Which of the following occurs when a horse stops in front of a fence and backs at least one step?

The scenario described involves a horse stopping in front of a fence and backing up, which is specifically termed a refusal in the context of jumping or crossing obstacles. A refusal occurs when the horse fails to jump over an obstacle and instead retreats from it. This behavior indicates a lack of willingness to proceed over the jump as intended.

In many equestrian disciplines, a refusal is penalized because it demonstrates that the horse has not cooperated with the rider's commands to navigate the course properly. It is important to distinguish this from other types of faults, such as run-outs or knockdowns, which involve different actions. For example, a run-out refers to a situation where the horse bypasses the jump rather than attempting to jump it and does not back up, while a knockdown occurs when a horse hits and dislodges the jump pole during the attempt.

By recognizing that backing away from a fence indicates a direct refusal to attempt the jump, one can better understand the behaviors assessed in equestrian events and the implications these actions have on performance evaluations.