As of: February 7, 2024, 11:00 a.m
By: Lara-Sabrina Kiehl
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Skijoring with horses is a winter adventure that delights horse lovers and adrenaline junkies alike.
What makes skijoring special and how you can introduce your horse to the experience.
A snow-covered landscape, a galloping horse, a rider and a skier being pulled by the horse with long lines.
This is skijoring - a sport from Scandinavia that impressively combines speed, horsepower and winter terrain.
The unique trend arouses enthusiasm and is winning more and more hearts around the world.
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Fascinating winter sport: Skijoring has many facets
But the trend sport is not entirely new, as skijoring was first held as a competition in St. Moritz (Switzerland) in 1906.
In 1928, skijoring even made it to the Winter Olympics as a demonstration sport.
Enthusiasts compete against each other in races at speeds of up to 50 km/h.
In America or Canada, however, things are even more unusual.
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videos, like the one from @banfflakelouise, show fascinating footage of horses, riders and skiers completing a course in a team of three.
The skier overcomes ramps and other obstacles.
Pure adrenaline and an event that attracts many spectators.
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Introduce horses to the sport carefully
Skijoring is becoming increasingly popular - even in your free time, without any competition in mind.
However, demanding stunts should only be carried out by professionals.
It doesn't necessarily have to be someone in the saddle; the horse can also pull the skier without a rider.
If you want to try out skijoring, you should, on the one hand, be safe on skis, but above all, you should also prepare your own horse carefully.
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The White Turf is the most traditional skijoring event and takes place annually in February in Switzerland.
© CTK Photo/Imago
Horses that are already trained to drive are particularly suitable for skijoring.
Driving horses already know that there are driving lines on their bodies and are used to pulling.
Similar to driving, skijoring requires a harness consisting of a chest and neck section and long lines.
In order to introduce the inexperienced horse to the new task, it is always advisable to get help from experienced people.
Step by step to the snow experience
The first step is to get the horse used to the equipment.
If the horse accepts the harness and remains calm and relaxed when putting it on and carrying it, he can continue with the curriculum.
The next step is to get the horse used to pulling.
It is best to have one person lead the horse while another person keeps the harness under slight tension.
In this phase, the horses learn for the first time to keep going despite pressure and not to give in to it.
An unusual situation that should be practiced with calm and patience.
A treat can help elicit the first steps forward.
The next step is to get the horse used to the skis behind him.
The noises in the snow could initially irritate your four-legged friend.
The rider can support the horse from the saddle.
If you want to ski with your horse without a rider, you can start practicing steering from the lines at this point.