Why don't the horses get the medal?

I don't get it either, the rider does almost nothing and the horse does almost all the work. I don't even know why equestrian is considered a sport in the first place

Horse Medal

Horses are not created equal - each is unique and is essentially a block of clay for a trainer to mold. The trainer and rider work together to hone all their skills collectively. Horse racing is a little different as riders can be changed with little practice while still maintainly a high level of performance. Equestrian and other types of 'eventing' however requires more of a different type synergy between rider and horse (it's more than just making left turns on a track.) The horses ultimately do not care about the medals but, there is evidence they do enjoy the activities themselves. The medal goes to the rider because he or she is the one who makes decisions during the competition which make the biggest impact on which team of horse/rider/trainer is declared winner.

The horse doesn't care either way.

In equestrian events, it is indeed the skill of the rider which determines the winner. In horse racing, it often IS the talent/ability of the horse.

It's always a 2-way street. That's the beauty of horse racing and equestrian sport! The fastest, most able horse WON'T win his race if he has a clumsy, clueless jockey. And the most well-trained, talented eventing, show-jumping, or dressage mount WON'T win the medal if his rider is not also highly trained and extremely talented.

Medals are for people. The horse cares only that his needs are taken care of, that he is well-fed and has a comfortable place to sleep. He's a celebrated athlete, but does not know or care. But I'm fairly sure the medal makes him (her?) that much more valuable for breeding purposes, since horses fairly reliably pass down their traits to future generations of colts and fillies.

it's a horse. i'm really sorry to rain on your rspca parade but the trainer puts in a fair amount of effort as well. Without the trainer the horse wouldn't be a international winner it would be a horse. Also a gold medal would mean nothing to the horse I mean to the animal it's just another thing you can't eat. i'm sure the horse would rather just have a nice bail of hay and oats with some fresh water...

thumbs up if you don't agree

What the heck is a horse gonna do with a gold medal, brag to the other horses? How about give the winning horse some carrots and horse treats or something they can appreciate.

Because, unlike humans, the horses attribute very little worth to a hunk of metal on a ribbon, preferring something more edible, for instance.

Screw the medal, I'm sure the horse would much rather have a day off than some medal.

I'm sure they'd appreciate a female horse instead.

How would they polish them?