Why is horseback riding considered exercise? It's the horse doing the work!?

Question

So apart from squeezing one's thighs together to hold on and rocking back and forth why else would one call it exercise?

Answer 1

If you got on a horse and literally did nothing but sit and let the horse do the work, you would fall off in the first stride of the canter and probably wouldn't even get far enough to canter because the horse would bounce you off at the trot.

Even if we assume that riding is only "squeezing one's thighs together to hold on," how about you go try that for an hour and see how well you can walk afterward and particularly the next day. It takes a lot of leg muscle to hold you on that horse.

And to properly ride, your upper body has to be in a very precise position. Your posture has to be very tall... you can practice that in a chair at home... hold your rib cage up as high as it will go and pull your shoulders back and keep your chin up. Your stomach and lower back muscles will hurt after a while... but hold that position for an hour... you'll hurt for the next couple days.

Now lets consider what the horse is doing... walking is simple enough and riding a walking horse is not exercise. But trotting is much more difficult because you have to hold your body still while the horse is bouncing you all around. So now that we considered the leg and upper body muscles, lets remember to do all of that while bouncing up and down and moving forward. And just for fun, let's 2-point, so stand up in your stirrups, keep your upper body still and use your upper legs to hold your body up out of the saddle. I'd like to see you do it for just 5 minutes then tell me that it's not exercise.

You're not even ready for a canter or jumping. To stay on the horse and do either correctly would require a lot of balance, leg strength, and upper body strength. Actually, lets put you on a hunter and have you canter a 3 foot jump... you'll hurt afterward, not just because it's hard, but because you'd smash into the ground with enough force to break a couple of ribs... or maybe just get some bruises if you're lucky.

Answer 2

Whoo boy, it's obvious you've never done any real riding, because I can tell you that when you're doing something like a schooling session over fences or even a long cross-country ride, you can find yourself sore in place you didn't even know you had places.

Riding is a kind of isometric excercise in a lot of ways, where you play your muscle groups off against each other. It's like dancing in a lot of ways. (One of the trainers I had said that without exception, the best riders she knew were also excellent dancers, because of the control, coordination and strength involved.)

Also true, because different horses are built differently and move differently, you can be fit and toned and strong on one horse, and get on a different horse and feel like a wet dishrag. Once I was in a situation where I was regularly riding two horses: one a very narrowly-built mare, and one a great broad gelding. I literally had to develop two different sets of muscles on those two horses.

BTW, the "rocking back and forth" that you describe is most likely posting to the trot, and if you think that isn't excercise, then you've never tried it. Especially without stirrups, which is a required excercise for equitation riders.

Riding gives you a workout like nothing else I've ever found, particularly schooling over fences. You should try it. I guarantee you that after an hour or so of two-point position, caveletti, trot poles and trotting over small fences, then jumping a few lines of fences, you'll get off your horse and practically fall flat because your muscles will be so tired and sore. Guaranteed.

Answer 3

No. Actually, to stay on the horse, especially if galloping or cantering at a high speed, the person on top uses quite a bit of energy. Most horseback riders have incredible inner thigh strenght, not to mention pretty decent abs. If they ride for competetion, they'll also be working their upper back, gluts, calvs, and many other muscles. It's not easy to stay on a horse, especially if you're doing anything other than a simple walk. Try jumping a horse before declaring it's not excersise.

Answer 4

You really think that thats all there is to it?!?!?! Youy can't just hop on a horse at any moment and ride away into the sunset thats not how it works. There is sooooooooo much to learn i've been riding all my life and i'm still learning. I think you should go ride a horse, see how it feels when you get off, then when youwake up the next morning and you an't move because your so sore you will then know a little it about how hard it is to be a rider.

Answer 5

Because you use every muscle and bone in your body, that's why !! And by the way, riding is a GREAT cardio work out-especially if you do a lot of sitting trot !!! I have lost more weight doing that than I have with almost every other form of exercise I have ever done. Riding burns about 300 to 400 calories EVERY MINUTE. Not many other sports can make this claim- have you ever really ridden a horse ( and I don't mean a pony ride at the circus, either) and experienced what it's like to be a little sore and very tired at the end? There is no other experience like it.

Answer 6

Two hours on a road bicycle doesn't tire me out the way two hours on a horse does, that's lazy seat western riding too.

Answer 7

Horseback-riding is not like aerobics. But when you do ride a horse, believe it or not, you are using your thighs and legs and buttocks, and your abs.

Usually you feel somewhat sore after riding a horse, if you're not used to it.

Answer 8

have you ever ridden a horse?

depends on the level of activity if you are running and jumping the horse it is different than if you are "walking a trail" where the horses are trained to follow each other.

it takes more control and energy at higher pace activities.

regardless, I wouldn't consider it excercise on the level of working out in the gym or sparring, but it is still excercise.

believe it or not- you burn calories by typing on your computer. Most people kill it because they are eating a big bag of cheetos while they do and have no concept of how to increase thier basal metabolism.

Answer 9

mind exercising also. Paying attention to what your horse is communicating to you. Have you ever tried cutting? A good horse does it on its own but for you to stay in the saddle its pretty physical.

Answer 10

It depends on how you ride. Think of a "balance board" because a good rider is constantly shifting their balance. It is "core" excercise, your abs get a good workout. Go to a country bar with a bull riding robot, have it set to it's lowest, slowest setting and get on. A minute of that is like a half-hour of horseback riding.