International Chovken Federation
Chovken vs polo, horseball and other mounted sports
Chovken, field polo and horseball are all team sports played on horseback, but they are not interchangeable names. Their equipment, methods of scoring, match structures, governing bodies and cultural contexts are different.
What Chovken is
Chovken is a mounted team sport in which riders use wooden mallets to send a ball through the opposing goal. The current ICF format uses four players on the field, two 15-minute halves and rules covering the playing area, scoring, officials, player equipment and horse welfare.
The modern sport is governed internationally by the ICF. Its cultural story is also connected with the traditional Azerbaijani practice documented by UNESCO under the name Chovqan.
Chovken and field polo: important similarities
Both sports place mounted teams on an open field and use a hand-held mallet to move a ball toward a goal. The international rules for field polo published through the Federation of International Polo also use four players per side and require the stick to be held in the right hand.
Those visible similarities explain why readers often compare the sports. They do not make the names or rulebooks interchangeable. A player, official or organizer must follow the regulations of the specific sport and competition being played.
How Chovken differs from polo
The ICF rulebook defines a Chovken match as two 15-minute halves, with its own pitch dimensions, marked goal infield, scoring provisions and penalty procedures. International polo uses a different regulatory system, tournament structure and match format established through recognized polo bodies.
The safest comparison is rule by rule. Broad claims that one modern sport is simply another sport under a different name ignore differences in governance, competition procedure and cultural context.
Chovken and horseball
Horseball is a different mounted team sport. According to the International Federation of Horseball, players carry and pass a handled ball, must complete a passing sequence and score by throwing the ball through a raised hoop. Players also pick the ball up from the ground without dismounting.
Chovken uses mallets and ground play toward goalposts, so the central technique and scoring action are different. The sports share the challenge of coordinated riding at speed, but training and officiating are not transferable without learning the relevant rules.
Mounted games and equestrian team sports
Mounted games is a broad expression that can refer to relay-style disciplines, traditional community games or other competitive activities on horseback. Equestrian sport is broader still and includes individual and team disciplines with very different objectives.
Search terms such as horse games, horseback sport, mounted sports and horse team sports are therefore useful as contextual language, not as exact synonyms for Chovken. A clear page should explain the category before presenting Chovken as one distinct sport within it.
Heritage and governing bodies
Chovken's modern rules are administered by the ICF, polo is represented internationally by the Federation of International Polo, and horseball has its own international federation. Governing bodies publish rules, competition procedures and eligibility requirements for their disciplines.
Heritage recognition is a separate question. UNESCO's 2013 inscription concerns Chovqan as a traditional Karabakh horse-riding game in Azerbaijan and its living cultural setting. It should not be used to claim that unrelated modern rule systems are identical.
Which page should you read next?
Use the Chovken rules page for match duration, team size, scoring, equipment and welfare. Use the history page for heritage and naming. Use the world overview for countries and official competition records.
This comparison page is an orientation guide. Competitors and officials should always consult the full rules issued by the governing body responsible for their event.