Can heavy horses be used in the Olympics?

Answer 1

There are no breed restrictions but the horse must be built so he can compete. By the time a horse has reached the 'Olympic' level he has had years of training and competition. With the exception of the 'western' type riding such as reining the majority of top horses are usually 'warmbloods'. A combination of hot-blooded breeds like the Thoroughbred crossed with the large draft type horses. The result is a tall, strong, yet refined athletic horse that can stand the rigors of eventing and show jumping. These warmbloods have been refined over the last 25 to 30 years to make the ideal 'sport horse'. These are the horses that excell at Olympic level competitions and these are the horses you would have to compete with. Although not impossible, I would think it would be difficult for a pure draft horse to keep up with these sport horse breeds.