Horseball Australia
Horseball History
Horseball is based on an Argentinian game called ‘Pato’. Invented around 1600, it soon became the Argentines’ favourite game. ‘Pato’ means ‘duck’ in Spanish – referring to the live duck trapped in a basket that was originally used as a ball!
?!
In the beginning, Pato had very few formal rules and the passionate and competitive nature of the South Americans soon came to the fore. It is said that the pitch resembled a battlefield with riders crashing their horses into their opponents to steal the ball, with little regard for the safety of themselves or their horses. Pato has been banned several times throughout its history due to fatalities of both ducks and players.
Inspired by ‘Pato’, modern Horseball as we know it today was started by a French army captain, and the current rules were defined by the French Equestrian Federation in the 1970s. (Thankfully without the use of ducks... ) Now having an inflatable ball incased in a leather harness as the gameball.
In 1999 the International Horseball Federation (FIHB) was formed and, today Horseball is played in over 17 countries across the world.
Horseball has evolved greatly over the years and continues to adapt aiming to maintain a strong focus on rider safety and horse welfare.