List of Olympic medalists in equestrian events

[4] Modern-day Olympic equestrian events are rooted in cavalry skills and classical horsemanship,[5] and through 1948, competition was restricted to active-duty officers on military horses.

The first was during the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia when, due to Australian quarantine laws, the equestrian portion was held in Stockholm, Sweden.

[12] This meant that Switzerland, which had officially boycotted the 1956 Games because of the Soviet Union's recent invasion of Hungary, still brought home a medal because of its participation in the equestrian portion several months earlier.

This decision was made when, in 2005, international veterinary groups refused to certify the main Olympic city as free of equine diseases.

This would have resulted in horses leaving Beijing after the games and having to go through lengthy quarantine processes before being allowed to re-enter their home countries.

Germany leads the country medalist rankings with 25 gold medals (52 overall),[note 2] followed by Sweden with 17 (43 overall) and France with 14 (37 overall).

A gray horse performing in a sand ring, ridden by a woman in a dark top hat, coat and boots and white pants. In the background a white fence, small grassy area and a seated crowd are visible.
Dressage at the 1980 Summer Olympics
A gray horse, ridden by a woman, in mid-air over a red and white striped fence.
Show jumping at the 2012 Summer Olympics
A dark brown horse with a rider on its back in mid-air, jumping out of the water to land on a grassy bank.
An eventer jumps out of a water obstacle at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Four dark horses, harnessed to a black cart driven by three people. The horses are moving quickly through water, and in the background a bank covered with grass and rocks is visible.
A four-in-hand driving team
A dark horse, moving in a grassy area. The horse is ridden by two women, one on the others shoulders, and both women are wearing white dresses. In the background is a large seated crowd.
A 1958 photo of a German vaulting team