The Traditional Korean Horse-Riding Games – Kyokgu (the Korean Polo) and Masangjae (Horseback Skills)

- Kyokgu (the Korean Polo)

Kyokgu (the Korean Polo) is a horseback game in which two competing teams of several people on horseback rush forward and snatch the ball in the center of the court as quickly as possible, and strike the ball over the goal of the opponent team with a racket.

In this game every rider had to run after the ball and needed excellent riding skills, stamina and striking techniques cooperating and competing with one another, and thus it was widely played among cavalrymen during Koryo and the feudal Joson dynasties.

It was more so, because it was indispensible for the cavalrymen to obtain the knowhow in archery, fencing and spearing.

-Masangjae (Horseback Skills)

Masangjae (Horseback Skills), as the name shows, is a game displaying skills on the back of a running horse, and there were different skills like standing up on the back of a running horse, tossing one’s body about with the hands holding onto the saddle. hanging on the running horse with one’s feet dragging on the ground, lying sideways with one’s back on the saddle of a running horse, standing head-down on the back of a running horse, hiding one’s body beneath the belly of a horse, etc.

It started in the days of Koguryo dynasty and more widely staged in the days of Koryo dynasty and people used to play this game from their childhood.