The countdown is on to the opening day of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Over the holidays, the Olympic Torch Relay went through several communities near me. It has almost reached its destination and the 2010 Winter Olympics start February 12, in Vancouver, British Columbia. For the horse lover, the Winter Olympics are not as exciting as the Summer Olympics that include show jumping, eventing and dressage. But in the past, there were horse sports amongst the Winter Olympic events.
I've added pictures to the Olympic Action Image gallery of flat racing and skijoring. I used to skijoer behind horse and snowmobile when I was much younger. I'm not going to provide tips for skijoring because it's difficult to do safely. Suffice to say if you do try it, make sure you wear a helmet and use harness and driving lines in a way that won't entangle you if you fall.
Of course horses have taken a supporting role in the Winter Olympics over the years, pulling horse drawn vehicles or carrying dignitaries, but for a broader look at horse sports, we're going to have to wait for the upcoming WEG. Until then, here's a rundown of the events in Vancouver. (Let me know if you spot any horses.)
Horses in the Winter Olympics originally appeared on About.com Horses on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 10:02:08.
