Equestrian sports are events for horse and rider at horse trials and the summer Olympic Games. There are three events: dressage, show jumping and eventing (also known as hunter trials), with both individuals and teams participating. The sports have their origins in military training for mounted soldiers. Horsemanship events have been part of every Olympic Games since 1912.

Dressage

This event shows a horse’s obedience and balance as rider and horse perform a sequence of movements with as much precision as possible. Dressage grew out of the need to train horses for war. The animal is trained to change speed, to move sideways and diagonally around an arena, adjusting its gait and balance to improve agility. A recent variant of dressage is freestyle, when the horse and rider move to music, an event also known as "dancing on horseback".

Show jumping

The sport of show jumping originated when British fox hunting packs started to have to jump over the fences that started to be built in the countryside during the 18th century. Rider and horse are timed as they complete a set course of jumps that may include vertical walls, gates or fences; spreads, which have height and width; combinations of two or three jumps in a row; and a water jump. Knocked-down fences, refusals and other rule infringements are punished as "faults" and given penalty points.

Eventing

Eventing combines dressage, show jumping and cross-country riding. It is also known as horse trials, hunter trials or the "three-day event" (although it sometimes lasts four days). Eventing developed from military training and was used as a way to compare standards between cavalries from different countries. The cross-country element involves completing a course strewn with obstacles such as logs, stone walls, water, ditches and banks of earth. It must be completed within a set time (there is no advantage in being the fastest) and penalty points are given for refusals and delays at obstacles.