Did you know that horseback riding is the fifth most difficult sport, according to TheTopTens.com? If so, why do we say that it's easy and that riders don't work hard enough to practice their sport? Most importantly, horseback riding is a misunderstood and underappreciated sport. People who don't understand horse riding think it's easy. A lot of people think you just sit there and direct the horse. The truth is that it's not that simple. +78,000 people have gone to emergency rooms since 2007, and 75% of head injuries occur while physically riding a horse, according to ridersforhelmets.com. To be a horseman, a person who rides a horse, requires skills to control an animal weighing more than 1,000 pounds or more. Concentration is essential because horses have minds of their own and are unpredictable. Balance is also necessary. Horses can go up to 20 miles per hour, and the rider must be able to sit balanced, keep their horsemanship, the correct way to sit on the horse, correctly, while properly controlling the horse and staying safe. If people understood this, horsemen would be more respected. Equestrian has been present in the Olympic Games since 1912, and in all Olympic Games since then. So why do people still think it's not a sport? According to cbssports.com, the activity must meet six standards to be considered a “sport.” The first standard is athletic ability. Yes, athletic ability is necessary to ride and care for your horse. The rider must have strength, master the horse and the position. Posting is where the person sits and stands with each beat of the trot, which can be very tiring if you don't have the muscle, which leads to the second standard, strength. The third standard is endurance. Most professional riders...... middle of paper ...... Therapeutic riding program, which provides people with disabilities with a horse that can be their companion and be cared for by them. There is evidence that horses can help with physical, emotional and social skills, according to povatrc.org. If this were more widely recognized, more money could be invested in this program and help it become a bigger and better service. On the other hand, horses themselves also have benefits. Their manure can be used as a non-toxic fertilizer for plants and crops. Plants would benefit from safer, less harsh fertilizer, almost for free, if people were better informed about it. Horseback riding is so much more than just sitting there, asking the horse to go, and hanging on. “It gives kids the confidence to do things when they can handle a 1,200-pound animal,” Richardson told oregonlive.com. No one can do much without a little confidence.