How Many Calories do You Burn

Horseback Riding?
Horse riding is fun!

If you’re on this website, chances are you love riding horses. Whether you do it every
once in a while when you’re on vacation, you’re just starting out with lessons, dreaming
of the day you can run your own ranch (guilty as charged!) and of course if you’re
competing.

However, I bet you didn’t know how much of a workout riding really is? You might have
had some idea when you rode that really stubborn mare that just wouldn’t move and
you couldn’t feel your legs for the rest of the day, but you probably don’t know just how
much.

You may not even think about it but riding is a great workout! You can burn a LOT of
calories, lose weight overtime, and you’re constantly toning your legs, bum and even
your abs when you’re riding. Let me explain how.

Calorie Count Breakdown

Even riding a horse for one hour can help a lot if you’re trying to loose those poudns
and tone your body.

The exact number of calories that you can burn while horse riding depends on your
weight and riding style. For an average woman of 150 lbs, cantering a horse can burn
up to 93 calories in 10 minutes. If you ride at the trot, you can burn up to 74 calories in
10 minutes. If you ride at the walk, you can burn 57 calories in 10 minutes.

Remember that if you’re riding that stubborn mare, you can burn even more

calories 

Basically you can range all the way up to 384 calories at a trot in 10 minutes – YES I
know! It’s crazy. These are results you’re just not going to get on the elliptical. So pat
yourself on the back for all that riding that you’ve just been doing for fun. You could start
a fitness page since you honestly know more about burning calories than most of the
“fitness gurus” out there!
Leg muscles are key
While horse riding, every muscle of our body should be engaged in the workout.

Leg muscles, of course, are the going to be the key however. When we ride, our thighs
help us to stay on the horse and should be the stabilizing force around the trunk of the
horse keeping us on. Your heels should be pushing down towards the ground and your
entire posterior chain shoud be activating including your glutes, hamstrings and your
calves.

There are many people who cannot go jogging or running because of joints problems
but they can go for horse riding. I am one of these people. I have a herniated disk in my
L5/S1. Ouch right? Lots of doctors have told me to quit riding but would I listen? Not a
chance!

I found that if I engaged my muscles effectively – especially my abs (super important for
stability by the way!) that I could ride pain-free.

If you aren’t engaging your abs and pulling that belly button towards your spine,
especially during a canter and dropping gaits, you’re missing out on a really effective
tool for controlling your body on the horse. If you’re in dressage – this is a MUST!
Otherwise you’ll be flopping aroung and banging your tail bone on the saddle, which is
very very bad for a herniated disk incase you were wondering…

There are also people who do not like ***cough – hate – cough*** running but they love
horse riding. I think some of you may be able to relate to that? So, if you are one of
those people, you do not have to worry now because horse riding is actually THE best
workout for you anyways.

You’re burning fat too!

Well obviously…but I just thought it deserved to be said 

I mean have you ever seen a professional horse rider who is overweight? If you have let
me know because I haven’t seen one yet. In fact I would say they’re all extremely lean.
Unfortuantley, I’m not at that level yet because I can’t ride nearly as much as I woud like
but I’m getting there.

So to sum it up : horseback riding is a sport and one that

But, many people go for horse riding once in a blue moon and then they say that horse
riding is nothing except a hobby and a sport. However, if a person does it in a right way
and on a regular basis, horse riding can help lose weight by burning fat. There is only
one condition for burning fat by horse riding. And that condition is “you should take it
seriously”.

If you are sitting on the back of a horse and doing nothing except slowly walking around
sitting on the horseback, then you are less likely to lose weight. On the other hand, if
you actually engage in horse riding vigorously, it can help you lose weight and become
slimmer.

If you regularly trot on your horse, it means you are spending more energy which leads
to weight loss.

As if you needed another reason to go horseback riding! 

By reading all the benefits of horse riding and how it can help you to stay fit, become
healthier and burn calories, you don’t need any excuse to be lazy.

So what are you waiting for? Get up and go riding!