equestrian

1 of 2

adjective

eques·​tri·​an i-ˈkwe-strē-ən 

1

a

: of, relating to, or featuring horseback riding

equestrian Olympic events

b

archaic : riding on horseback : mounted

c

: representing a person on horseback

2

: of, relating to, or composed of knights

equestrian

2 of 2

noun

: one who rides on horseback

Did you know?

Equestrian comes from equus, Latin for "horse". Old statues of military heroes, like the famous one of General Sherman on New York's Fifth Avenue, are frequently equestrian. In these sculptures the man always sits nobly upright on a horse, but the horse's stance varies; depending on whether the rider was killed in battle or survived, was victorious or defeated, the horse traditionally stands with four, three, or two hooves on the ground. Equestrian statues have been popular through the centuries, because until the 20th century almost every officer in Europe and America was trained in equestrian skills and combat.

Examples of equestrian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In the candid photo posted on her Instagram Story at an equestrian event, Leila could be seen taking a peek at the horses in the pen and their riders as she was being held up. —Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 27 June 2024

The original inspiration for the now-ubiquitous equestrian statue, a classical bronze of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, was almost melted down and lost forever. —JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024

Noun

While equestrians have long influenced the industry (see Stella McCartney, who staged her fall 2023 runway show in a stable), many models are horse girls themselves. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 12 June 2024

Now the kid who has grown up around horses and ridden horses since high school, an equestrian to the core, has a pony car. —Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin equestr-, equester of a horseman, from eques horseman, from equus horse — more at equine

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

equestrian

1 of 2 adjective

eques·​tri·​an i-ˈkwes-trē-ən 

: of or relating to horses, horseback riding, or people who ride horses

equestrian

2 of 2 noun

: one who rides on horseback