The Mongolian people can be called a "horseback people." Throughout the long course of history, Mongolian horse culture has been recorded alongside the valorous and warlike Mongolian nation. Had humans not developed the habit of horseback riding, it would undoubtedly have taken a much longer time for humanity to grasp the concept of "speed." In other words, without horses, there would be no great national unification or rapid development as we see today. This article discusses competitive horses and equestrianism from the following three aspects: first, the current state of the global horse racing industry; second, the types of sports horse racing; and third, distinctive horse racing events.
Horses were domesticated as livestock around 4000–3000 BC, later than dogs, cattle, sheep, and pigs. Horses possess powerful usable energy, and their speed has always been highly valued by humans. As effective working animals, horses have been primarily used for riding and transportation. Especially due to their remarkable sprinting ability and capacity for heavy labor, they have expanded human activity ranges. Additionally, through extensive interaction between humans and horses, horses gradually became essential in military, agricultural, and transportation sectors within human society.
According to zoological classification, the horse (Equus caballus), donkey (Equus asinus), and zebra (Equus zebra) all belong to the subphylum Vertebrata of the phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Perissodactyla, family Equidae, and genus Equus. Among the genus Equus, only three species exist today: the horse, the zebra, and the donkey. There are two types of horses, three types of donkeys, and four types of zebras. Conventionally, horses, donkeys, and mules are collectively referred to as equids. There are two types of mules: Equus mulus and Equus hinnus.
Horses have played such an important role in various stages of human societal development and have coexisted with humans to eventually become our friends. From their domestication to the end of World War II, over this long historical period, especially in warfare, horses served as vital means of transport and were active on battlefields.
However, after the Industrial Revolution, with the advancement of mechanization—especially the popularization of automobiles, tractors, and other agricultural machinery—horses gradually lost their dominant roles in labor and transportation. Particularly in rural and pastoral areas, the widespread use of small-scale tillers and mowers led to a significant decline in horse populations. The status of horses in people's lives also gradually diminished. Yet, the development of modern society has made life increasingly affluent and leisurely for people. As a result, horses have been utilized for sports competitions, recreational activities, fitness, and more. Therefore, horses have not lost their value or been forgotten; instead, they have regained their worth in the realms of sports, fitness, and entertainment. With this renewed utilization, the global horse racing industry has continued to advance, international horse racing exchanges have become more active, and the frequency of horse racing and equestrian events abroad has increased. Consequently, research on topics such as the prevention and treatment of horse diseases and selective breeding has become a significant focus for many countries and has emerged as one of the important academic research directions. Additionally, among the quadrennial international sporting event "Olympics," the only event where humans and animals compete together is equestrian competition.
The Current State of the World Horse Racing Industry: Throughout history, horses have played an extremely important role in human life and production. What role do horses play in today’s global economy? Do humans still need them today and in the future? These are questions of common concern. Since the 1960s, with the continuous development of agricultural mechanization, the number of horses has declined. By the year 2000, the total number of horses in the world’s major horse-producing countries is shown in the table below. The reduction in horse numbers was mainly in heavy horses, but light horses have seen growth. In particular, the number of horses in developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America has continued to rise.
