The horse's involvement in the Olympics dates as far back as 680 BC. In ancient times, the first Olympic Games were held as early as 776 BC. Horse sports were incorporated into the Olympic format shortly afterwards with the introduction of the four horse chariot race. In fact, as far back as antiquity horse sports were so synonymous with the Olympics When one thinks of the Olympics, the image of the Olympic stadium or ‘hippodrome’ inevitably comes to mind. The word "hippodrome" which commonly denotes an open air sports stadium with an oval race course, though, derives its very meaning from the Greek word "hippos" for horse and "dromos" for racecourse. The equestrian programme as we know it began in the Olympic Games of 1912. It includes three disciplines - dressage, jumping and the three-day event - each with individual and team competition. Equestrian is the ultimate in team sports, a horse and rider working together for years to hone feats of grace, daring, agility and speed. Moreover, the equestrian sports are one of only Olympic sport where man and animal are established team-mates, and equestrianism is the only olympic sport (barring the yachting & shooting) where men and women compete on equal terms.
For instance, did you know that the first woman ever to win an Olympic medal in any of the equestrian sports was a polio-survivor?

"Some are slaves on the ground, but are free on a horse."

Women won the right to compete in Olympic dressage for the first time in 1952 at the Helsinki Olympics. One of these pioneers was Lis Hartel of Denmark. In 1944 Hartel, then a 23-year-old pregnant mother, was paralysed by polio. Gradually she reactivated most of her muscles, although she remained paralysed below the knees. After three years of rehabilitation, she was able to compete in the Scandinavian riding championships and finished second in women's dressage. In 1952, she was chosen to represent Denmark in the Helsinki Olympics. Even though she had to be helped on and off her horse, she responded by earning the silver medal. Four years later, she won another silver medal in Stockholm in 1956. Lis Hartel's courageous example inspired a Norwegian therapist accomplished horsewoman, Mrs. Elsebet Bodthker, to establish a riding group for children with special needs which marked the beginning of the therapeutic riding movement or riding for the disabled. Soon after, England also began offering therapeutic riding to children. Therapeutic horseback riding came to both the United State and Canada in 1960 with the formation of the Community Association of Riding of the Disabled.

J. Michael Plumb (USA) holds the all-time Olympic record (of any sport) for the most Olympic appearances (from 1960-1984)and medal wins, with eight and six respectively, spanning a period of 32 years.

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