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Horseball is a team game, on horseback. Teams of six, only four of whom may be on the field of play, try to score goals by passing a football especially fitted with six leather handles. horseball is a cross between rugby and basketball on horseback.

Popularity
Horseball is the latest British equestrian sport, imported from France. Introduced as an exhibition tournament at the Horse of the Year Show in 1990. A European sport that is now winning converts in Australia, the Middle East and the America's.

Location
Horseball was invented as a game that would develop riding skills, played in a Manege, and would be fun to do and easy to learn. Horseball is played on a pitch measuring no more than 70 metres by 30 metres.

Age
The official English league is currently expanding, having over two hundred members, and comprising of a senior and junior league. Team members may be of either sex.

Ability
The game is played on a fairly small pitch and involves sudden spurts, rapid stops, half turns and acceleration, therefore horses must be well schooled and under perfect control. Riders must be reasonably experienced and confident.

Description
The game is started or restarted after a goal is scored with a throw-in similar to those of rugby. Two players from each team form a line out (at least 5 metres from the sideline). The side with the advantage throws in the ball. Before a goal is allowed the ball must be passed consecutively through the hands of at least 3 of the 4 members of the team, without dropping the ball before a goal can be scored by shooting through a hoop 1 metre in diameter, suspended on a 3.5 metre poles.

Dedication
A game of horseball is competed in two halves of ten minutes each, enough to tire both horses and riders. As the game was developed to improve riding skills, frequent playing will improve your game. At the higher competitive levels of the game, anticipating team movements and tactics become increasingly important, as with any team sport these can only be fine tuned by regularly practising together.

Potential
Played purely As a fun game, the potential is the improvement of your riding skills. As horse ball becomes more popular as a sport, more competitions and leagues are developing, with the evidential ambition of becoming an Olympic disapline.

Closely Related Activities
polo 468,

Cost
The game of horseball costs very little, only the hire of the manege by the two teams, for approximately an hour. The real costs like all equine activities is in the cost of owning and keeping of the horse.

Level of Demand
The table below shows the maximum levels of demand that this activity requires. NOTE: These are not entry levels or levels of requirement and has nothing to do with ability.

Energy

Arms

Legs

Sight

Hearing

Speech

Learning

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