The horsemanship the Camargue car its origin of the work of the Gardian S, the riders dealing with bovine in the the Camargue. This horsemanship is practiced on horses the Camargue or of Camargue type, with a technique of goes up and a specific Harnachement. The bovines of race the Camargue are rather wild. The country roots then left room to a folklore around the Gardian, equivalent French of the American Cow-boy S.

Camargue horsemanship is a discipline of the French federation of horsemanship since 1995, with its own levels of Galop, championships and tests.

This equestrian discipline is finally related to its territory of origin. It takes part in the traditions of the the Camargue and has also its equestrian plays.

Competition and tests

Camargue horsemanship of competition was born from the will of certain stockbreeders, eager to create a tool of promotion and valorization, cut to measure for the Camargue horse. In 1995, Camargue horsemanship is officially recognized by the French federation of horsemanship, which enables him into 1998 to have an official championship of France as well as a payment worked out by the Commission of Camargue Horsemanship of the FE validated by Management and the National stud farms. The competitions of Camargue Horsemanship are divided into eight disciplines.

The eight tests are:

• Courséjado: is practiced to two and consists with barruler (to fall) a annouble in a quite precise place.
• Play of freedom: is a discipline which is practiced to two or three and which consists in making pass a horse in freedom in a maximum of obstacle S which is very often corridors or small slaloms.
• Handiness (timed or at points): the rider connects certain numbers of obstacles and which makes it possible to evaluate the agility of the horse and its speed with the exercise like its cold blood.
• Course of country: very resembling the cross-country race, the course of country is made up small obstacles that the gardian can have to meet in nature like a gauze, a trunk, a ditch,…
• Reprise again work: it is a resumption of raising adapted to work in the Bétail where one finds the figures necessary to the sorting like moved back, the half-pirouettes or the stops starting from the gallop.
• parallel Slalom: the principle is to be faster than the rider which is with dimensions by connecting a slalom side by side as soon as possible.
Tri
• timed: is generally practiced to four, where the goal is to leave the most animals possible (maximum three) in an assigned time.
• Tri technique: is also practiced to four, a rider which will sort the animal most technically possible and its three assistances which will help it to keep the herd or to push the sorted animal.

These tests spread out on three levels of difficulties called 1, 2nd and 3rd series for the riders, and there exist two series for the young horses or horses in first year of competition called 2nd and 3rd series horse.

Since 2007, certain contests of Camargue horsemanship are known as open and its opened with other horsemanship of work as the Doma Vaquera or Portuguese horsemanship. At the end of the season (at the beginning of July) the qualified riders meet at the time of the championship of France which is a compound of the three tests queens of the horsemanship of work.

Since 1996, is organized each year a championship of Europe and a championship of the World of horsemanship of work, in which several countries meet: France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, England and Mexico each one in its traditional horsemanship. These countries dispute on three disciplines which are the resumption of work, the handiness and the sorting. The team of France was world champion of sorting in 2002 and still did not yield its place in 2007.

Specific materials

• the saddle : contrary to the usual English saddle which is punt, that of Camargue horsemanship is deep, with a high pommel out of stuffed leather and a troussequin enveloping a maximum height of 15 cm, which makes it possible the Gardian to be fixed and quite stable during abrupt changes of management. This saddle is also adapted to the handling of the three-pronged fork and a marshy ground. It is always quipée of a crupper.

• the clamps : dishes and closed in front of by a wrought iron grid, they prevent the feet from being wedged in the event of fall.
• the attaches : it has a Camargue bit equipped with long branches and the two reins are held in a hand.
• the couvertoun : carpet of saddle with squares.
• the martingale : is used to prevent the saddle from moving back and with the head of the horse to be raised
• too much the three-pronged fork : stick provided with an iron and a length not exceeding 2,5 Mr. It is used to push the bull.

External bonds

• FE, site of the French federation of horsemanship