I don't understand horesback riding!?

Question

I know its a sport, but i don't understand what the rider does other than telling the horse what to do. Are riders fit physically? like cardio wise or muscular wise? I've ridden a horse (obviously not at the competitive level) and didn't feel like it was exercise a all? Is it when you do it a certain way? someone please explain this to me!!

Answer 1

If you haven't ridden seriously (at least this is true for English riding) it probably does seem like the rider is just sitting there. But, riding can be extremely tough exercise.  When I ride a slow horse, I feel I get a lot of aerobic exercise. Your legs have to constantly squeeze the horses sides and then release.  You can get exhausted.  Another aerobically exhausting exercise is posting without stirrups. On a very forward, heavy horse I feel more like I'm doing weight training type exercise. If a horse which weights 1000 pounds is pulling his head down or is running and doesn't want to stop, just using your hands to pull the reins back won't have any effect.  You need to use your whole upper body so that the horse doesn't pull you forward with him.  Jockeys, who are required to be thin and small are pound per pound the strongest type of athlete.  See article below.

http://www.britishhorseracing.com/inside...

Answer 2

They just sit there.

And, in my opinion, are harsh to the Horses themselves.

Answer 3

actually, thats a great question cuz in horseback riding, its supposed to look as if the horse and rider are just floating together as one and theres no big deal to it.  however, there are tons of details the viewers dont observe when they watch someone ride.  it takes lots of muscle (especially legs), coordination, and yes, the rider has to be physically fit.  anyone can get up on a horse and go roundy-round for hours and hours and get no workout.  but when you're REALLY riding, its quite difficult and exciting.

Answer 4

Yes I've been riding for 7 years.... the rider has to be very fit. Our legs have to be solid so they don't bounce around. when you get further up in your training, it starts becoming really hard work. You walk(easy), sitting trot, posting trot, canter, gallop, and jump, dressage, or Western (which I don't ride!) Hope I helped

Answer 5

Go try doing the stuff they're doing in the Olympics.  You'll find that it's a lot harder than the stuff that you remember doing.  If you don't think horseback riding is hard work, you simply haven't been doing it right.

Answer 6

Riding horses builds mucle, A LOT of muscle. It is exercise, more for the horse but you as well. I've even gotten a stitch in my stommach from riding. I do get how you think though, you sorta need to be really into riding to get how fit it requires you to be.

Answer 7

Did you learn how to post? I find posting exercising. If you ride correctly then there is some work there. You have to hold yourself up in the saddle in position. It's a work out. It's different. I don't know if it's a sport in the conventional sense but it is a sport. It requires certain skills. Did you not like it? I love horseback riding. It's an expensive sport.

Answer 8

I used to show horses,and they look for your stance on the horse, your showmanship, your style, and many other things that tell weather or not you know what you are doing and it takes skill to do this perfectly and anyone who knows about judging knows what they  are looking for, even the way you move while riding the horse matters, every up and down motion counts. Including posting as stated above. It is a sport and it is a very elegant one at that.

Answer 9

I have ridden horses before and your legs get sore after awhile it gives your legs a workout  

Answer 10

if you actually know how to ride a horse properely it can be very challenging and you use alot of muscle it depends on what kind of riding you do, for some you use less muscle but for others you do, but my sisters ride and are jacked. and it defenatley is a sport

Answer 11

Ok I ride 2 times week. I have very very  strong lower and upper leg muscles. It did not feel like excersice probaly because you were not using you body correctly, were not used to it or it is not your thing. I have ridden for 9 1/2 years and that is what i do.

Hope this helped

Answer 12

To really ride well and control the horse properly, it does take a lot of work.  You have to use your leg muscles to make the horse go, use your back and stomach muscles to balance yourself on the horse, your shoulder and arm muscles to control the horse through the reins.  If you're just sitting there enjoying a trail ride, it's not physically demanding, but if you're really riding and doing something demanding, then it's work.  Posting the trot for a long time is difficult, especially without your stirrups.  Cantering for a long time can make you very physically tired.  It's pretty easy at first, but if you keep doing it for a long time, you start to notice that your torso muscles are getting weak because you do use them to balance on the horse.

It's true that the horse is doing most of the work.  But the rider has to tell the horse to do that work.  A horse isn't just going to go out there and jump a course by itself.  It's the riders job to guide the horse through the course.  And if you've been watching show jumping at the olympics, you'll notice that some people knock down the poles and some people don't... that's because the rider has to know when to speed up the horse or slow it down.  The rider has to know how many strides go between each jump.  The rider has to tell the horse to speed up or slow down.  If you watch most of these horses, if they had it their own way, they'd go running full speed at every jump... the riders have to pull the horses back to make sure they leave from the right spot.

And think of all the physical work that went into teaching these horses what to do.  Teaching a young horse is a lot of work.  It takes many hours of riding to teach a horse to accept rider and bridle and to bend  and perform the maneuvers you see in the dressage portion of the olympics.  And horses might be bred to jump, but they can't just go out there and jump 5 feet to start with.  It took years to build them up to that height.  And think about the riders too... how many years did they spend getting to that level?  They're naturally talented people or else they wouldn't have gotten this far, but to learn to control the horse with such subtle cues and to build themselves up so that they could do 5 jumping courses of 16 jumps over a week... that took years of work.  The youngest horses in this competition are about 10 years old... and the riders are 30-40.  If it was easy, you'd see a lot younger people in the olympics... it's not easy... it takes years to get where they are.

For anyone who says horseback riding isn't difficult, I challenge them to try it... and not just on a trail ride or a beginners lesson... actually get on a jumper and try to do a jumping course.  I'll bet you fall off in the first 30 seconds.

Answer 13

I know! I mean there's really no point! I like horses and whatever, and sometimes it's fun to ride them, but not like, all the time! I honestly don't understand in what way it makes you fit! The only one who's proably getting fit is the horse!

Answer 14

Riding is not as physically demanding as other sports.  That is why people can compete at the top level into their 40s and 50s.  It does however take a degree of fitness to be able to sit properly in the saddle and control a horse of that size.  

Most people only have experience with recreational trail riding.  This doesn't take as much physical stamina because the horses basically follow the same trail and know where they are going.  The rider is truly "just along for the ride".  

Answer 15

You sit on the horse and ride it. The end.

Answer 16

There is no way at all that you would get any exercise out of it. The only reason people do this is because people buy horses, pay trainers and all those ppl to train it and then they pay jockeys to race the horse in the actual races. Its all for the money but i dont see the profit.

Answer 17

very expensive sport, and you have to be near insane to ride at equestrian level competition. have you see the cross country courses? those riders are very hardy and fit. it takes alot of ab muscles to stay in a correct position, as the horse moves you have to stay still from the waist up. it looks easy, trust me I know it does. but when you spend hours riding in the saddle, it is extremely back breaking.

Answer 18

Horseback riding! hmm, I would go horseback riding with my husband all the time when we were younger (16) I am 34,  that is where I learned how to ride my husband. (shame on me!)  

Answer 19

I believe they have to stay balanced and use their legs to tell the horse what to do. So, that kind of is physical.