# Best Type of Riding for Exercise



## Heather121 (Apr 18, 2014)

I am new here. I do not ride, yet. I have done a bit of Western trail riding, but I didn't really have to do anything except sit there. I am not sure if I am even going to be able to afford it at this point, but I am thinking about beginning riding lessons. It can be entirely too easy for my college student self to get couch potato-y. I have the option of choosing English or Western. Does it matter which I choose, in terms of exercise? If I am going to do it for fun, I might as well get the most out of it. Forgive me if this is a stupid question. I really am a complete beginner, and know nothing except the little bit I've read.


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## shastasmygirl (Jun 19, 2013)

Both of them give you good exercise just as long as you put your body into it and not just sit there. The best workout for me is doing a posting trot and then rolling with the canter. Both of those will work your abs
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## shastasmygirl (Jun 19, 2013)

Also if you aren't comfortable with going faster than a walk yet there are exercise you can do at a walk to help gain confidence and balance and works your legs an abs. You could post at a walk and learn control and timing with your horses inside leg. Also there is a move called frog legs. Keep your heels down and toes pointed in and lift your legs up like a frog in time with the horses inside leg. Then there is a move (sorry about the name) called the peeing dog lol. Keep your heels down and toes pointed in and lift your legs up and out like a peeing dog lol and hold for five beats of the horses inside leg then go down for five beats then back up. This will help you feel how the horse moves so you can stay in time with him. These moves will make you sore like crazy but trust me its worth it. Talk to your trainer about moves like these
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## Heather121 (Apr 18, 2014)

shastasmygirl said:


> Also if you aren't comfortable with going faster than a walk yet there are exercise you can do at a walk to help gain confidence and balance and works your legs an abs. You could post at a walk and learn control and timing with your horses inside leg. Also there is a move called frog legs. Keep your heels down and toes pointed in and lift your legs up like a frog in time with the horses inside leg. Then there is a move (sorry about the name) called the peeing dog lol. Keep your heels down and toes pointed in and lift your legs up and out like a peeing dog lol and hold for five beats of the horses inside leg then go down for five beats then back up. This will help you feel how the horse moves so you can stay in time with him. These moves will make you sore like crazy but trust me its worth it. Talk to your trainer about moves like these
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Right now I don't have a teacher, and in fact I have not ridden in years. I have the opportunity, if I join my university's equestrian club, to begin riding, being taught by their coaches. However, there are two branches of the equestrian club, English and Western. I have to choose one or the other. I am leaning toward English. But, there is a little bit of a religious modesty concern about the tight riding breeches. If I chose Western, I assume I could wear a split riding skirt without drawing TOO much attention to myself. I have no idea what the instructor's requirements will be, but maybe she'd let me make myself a knee length lycra circle skirt to go over the breeches if I chose English. I don't want to look stupid either though. :? But anyway, because I would be a non-competing member of the team, I want to choose the discipline that would give me the most exercise. I believe if I chose English I would end up eventually jumping, and if I chose Western I would end up eventually reining. I am not completely sure that I'll be able to afford it yet though.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

forgive me for being a bit direct, but are you Muslim? is that your concern for needing to have modest apparel? would normal jeans be any different than typical riding breeches , as far as your religious needs are concerned?

no disrespect intended , here, just genuine curiosity. 

and as fore excersize, I find English riding to be much more of a work out than typical ring riding Western style.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

At beginner levels of riding, IMO, riding isn't that much of a workout. I suggest that you not rely only on riding for exercise and do other things too.
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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Sorry, but the beginners get a heck of a workout . they don't know how to post with ease, so they work much harder than necessary, and thus, they get a good workout even at beginning level English riding.


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## Heather121 (Apr 18, 2014)

tinyliny said:


> forgive me for being a bit direct, but are you Muslim? is that your concern for needing to have modest apparel? would normal jeans be any different than typical riding breeches , as far as your religious needs are concerned?
> 
> no disrespect intended , here, just genuine curiosity.
> 
> and as fore excersize, I find English riding to be much more of a work out than typical ring riding Western style.


I am a Christian with somewhat different views on modesty than most. Many of my beliefs are probably somewhat closer to conservative Mennonites than more mainline churches, though I consider myself non-denominational. I do wear pants right now, but I am probably going to begin transitioning to skirts primarily. 

And I did not take your question to be disrespectful at all!  I think sometimes we have a tendency to get offended too easily. I always welcome questions like that. Always feel free to ask me anything!



DancingArabian said:


> At beginner levels of riding, IMO, riding isn't that much of a workout. I suggest that you not rely only on riding for exercise and do other things too.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I was thinking more about the future. If I am going to do something I love anyway, I might as well get the most health benefits from it as possible. English riding honestly looks more fun to me, though I have no experience with it. As I have said above, I have only done Western pleasure riding, and that was years ago. And the fastest I've ever gone was a trot.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

If you aren't riding competitively, I don't see why you can't ride in whatever clothes you want. I'm an English riding instructor; I taught a women once who came every week in a split skirt with breeches underneath. :wink:


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

All forms of riding will give you a work out, but I think dressage will give you a bit more of a workout than most. Maybe check out a local instructor and try some basic dressage?


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Hey Heather, how cool, I saw a fabulous documentary on the Amish and Mennonites a couple of years ago and I think that kind of community life blows the average Western life right out of the water.

English riding is more like ballroom dancing than just using a horse as a sofa-cum-transport, and can give you a great workout. You can wear jeans English riding. The main reason people wear tight-fitting pants riding is to stop chafing. Perhaps a compromise for you could be to wear jodhpurs but have a kind of flowing cape over the top? Only drawback is, it would make it a bit hard for your instructor to see if you are using your legs correctly. If you wear black riding pants, then maybe you won't be as concerned about modesty as with lighter-coloured ones.

Dressage is, like Remali suggested, a super workout for horse and rider. Endurance riding, or trail riding at endurance pace, is also great. I used to get off at the walk and walk beside my horse when doing endurance competitions, because it was pointless for our ride time for me to be on her back at a walk, and because it gave her a break, and because it limbered me up for the next bout of riding! You can do that trail riding, and then you are guaranteed to get decent exercise.

The biggest non-exercise on horseback is "plodding" - just walking endlessly with the rider just sitting there. Some horse riders only plod, and there are even dedicated plodding groups that meet to plod trails together! That's great for aged horses and frail or nervous riders, but not great for getting exercise.

Have a look at this lovely dressage video to see how much exercise dressage is for horse and rider. For the rider to look like part of the horse is a lot of work for him! Few of us will ever get to this level, but it's so inspirational!


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## Rideordie112 (Dec 7, 2013)

"English riding is more like ballroom dancing than just using a horse as a sofa-cum-transport,"

That could very easily come off poorly if a western rider were to read it.
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## shastasmygirl (Jun 19, 2013)

Well I think jumping will work your body more than reining will I'm saying this from experience as I have done both. Your instructor should be understanding about your situation. They have some riding breeches that arent as tight and look more modest.


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Rideordie112 said:


> "English riding is more like ballroom dancing than just using a horse as a sofa-cum-transport,"
> 
> That could very easily come off poorly if a western rider were to read it.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Sorry, that was not the intention, and thanks for pointing it out! A lot of the "plodders" I referred to later down the thread are, from personal observation, English riders. It was a comment on inactive riding in general. I will word more carefully next time!  

Since I can no longer edit the original post, could we all read, "English riding is SUPPOSED to be more like ballroom dancing rather than just using a horse as a sofa-cum-transport." Thank you kindly.


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## Rideordie112 (Dec 7, 2013)

Haha! It's no problem! I just thought it was a little funny to be honest. Like I knew you didn't intend it like that.
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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Well, since I have never ridden Western - around my neighbourhood it's either English, or stock work in Australian stock saddles - I'm hardly qualified to comment!  But I have learnt that the big "horn" on the front of a Western saddle is not for holding onto, or to reduce the chances of a rider falling off, or to allow a rider to go to sleep on the horse comfortably, but useful for stock work and ponying other horses. ;-) Also bsms, whose posts are always good reading and educational, rides Western, and he certainly doesn't seem to be plodding, or sitting on a sofa! :lol:


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## Rideordie112 (Dec 7, 2013)

SueC said:


> Well, since I have never ridden Western - around my neighbourhood it's either English, or stock work in Australian stock saddles - I'm hardly qualified to comment!  But I have learnt that the big "horn" on the front of a Western saddle is not for holding onto, or to reduce the chances of a rider falling off, or to allow a rider to go to sleep on the horse comfortably, but useful for stock work and ponying other horses. ;-) Also bsms, whose posts are always good reading and educational, rides Western, and he certainly doesn't seem to be plodding, or sitting on a sofa! :lol:


Haha Amen to that! Being a primarily English rider, when I do throw on my western saddle, I am guilty of using the horn to take a nap :shock:


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