Are there health benefits to riding horses?

Question

besides working out your thighs.

Answer 1

It makes me feel good emotionally and physically.Posting the trot and using all those leg muscles etc is great for you.

Answer 2

Yea lets not forget back muscles! Man, after a two mile gallop my back is killing! Not to mention, legs, arms, etc etc.

If you ride right, you can work a lot of areas.

Answer 3

some times it all depends on how you ride the horse. but if you  use your legs in a flexed position you can tone your legs

Answer 4

It depends on if you're riding English or Western, the age/condition/breed of the horse you're riding and the level of skill you have as a rider... But when I ride (I jump English) I get a workout on my thighs, calves and arms.

Answer 5

There are lots of health benefits to riding .    It exercises not only muscles (ride your first hour and tell me the horse does all the work) Balance is major,  coordination, deep breaths in fresh air,  The positive mental attitude   that comes from accomplishment.    But get this out of the sports and racing section.    take it to Pets then horses.    Also ask in Health, exercise.   Racing of this sort is not about health.    For people to race on foot or cycle or swimming, go for it.   That is healthy too.

Answer 6

Absolutely! Riding a horse is wonderful exercise if you do it regularly.

To me, it's much more entertaining than aerobics, jogging or weight exercises (all important in their own way). It's also much easier on your joints as well as wonderful for your balance. Plus you have the extraordinary pleasure of communicating with these wonderful creatures, the horses who lend us their strength and speed.

Even though you're "sitting" on a horse, you are using many muscles besides your thighs: calf, back, shoulders, upper arms, even abs cuz you gotta sit up straight. If you're riding English (either saddle seat ot hunt seat) you're also getting an aerobic work-out, especially posting at the trot. Many instructors incorporate exercises into their lesson plans, both to help your riding and for health reasons. If you want a real workout, believe me, between two pointing, riding without stirrups, lunge line and bareback lessons, you can sure get it from the top of a horse.

The musculature that's most advantageous for riding is like a dancer's or pilates, stretchy and long rather than bulky. If you haven't ridden before, you will find muscles after your first lesson you didn't even know you had!

My recommendation is to ride English for exercise and the challenge, eaither saddle seat (an American style used for Saddlebreds, Morgans, Arabians, Friesians etc) or hunt seat (used for hunters/jumpers, eventing etc). If you are not experienced (or even if you are) it's best to start at a local riding stable in their lesson program - it's MUCH safer and more effective for your purposes  to be in a controlled situation with an acredited instructor.

These two forms of English riding are very good basic seats that will teach you more intitially and challenge you mentally and physically as you graduate up to more advanced levels.

If your instruction also includes grooming and tacking up the horse you'll get more of a work-out along with some bending and stretching, and if you help feed you'll definitely get some weight training with those bales of hay.

Most local riding academies offer group lessons, which is a fun way to meet other people who share your interests. You can start at any age, at any level, and you don't have to own your own horse. The riding programs furnish "school" horses, the horses students ride for lessons. Many of them also offer opportunities to compete in "academy" or "schooling" shows against other students from the same barn or from other local area programs.

Go check out some local barns and get riding - have fun and get fit!

Answer 7

ill let you ride my horse.

itll work out your thighs and then some. =]

Answer 8

If you are relaxed when you are riding a horse, your whole body gets a workout.  I started riding when I was a little kid, and it made my back very strong.  When I was 6, or 7, I was on a pony that kicked a horse.  The horse kicked back, nailed me right in the middle of the back, and all that I got was the wind knocked out of me, and a horseshoe shaped bruise on my back.  The doctor said that if my back hadn't been so strong, from riding, it would have broke my back, or ruptured my spleen.