Did you know that horseback riding is the fifth most difficult sport, according to TheTopTens.com? If so, why do people say it's easy and that riders don't work hard enough to practice their sport? More importantly, horseback riding is misunderstood and an underrated sport. People who misunderstand horse riding think it's easy. Many people think that all they have to do is sit there and ride the horse. The truth is, it's not that easy. Since 2007, more than 78,000 people have gone to the emergency room and, according to ridersforhelmets.com, 75 percent of head injuries occur while physically riding a horse. To be an equestrian, a person who rides horses, it takes skill to control an animal that weighs 1,000 pounds or more. Concentration is key, because horses have minds of their own and are unpredictable. Balance is also needed. Horses can go up to 20 miles per hour and the rider must be able to sit balanced, maintain their equitation, the correct way to sit on the horse, correct, all while properly controlling the horse and staying safe . If people understood this, knights would be more respected. Equestrianism has been present at the Olympics since 1912, and at every Olympics since. 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 required to ride and care for your horse. The rider must have strength, control the horse and post. The gap is where the person sits and stands with each beat of the trot, which can be very tiring if you don't have the muscles, which leads to the second standard, strength. Standard three is resistance. Most professional riders t...... middle of paper ...... Therapeutic riding program, which provides disabled people with a horse that can be their companion and take care of. Horses are proven to help with physical, emotional and social skills, according to povatrc.org. If this were recognized more widely, more money could be invested in this program and help it thrive into a bigger and better service. On the other hand, the horses themselves also have advantages. Their manure can be used as a non-toxic fertilizer for plants and crops. Plants would have a safer and less aggressive fertilizer at almost no cost if people were more informed about it. Horseback riding is more than just sitting there, asking the horse to go, and holding on. “It gives kids the confidence to do things when they can handle a 1,200-pound animal,” Richardson said, from oregonlive.com. No one can do much without a little faith.