Equestrian

Japanese: 馬術 - ばじゅつ

The art of riding and controlling a horse. Originally a military technique, it is now practiced as a purely competitive sport. Japanese equestrianism developed from ancient times as mounted archery linked to the art of archery, and was the most highly valued martial art in land warfare. It includes (1) the art of riding a horse as one wishes with the aid of a saddle (for the horse's seat), stirrups (for the knees, legs), reins, whip, rope, and sound, (2) military equestrianism on the battlefield, and (3) ceremonial or competitive equestrianism.

[Ichiro Watanabe]

History in Japan

It is said that the custom of horse riding was introduced to Japan from the continent and the Korean Peninsula at the end of the 4th century, and spread widely to other countries in the 6th century. During the Heian period, mounted archery was popular among nobles and aristocrats, and ceremonial horse riding such as komabiki, koba, Aouma no Sechie, and Kamo no Keiba were performed. From the Genpei period to the Kamakura period, practical horse riding became popular. Minamoto no Yoritomo in particular valued the way of archery and horse riding, and while he trained himself in horse riding, he also encouraged his subordinates to do the same, often holding yabusame (horseback archery) and takagari (falconry) events to give them the honor of riding on horseback. For this reason, the so-called Mitsumono (three horseback sports) of yabusame, kasagake (hat-hunting), and inuou-mono (dog-chasing) were favored among the Kamakura samurai.

In the Muromachi period, this practical horsemanship was systematized as a school of martial arts, and Masanaga, the son of Ogasawara Shinanonokami Sadamune, who had inherited the traditional horse archery of the Minamoto clan since Shinrasaburo Yoshimitsu, was appointed as the Shogunate's stable commissioner and became a master of horse archery. From this school emerged Otsubo Shikibu Daibu Sukehide, who founded a new school that focused on military horsemanship. This was the Otsubo school, and famous masters such as Murakami Hideyuki, Saito Yoshitsune, and Saito Yoshiharu came under its wing, and soon branched out into the Sasaki, Araki, and Ueda schools. Furthermore, in the Sengoku period, feudal lords competed to obtain fast, high-quality horses.

In the early modern period, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who established the Edo Shogunate, was a master of the Otsubo style and encouraged equestrianism as a necessary martial art in wartime. Various feudal domains also showed a strong interest in equestrianism, inviting equestrian instructors, and this resulted in the emergence of many masters of equestrianism, such as Araki Juzaemon Motomasa, Harada Gonzaemon Taneaki, Ueda Hanpeiyasuju, and Ueda Kichinojo Shigetoki, and many new styles were born. After the Kan'ei period (1624-1644), so-called miniature garden style equestrianism and clapper riding equestrianism became popular. This trend was further spurred on by the 5th Shogun Tsunayoshi's Edict of Compassion for Living Things, and during the 20-year hiatus during this time, equestrianism completely withered and stagnated. In response to this, the eighth Shogun, Yoshimune, encouraged martial arts to renew the warrior spirit during the so-called Kyoho Reforms. In particular, he attempted to revive ancient equestrian arts such as mounted archery, yabusame, dakyu, kasagake, dog-chasing, and suiba. He also imported Western horses and invited foreign equestrian instructors to teach Western-style equestrianism and to improve and increase the number of horse breeds. Riding on this momentum, the Otsubo Honryu school of Saito Chikara Sadayasu (1657-1744) rose to prominence. Enlightened by the equestrianism of Koreans who had come to Japan at the time, he added fresh interpretations to the ancient traditions, compiled various horse-related arts, and advocated the five laws of medicine, physic, customs, etiquette, and military affairs, and worked to popularize them.

From the Kyoho era (1716-1736) to the end of the Edo period, recreational equestrianism became popular as the samurai class became decadent, but during this time, during the reform period under Matsudaira Sadanobu and Mizuno Tadakuni, events such as long-distance rides between Edo and Kamakura, dog-chasing and ball-ball competitions, and the Koganehara deer hunt were held. After the arrival of the Black Ships, Western-style equestrian training was hastily started in conjunction with the training of the three armies (infantry, cavalry, and artillery), but Japanese-style equestrianism came to an end at the same time as the collapse of the shogunate.

Entering the Meiji era, around 1872 (Meiji 5), instructors invited from France and Germany began to lay the foundations of modern equestrianism, such as the adoption of Western saddles and improvements to natural gait. Thereafter, along with improvements to horse breeds, equestrianism as a new sport was encouraged, and in 1899 a riding club was established in Tokyo. Japan also participated in the founding of the International Equestrian Federation in 1921 (Taisho 10), becoming one of the eight founding countries. The following year, 1922, the Japan Riding Association was established, and Japan made its debut at the 9th Olympiad in Amsterdam in 1928 (Showa 3), and then at the 10th Olympiad in Los Angeles in 1932, Nishi Takeichi, then a lieutenant in the army, rode the famous horse Uranus to a brilliant victory in the Grand Prix show jumping event. Behind this remarkable achievement lay the tireless efforts of Yusa Kohei (1883-1966), known as the father of modern Japanese equestrianism. However, the Second World War dealt a major blow to the Japanese equestrian world, and the country lost its membership in the International Equestrian Federation. However, in 1946 (Showa 21), the Japan Equestrian Federation was established and Japan Amateur Sports Association (now Japan Sports Association) membership was approved, and in 1951 Japan was finally allowed back into the International Equestrian Federation. Since then, Japan has sent athletes to various Olympic Games, including the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.

[Ichiro Watanabe]

History in the World

The domestication of horses is thought to have begun around 4000 BC in the grasslands of Eurasia. Before they were used for riding, they were presumably used for carrying and towing loads of food, but their carrying capacity and mobility also made them valuable in battle. Many heroes and their warhorses built great empires, only to be replaced by the rise of other horse-riding peoples, and so the horse has seen repeated rise and fall.

Horsemanship, the ability to freely control a horse, developed as a martial art in mounted battles, and the invention of horse equipment such as bits, saddles, and stirrups also helped this. The oldest book on horsemanship was written in cuneiform on five clay tablets by the Hittite Kicuri around 1400 BC. It describes how to train and care for horses for battle. Xenophon of Greece wrote a book on horsemanship around 400 BC, most of which is still relevant today, on training horses to be servants that their masters trust. The Roman period that followed the Greek period was a dark age for horsemanship, and no famous equestrians emerged. Medieval knights wore heavy armor, so horses at the time were large and stocky to withstand the strain. Later, with the development of firearms, heavy armor became unnecessary, and tactics had to change. Equestrianism became a highly refined pastime for the nobility.

In the 16th century, the Italian Grisone wrote a book on equestrianism, and Pignatelli established a riding school in Naples. Following this, famous equestrians such as France's Pleubinel and Guerinière emerged, and the tradition of high-level equestrianism in Europe is still carried on today at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Saumur National Equestrian School in France. Meanwhile, Italian cavalry captain Federico Caprilli invented a natural equestrian method that was adapted to show jumping and outdoor riding, and became the father of modern sports equestrianism. In 1921, the International Equestrian Federation was founded. At the time of its establishment, there were eight countries and regions: Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. As of 2018, the number of countries and regions has reached 134, and the level of equestrianism has improved remarkably since World War II, with the number of international competitions increasing.

[Takehiko Shinjo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

馬に乗り、馬を御する術。本来は軍用の技術で、現在は純粋の競技スポーツとして行われている。日本の馬術は、古くから弓射の法と結び付いた騎射として発展し、陸戦の際にもっとも重んぜられた武技であった。(1)鞍(くら)（騎坐(きざ)）、鐙(あぶみ)（膝(ひざ)、脚）、手綱(たづな)、鞭(むち)、縄、音声などを扶助として、馬を自分の思うように乗りこなす騎乗術、(2)戦場における軍馬術、(3)儀礼用あるいは競技的な馬術、などを含む。

［渡邉一郎］

日本における歴史

日本に騎馬の風習が大陸・朝鮮半島経由で伝えられたのは4世紀の末ころで、6世紀に広く諸国に普及したといわれる。平安時代には公卿(くぎょう)・貴顕の間に騎射が好まれ、駒牽(こまびき)、貢馬(こうば)、白馬節会(あおうまのせちえ)、賀茂競馬(かものけいば)などの儀礼的馬術が行われた。源平時代から鎌倉時代にかけて、実戦的馬術が盛んとなった。とくに源頼朝(みなもとのよりとも)は弓馬の道を重んじ、自ら馬術を錬磨するとともに部下の将士にこれを奨励し、しばしば流鏑馬(やぶさめ)や鷹狩(たかがり)を催して馬上の栄誉を与える機会をつくった。そのため鎌倉武士の間には流鏑馬、笠懸(かさがけ)、犬追物(いぬおうもの)のいわゆる馬上三物(みつもの)が愛好された。

　やがて室町時代に入り、こうした実戦的馬術が流派武術として体系化が図られ、新羅三郎義光(しんらさぶろうよしみつ)以来の源家の伝統的な騎射を伝承してきた小笠原信濃守貞宗(おがさわらしなののかみさだむね)の子政長が幕府の御厩奉行(おうまやぶぎょう)に任じられて騎射の師範家となり、この門から大坪式部大輔慶秀(おおつぼしきぶだいぶすけひで)が出て、軍用馬術に重点を置いた新しい一派を創始した。これが大坪流で、門下に村上秀幸、斎藤芳連、斎藤好玄(よしはる)らの高名な達人を輩出し、やがて佐々木、荒木、上田等の分派の成立をみる。さらに戦国期に入ると、諸大名は競って駿足(しゅんそく)良馬を求めた。

　近世に入り、江戸幕府を開いた徳川家康(とくがわいえやす)は大坪流の達人で、戦時必須(ひっす)の武技として馬術を奨励した。諸藩もまた馬術師範を招いて馬術に強い関心を示したため、荒木十左衛門元政(もとまさ)、原田権左衛門種明、上田半平安重、上田吉之丞(きちのじょう)重時ら馬術の大家を輩出し、多くの諸流新流を生じた。寛永(かんえい)（1624～1644）以後、いわゆる箱庭式馬術や拍子乗り馬術が流行した。この傾向は5代将軍綱吉(つなよし)の生類憐(しょうるいあわれ)みの令でいっそう拍車がかけられ、この間20余年のブランクに馬術はまったく萎靡(いび)沈滞した。これに対し、8代将軍吉宗(よしむね)はいわゆる享保(きょうほう)の改革に際し、士風刷新のため武芸を奨励した。とくに馬術において騎射をはじめ流鏑馬、打毬(だきゅう)、笠懸、犬追物、水馬(すいば)など古代馬術の再興を図り、さらに洋馬を輸入し、外国人馬術教師を招いて洋式馬術の伝習や馬種の改良・増殖を計画した。こうした気運にのって台頭したのが、斎藤主税定易(ちからさだやす)（1657―1744）の大坪本流である。当時渡来した朝鮮人の曲馬(きょくば)術を見て啓発され、古伝に新鮮な解釈を加え、馬に関する諸術を集大成して、医・相・常・礼・軍の五馭(ごぎょ)の法を唱え、普及に努めた。

　享保（1716～1736）以後幕末に至る間、武士の退廃に伴って慰み物的な馬術が流行したが、この間松平定信(まつだいらさだのぶ)、水野忠邦(みずのただくに)らの改革期には、江戸・鎌倉間の遠乗り、犬追物・打毬の上覧、小金原の御鹿狩(おししかり)等が催された。黒船来航後は三兵（歩兵・騎兵・砲兵）調練にあわせて急遽(きゅうきょ)洋式馬術の訓練が始められたが、幕府の崩壊と期を同じくして、和流馬術もその終焉(しゅうえん)を迎えるに至った。

　明治時代に入り、1872年（明治5）ころから、フランスやドイツから招聘(しょうへい)した教官によって、西洋鞍の採用、自然歩法への改良など、近代馬術への基礎が形成されていった。その後も馬種の改良とともに、新しいスポーツとしての馬術が奨励され、1899年東京に乗馬会が誕生した。1921年（大正10）国際馬術連盟の創立には日本もこれに参画し、創立8か国に名を連ねた。翌1922年には日本乗馬協会が設立され、ついで1928年（昭和3）の第9回オリンピック・アムステルダム大会に初出場、続く1932年の第10回ロサンゼルス大会には、当時陸軍中尉の西竹一(にしたけいち)が名馬ウラヌス号に騎乗して大賞典障害飛越競技にみごと優勝した。この快挙の陰には、日本近代馬術の父といわれた遊佐幸平(ゆさこうへい)（1883―1966）の渾身(こんしん)の努力があったのである。しかし第二次世界大戦によって日本馬術界は大打撃を受け、国際馬術連盟の会員資格をも失ったが、1946年（昭和21）に至り日本馬術連盟の設立ならびに日本体育協会（現、日本スポーツ協会）への加盟が認められ、1951年ようやく国際馬術連盟への復帰がかなえられた。以来、1952年のヘルシンキをはじめ各オリンピック大会に選手を送っている。

［渡邉一郎］

世界における歴史

馬の家畜化は、紀元前4000年ころユーラシア大陸の草原地帯で始まったと考えられる。乗用に先だって、駄載・牽引(けんいん)の用役に供されたと推定されるが、その運搬力、機動力は戦闘力としても重用された。数々の英雄とその軍馬集団が一大帝国を築き、そしてまた別の騎馬民族が台頭するなど、興廃を繰り返してきた。

　馬を自由に操る馬術は、騎馬戦における武芸として発達してきたが、銜(はみ)・鞍・鐙などの馬具の発明もそれを助長した。最古の馬術書は、紀元前1400年ころにヒッタイトのキックリによって、5枚の粘土板に楔(くさび)形文字で書かれた。戦闘用に馬を調教し、飼養管理する内容である。前400年ころにギリシアのクセノフォンが書いた馬術書はそのほとんどが今日でも通用する内容で、馬が主人を信頼する召使いとなるよう調教した。ギリシア時代に続くローマ時代は、馬術の暗黒時代で著名な馬術家が出ていない。中世の騎士は、重い甲冑(かっちゅう)に身を固めていたので、当時の馬は負担に耐えるよう大型でずんぐりとしていた。その後火器の発達で重い甲冑は無用になり、戦術も転換が必要となった。馬術は貴族のたしなみとして、高度に洗練されたものになっていった。

　16世紀になって、イタリアのグリゾーネは馬術書を著し、ピニャテリはナポリに乗馬学校を設立した。続いて、フランスのプリュービネル、ゲリニエールなど、名馬術家が輩出し、ヨーロッパの高等馬術の伝統は、ウィーンのスペイン乗馬学校やフランスのソーミュール国立馬術学校に、現在も引き継がれている。一方、イタリアの騎兵大尉カプリーリFederico Caprilliは、障害飛越や野外騎乗に即した自然馬術方式を考案し、近代スポーツ馬術の祖となった。1921年には、国際馬術連盟が創立された。設立当初はベルギー、デンマーク、フランス、イタリア、日本、ノルウェー、スウェーデン、アメリカ合衆国の8か国であったが、2018年の時点で134の国と地域に達し、馬術競技のレベルは、第二次世界大戦後、目覚ましい向上を遂げ、国際競技も増えている。

［新庄武彦］