Encyclopedia of Sport: Every sport from around the world
Topend Sports Logo

Mounted Orienteering

Mounted orienteering is a sport that belongs to the Orienteering family of sports, in which participants navigate from start to end through control points, on animal backs, mostly on horsebacks. In addition to the skills required for reading a map and using a compass for navigation, participants are also required to have good horsemanship skills.

navigating on horsebacknavigating on horseback

Though the fundamental orienteering concepts are the same, there are major differences in mounted orienteering which revolve around maps, course layout, route choice, and control points.

Mounted orienteering competitions are both conducted as standalone competitions, and as a part of other multi-discipline sport like Trec. Standalone competitions are mostly conducted in North America, where the courses are long and the riders are free to choose the order in which the control points are covered. The control point is identified in the map, and its exact location is described with the help of multiple landmarks around it. The landmarks are not a part of the map, but are included in a clue sheet. Riders are expected to triangulate the control point using multiple landmarks and ride to the control point in the most efficient route.

In Europe, mounted orienteering competitions are seldom conducted as standalone competitions, they are always included as a part of other endurance riding events.



Similar Sports

Related Pages

send us a comment Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

Sport Extra

Check out the 800+ sports in the Encyclopedia of Every Sport. Well not every sport, as there is a list of unusual sports, extinct sports and newly created sports. How to get on these lists? See What is a sport? We also have sports winners lists, and about major sports events and a summary of every year.

 → How to Cite