Horseback riding is a physically intense activity that works all major muscle groups in your body and helps you find muscles you didn’t know you had. Chances are good you’ve discovered this after your first few riding lessons or returning to riding after a break.
Proper riding posture requires you to engage your head, neck shoulders, spine, hips, thighs, and calves. That’s a lot of muscle groups used all at once in pursuit of riding in harmony with a horse. So, which muscles does horse riding work? Here’s a look at the muscles you use as you ride.
The Main Muscle Groups Used During Riding
The following muscle groups are the ones you use the most while riding. As they strengthen, your riding improves because you put less effort into supporting yourself and can focus on performing advanced positions in the saddle. If you work out in the gym on days you’re not riding, you can focus on exercising these muscle groups along with minor muscles that help support the majors.
Abdominals
The abdominal muscle group, also known as the core, are the muscles located in your lower abdomen. They help you sit up straight, use your hips, and support your lower spine. You might find that you suck in your gut as you’re learning how to ride in an attempt to support your posture. Don’t. Instead, relax and let your muscles feel loose. They’ll adjust with your riding and strengthen over time. A safety vest can also help you feel your body position and fits tightly enough to give you support without constriction.
The core muscles also affect your diaphragm, which helps you with breathing, and holding your abdominal muscles tight impairs your ability to breathe. There will be a day where you realize that you’re sitting up effortlessly in the saddle and you’re following your horse’s movements with ease.
Spinal Group
Sitting straight in the saddle is the most important part of your riding position. You need to keep your spine straight no matter if you’re in a two-point position ahead of a jump or sitting straight up as you approach the judge in the dressage ring. The spinal muscles, also known as the erector spine group, help you maintain your posture at all times.
This muscle group is active from the base of the neck to the pelvis and enables you to sit straight or hold yourself in place without thinking about what you’re doing. Make sure to wear a helmet to protect your head, neck, and spine from a fall, and consider wearing a safety vest that has foam padding or inflates upon ejection from the saddle.
Shoulders and Arms
In order to connect with a horse’s mouth and bring them into collection, you need to hold your reins with steady pressure, yet be able to turn their head at a moment’s notice without banging the bit into their teeth and bars. That means your shoulders and arms are held in a steady position until it’s time to do more than squeeze your fingers to ask for a turn.
The shoulder muscles allow you to put your shoulder blades into place while your biceps help you bring your upper arms into the proper angle for your forearms and hands to connect with your horse’s mouth. You don’t need superhuman strength in these areas, but you will find that you build muscle all the same and find it easy to keep your reins straight and carry a soft connection.
Posterior Muscles
Your posterior muscles, also known as the gluteus maximus and medius or your rear end, help you with your seat as you ride. They control the pelvic bones and allow you to open up or close your seat. When you’re told to stand up in the stirrups, the posteriors help push you up and turn your legs so they can drop along the side of the horse without pushing. If you have to sit back from the pommel, the posteriors help you bring your upper thighs closer together. They also help you maintain your balance by adjusting for the motion of the horse and your position in the saddle.
Hips and Thighs
The muscles of the hips and thighs also include the posterior muscles, but work the lower part of the body. That is, the hip abductors work in concert with the posterior muscles and allow you to keep your hips stable along with being able to position your legs properly.
The major muscles in the thighs are what enable you to hold your upper body in positions such as a two-point for an extended period of time and position your lower leg to deliver the aid or command. They also help you “roll” your thigh forward to connect with the saddle as you change gaits, or take one leg off while applying the other as you ride through corners at the trot or canter. Strong hip and thigh muscles enable you to softly hold your horse between your hands and heels in pursuit of proper collection.
Calves
Your calf muscles help you keep your lower legs in the correct position and give your upper body a base of support as you ride. Sometimes your calf is neutral and feels like it hangs there as you learn to sit the trot or drop your stirrups at the canter. The fact is, you need to prevent your lower leg from flopping around and bumping your horse’s sides with your heels, regardless of the gait and stirrup status. Strong calf muscles enable you to connect more easily with your knee and use it as a pivot point when you’re moving forward in the saddle.
Your calf muscles also help you turn your foot and ankle to quietly cue your horse, and tall boots provide you with the support you need to build up your calf muscles. One of the goals of English riding is to cue your horse for each gait as subtly as possible with your hand and heels. The stronger your calf muscles are, the easier it is to make a subtle turn and press of the heel into the horse’s side without anyone seeing the motion.
At Equoware, we understand the importance of understanding which muscles does horse riding work out in order to become effective as a rider. We carry the best names in safety gear that uses the latest technology to provide you with the protection you need while riding. Wearing safety equipment helps you feel more secure when you ride, and helps you develop your muscles to become an even better rider.
