice a year in winter and summer. The winter event requires competitors to compete in near freezing temperatures and contend with ice and snow. The 2013 event was won by Knut Höhler.

When did the military start using obstacles?

The concept of using obstacles for competition has been in use since the 1800s, including the 200m Obstacle Swim at the 1900 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, with the first formal land based races in the Obstacle Run of Military Pentathlon, first held at the Military Physical Training Centre, at Freiburg, in the French occupation zone in Germany, in August 1947 . Only Belgian, Dutch, and French teams took part in the competition. Since 1950, annual world championships have been held. The sport has grown in popularity, and now over 138 countries participate in the World Military Games. The sport's governing body, the I nternational Military Sports Council (CISM), now also organise pentathlons aimed at naval and air force personnel.

What is the toughest mudder?

The final event of the Tough Mudder season is the World's Toughest Mudder. This is a 24-hour event in which competitors will run a shorter Tough Mudder course that has much more intense obstacles than a normal Tough Mudder and is designed to be more grueling as well. The goal for a participant in World's Toughest Mudder is to complete as many laps as possible within a 24 hours period. The athletes (solo male, solo female, team) who complete the most laps are declared the World's Toughest Mudder. The top male and female each receive $10,000 and the top team receives $12,000 (total).

What are obstacles in the military?

Many obstacles are similar to those used in military training, while others are unique to obstacle racing and are employed throughout the course to test endurance, strength, speed, and dexterity . Races vary in distance and difficulty, often combining trail running, road running, and cross country running.

What is OCR in racing?

Obstacle course racing (OCR) is a sport in which a competitor, traveling on foot, must overcome various physical challenges in the form of obstacles. Races vary from mostly obstacles such as obstacle courses like Ninja Warrior "Ninja Races", to track races, to urban and cross country events.

What is OCR in sports?

An obstacle racer, dressed in costume, crawls through a mud pit topped with barbed wire. A girl gets over an obstacle in a mud run. Obstacle course racing (OCR) is a sport in which a competitor, traveling on foot, must overcome various physical challenges in the form of obstacles.

Where is the Legion Run?

Founded in Cyprus in 2013, Legion Run is the only obstacle course based in south-eastern Europe. With a motto of ‘We are Legion, we are one of many, we are you’, this non-competitive event emphasizes teamwork and overcoming personal challenges. Legion Run has held successful events in Cyprus , Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania, Israel, Slovakia and has quickly established itself as a favorite in the region, particularly amongst members of the CrossFit and combat sport communities, as well as corporations, armed forces and other organized teams.

How many obstacles are there in the Olympic equestrian race?

There can be up to 40 obstacles that horses must jump or go through over the course that is up to four miles long. Scores are based on refusals, coming in under or over a set time, and falls of the rider. Read more about Olympic Equestrian Rules and Scoring .

What is eventing in horse racing?

Eventing is a test of the skill, versatility, courage, and endurance of horse and rider. Three-day eventing is held over three days and consists of three disciplines: cross country jumping, dressage and stadium jumping. The cross-country phase takes place over a course of natural and man-made objects.

What are the rules for dressage and jumping?

Rules for tack, clothing, and arena for dressage and jumping are similar to these individual sports. The cross country course consists of jumps made of very solid natural type obstacles. During the cross country phase, riders will be seen wearing jerseys and helmet covers in their team colors, an ASTM/SEI helmet, gloves, and body protector. Riders wear eventing watches with a large readout that allows them to keep track of their time and alert them when 'optimum time' has been reached.

What is the dressage arena?

Olympic dressage is held in a flat 20 X 60-meter arena. The horses wear minimal tack which are usually black in color. At the Olympic level, bridles will be a curb bit with a bridoon (sometimes called a double bridle). A plain cavesson, flash, figure-eight, or drop noseband may be used. Saddles will be dressage style with a straight flap and a white square saddle pad. No boots or wraps may be used.

How is show jumping determined?

Show jumping placings are determined by the fewest knock-downs, penalties and fastest times if there is a jump-off. Dressage placings are determined by the highest scores with 100 percent being the ideal score. Eventing medals are determined by the combined scores for all phases.

What do horses wear in the horse show?

No boots or wraps may be used. The riders wear a shadbelly tailcoat, yellow vest, top hat, white gloves, white breeches, and black tall boots. Horses will have their manes braided and may be banded with white tape. Tails may be braided but are usually left flowing to encourage natural tail carriage.

What is a tack horse?

Tack includes a forward seat saddle that allows support and security for riding over fences. At the Olympic level, white square saddle pads are used. There are few restrictions on the types of bridles, bits, and martingales. Some horses may wear hackamores and bitless bridles.

Is the Warrior Dash a gateway race?

Featuring the best party of the bunch, Warrior Dash isn't bashful about being considered a gateway race for folks who want to dip their toes in the waters of obstacle racing without taking a full body plunge into this genre.

Is obstacle racing created equal?

Not all obstacle races are created equal; you might need to know what you’re getting yourself into before you sign up. Do some research and check out these top 11 races.

image

Overview

Various obstacles are found in competitive sports involving horse jumping. These include show jumping, hunter, and the cross-country phase of the equestrian discipline of eventing. The size and type of obstacles vary depending on the course and the level of the horse and rider, but all horses must successfully negotiate these obstacles in order to complete a competition. Fences used in hunter and eventing are generally made to look relatively rustic and natural.

Arrowhead

Also called chevrons, these fences are shaped like triangles, with the point facing towards the ground. They are generally very narrow, usually only a few feet wide. Arrowhead fences require the rider to keep their horse straight between their hands and legs, as it is easy for a run-out to occur due to the narrowness of the fence. These fences are often used in combination with other obstacles to increase their difficulty, such as right after a bank or as the second obstacle in a be…

Bank

These jumps are steps up or down from one level to another, and can be single jumps or built as a "staircase" of multiple banks. Banks up require large amounts of impulsion, although not speed, from the horse. The drop fence incorporates a down bank. Both types of banks require the rider to be centered over the horse. Down banks require the rider to lean further back, with slipped reins and heels …

Bounce

A bounce, also called a no-stride, is a fence combination sometimes found on the cross-country course of eventing. It is also very commonly used in grid-work or gymnastics. It consists of two fences placed close together so the horse cannot take a full stride between them, but not so close that the horse would jumpboth fences at once. The horse "bounces" between the two jumps, landing with his hind legs before immediately taking off with his front legs. The distance betwee…

Brush Fence

These jumps consist of a solid base with brush placed on top, generally low enough for the horse to see over. The horse is supposed to jump through the brush in a flat jump, rather than over the top of it in a more rounded arc. Brush fences are also used for steeplechase racing. This type of fence is closely related to the bullfinch. Sometimes the fence is painted to camouflage in with …

Bullfinch

This fence has a solid base with several feet of brush protruding out of the top of the jump up to six feet high. The horse is supposed to jump through the brush, rather than over it. Due to the height of the brush, the horse generally cannot see the landing. This tests the horse's trust in the rider, as the horse must depend on the rider to guide it carefully and steer it to a solid landing. The horse must be taught to jump calmly through the brush, as attempting to jump over the brush co…

Coffin

Also called the rails-ditch-rails, the coffin is a combination fence where the horse jumps a set of rails, moves one or several strides downhill to a ditch, then goes back uphill to another jump. In the past, coffins were more pronounced, with up and down banks leading to the ditch in the middle. However, today only the former type with the rails is seen. The coffin is intended to be jumped in a …

Combinations

These fences are combinations of banks, logs, water, ditches and other elements. All of the jumps are placed within 1–3 strides of each other, and are meant to be jumped as a series in a specific order. Also see Normandy bank, Sunken road, and Coffin. They are seen in the equestrian jumping sports of show jumping and eventing(both the cross-country and stadium jumping phases), bu…

What Is Starfishing in Barrel Racing?

  • In starfishing, people push their horses to perform. When the horses are at the top of their performance, the rider spreads their legs. This act is called “starfishing” because it looks like a starfish. In horse racing, the horse is pushed around to try and make it run faster. The horse has no choice but to keep running even after they are abused.
See more on rideable.org

Why This Is A Controversial Sport

  • A lot of people think that horse racing is a sport, but it’s not. Horses don’t like this sport. Starfishers and barrel racers say the horses love what they do, but that can’t be true because horses are always being abused in their races. Starfishing is cruel because of the way it makes horses kick and abuse the horse. It might have been days ago, but I am still struggling to believe …
See more on rideable.org

How Barrel Racing Has Changed Over Time

  • There are different kinds as of now. We used to only do figure-eight and cloverleaf pattern racing. Now we have starfishing, cloverleaf pattern racing, O-Mok-See, and pole bending. Horses that take part in the race retire early because they are often injured, have inflammation, and bruises. Most of them retire at 7 years old.
See more on rideable.org

FAQ’s

  • Is barrel racing cruel to horses?
    It isn’t, as long as it is done with a professional rider and willing horse. The most common way that this sport becomes cruel is when riders are not trained well enough or are overusing whips and spurs.
  • Is Starfishing bad in barrel racing?
    Starfishing and barrel racing is discouraged but it still happen. Or maybe the people who are against the sport aren’t making enough of an effort.
See more on rideable.org

Conclusion

  • Starfishing is a way of riding a horse where the rider stands up with no support from the saddle. People come to watch and cheer for this person as they ride. Starfishing is not encouraged as the horses that take part in such sports will be constantly abused. There is a lot of hate towards those who do these things, but this shameful sport still exists.
See more on rideable.org