Disability Sport Wales | Chwaraeon Anabledd Cymru

Sports

Equestrian

Whilst the information below is about competitive opportunities within Equestrian sport, Disability Sport Wales also offers a whole host of opportunities for disabled people to become involved in riding at a recreational or social level. This includes links with the RDA and other partner organisations.  For further details on the range of Equestrian activities available in Wales contact your local Disability Sport Wales Development Officer.

The Sport

Riders compete only in individual and team dressage and develop creative ways to communicate with their horses if they are unable to give signals with their legs, such as utilising a dressage whip or other aids.

Classification

Amongst athletes with disabilities there are many different types of impairments.To provide meaningful competition for such athletes, their disability needs to be classified so that people with similar levels of impairment can be grouped into Grades in which they compete together.Riders are Graded on their impairment and judged on their equestrian ability, or skill.The most disabled athletes (Grade Ia) ride tests in walk only; the least disabled (Grade IV) ride tests of medium (M) standard. Having been classified, the riders are given a functional profile number, and a Grade.When necessary, riders can use compensating aids approved by FEI PE, such as a special saddle, adapted reins, elastic bands, two whips etc.

Horses

International riders and drivers need to have access to a suitable horse/horses trained to the required standard on which to train and compete. The rider should also have access to and lessons from a specialist trainer on a regular basis. Riders in Grades III and IV should compete in national dressage competitions for the able-bodied, and riders in Grades Ia, Ib and II should compete whenever and where ever possible. Drivers should compete in competitions for the able-bodied.

The Dressage Tests
Athletes are required to ride specific tests with predetermined patterns in a 20m x 40m arena (20m x 60m for most Grade IV competitions) and a freestyle test to music. Dependent on their impairment and/or experience, they can ride tests with walk only, walk and trot, and walk, trot and canter, with or without lateral and other movements. The competition is judged on how the horse/pony performs under the influence of the rider. The more skilful the rider the better the horse is able to perform without resistance, rhythmically and with suppleness and so reflecting the equestrian skills of the rider.
In the Freestyle to music test there are some compulsory movements. The rider can also add more difficult movements to form an artistic pattern to ride to his/her chosen music. If the more difficult movements are performed well, it will add to the score, but if performed badly, it will detract more than if they had not been tried at all. This is so that the rider will not try to do movements that they are not ready for, which is detrimental to the horse.

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