DC's Hidden Treasures: Horseback Riding and Fitness

Stables at the Rock Creek Park Horse Center

When I first met Max it wasn't love at first sight.  He was hairy, slightly overweight, and honestly he smelled like an animal; but when I looked into his dark brown eyes I knew, if I played my cards right, I'd make a new friend before all this was over.  Moments later I was saddling Max and learning the basic principles of riding a horse.

 

All of us have bucket lists, that secret list of all the things you want to do before you reach life's milestones.  For me, horseback riding fell somewhere between trapeze school (check) and riding a mechanical bull after a few shots of tequila (double check).  So as I saddled Max close to the outskirts of  Washington, DC at the Rock Creek Park Horse Center, I checked another "to do" off my never-ending list.  It was time for this city girl to reach back to her country Louisiana roots.

 

Hidden within the 12 miles of Rock Creek Park, the Horse Center has been a part of DC culture since the 1900's.  The Horse Center is DC's only full-service equestrian stable and offers a multitude of services, from pony rides to riding lessons and boarding facilities. About two-thirds of the horses are privately owned, and the rest are owned by the Horse Center. The Horse Center's horses are available for private and group lessons and trail rides. Thankfully for all us country-city girls no riding experience or equipment is required.

 

Now you may be wondering what horse riding has to do with fitness?  While it isn't considered by most Americans as the most "athletic" form of exercise, horseback riding requires that the rider have significant balance, plenty of core strength and upper and lower body muscular endurance to maintain proper posture and prevent the one thing everyone fears, falling off.  Beginners may be surprised to learn that riding can provide an almost full body work-out, utilizing most of the body's major muscle groups. Muscles worked: arms, shoulders, core, glutes and legs. In addition, riding a horse burns more that 150 calories per hour depending on the intensity and the skill of the rider.

Correct posture and riding stance are very important for controlling your horse and maintaining your balance in the saddle.  Many horse riders are encouraged to do exercises that strengthen the essential muscle groups in conjunction with training. In particular, exercises that strengthen and stretch those muscles are popular amongst riders.  General examples of  types of exercises would be Yoga, Pilate's, and certain forms of dance. In addition, by using basic exercise principles riders can use stability and weight training exercises to prepare.

 

Each of the exercises I have chosen mimic some aspect of the correct form for English style horseback riding.  The more you train these muscles using similar movements the better your form and posture.  For instance, when working the arms you want use motions that mimic the lifting and lower motions used to brake, and turn the horse like biceps hammer curls and tricep kickbacks.  When working your core muscles you want to focus on strengthening the muscles to maintain proper posture.  Key functional exercises for the lower back include sitting on stability ball, supermans, and good mornings.

 

When working lower body, riders want to focus on exercises that mimic the riding stance.  When exercising the glutes riders should try plie squats, which also work both you inner and outer thigh muscles. Other exercises that focus on legs and thighs include: wall squats,  seated leg raises on stability ball,  seated calve raises on stability ball,  and the inner thigh squeeze using the stability.  In addition to increasing endurance and providing resistance, doing these exercises on the stability ball enhances the intensity of the exercise and works on your balance and posture.

 

It only took thirty minutes for Max and I to bond. Before long, I was effectively directing Max to walk, stop and turn.  By the end of my lesson, with the aid of my instructor and a little coaxing, Max and I even managed to do a little trotting. Although I am far from solo trail rides or professional dressage, I know that this won't be my last time visiting the Horse Center.  This country-city girl definitely has a lot more to learn.

 

Other Resources For Horseback Riding Fitness:
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Into-Shape-for-Horseback-Riding
http://horses.about.com/od/learntoride/a/ridingexercise.htm