You’ve always loved horses. As a child, you dreamed of owning one. Riding along a trail on horseback looks like one of the most exciting things that you could ever do.
You would be right about that. Seeking out horseback riding near me is more than a fun activity, though. It also helps you work out your core muscles.
Between taking care of the horse and saddling up, you stay active. Horses act as steadfast companions as well. They always have a listening ear, and their coat is so soft to pet and brush.
These are only a few benefits of riding a horse. Check out this guide for an entire list of reasons why you should saddle up.
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1. It Keeps You Active
If you’re looking for an activity that will keep you in good shape, horseback riding has you covered. It may not work quite as many muscles as swimming, but you’ll still burn calories.
In fact, you can shave off over 300 calories with only about 30 minutes of riding. When you ride a horse, you’re in control for the most part. If you want to kick things up a notch to get rid of more fat, that’s your decision.
You don’t only lose weight while you’re on the horse’s back. Owning one of these beautiful creatures is a full-time job. You’ve got to brush its coat, lift the saddle to put it on the horse, take the saddle off when you’re done riding, and you’ll be moving tons of hay around.
2. It Strengthens Your Core Muscles
Riding on horseback can be a relaxing activity. As the horse trots along the path, you get to take in the scenery around the area. There’s still a certain level of work that goes into keeping yourself balanced, however.
From the time you get on the horse until the time you get off, you’ve got to fight to keep yourself from falling off. To do so, you’ll have to engage all the muscles that make up your core. That includes your hips, lower back, and abdominals.
It’s for that reason why horseback riding is often used to help people bounce back after an injury. It helps strengthen the muscles a person needs to get their full range of motion back.
3. Interacting With a Horse Lowers Your Stress Levels
Having a pet of some kind, in general, can help lower your stress levels. Interacting with your horse and caring for it releases feel-good endorphins in your brain.
Horses are also pretty good listeners. They don’t judge and enjoy being talked to and brushed. The horse may seem indifferent when you’re caring for it, but it gets a dose of happy chemicals as well.
Being on the back of a horse can also be relaxing. When you’re riding along the trail and taking in all the scenery, you forget how much work you’re putting in to stay balanced.
Lastly, getting in exercise can fill your body with serotonin. Burning calories can boost your confidence, and it makes you feel a lot healthier.
4. You’ll Socialize With Like-Minded Individuals
You don’t have to own a horse to reap the benefits that we’ve talked about so far. In fact, by reaching out to Southern Trails horseback riding, you can get a little socialization.
By taking lessons, you’ll meet other like-minded individuals. You’ll bond with these people over your love of horses and make lasting friendships that you can take away from the horseback riding service.
Taking lessons isn’t the only way that you can interact with other horse lovers. If you look around, there are bound to be clubs in your area. You can also hit up a horse show, and it’s not unheard of to meet random people on a trail.
5. It’s a Mental Exercise
Horseback riding doesn’t only give you the chance to work your core muscles. You’ll get to flex your brain muscles as well. For one, you’re going to be learning a new skill set.
For two, you’ve got to think fast in order to tackle obstacles with your horse. You don’t instinctually know a horse’s body language if you’ve never ridden before. That’s something that you’ll have to pick up on as you go along.
6. It Improves Coordination
As you’ve most likely picked up on by now, riding a horse isn’t a day in the park. You’re not sitting still as the horse trots along the trail. You’ve got to put in a lot of work to keep yourself from falling.
That means you have to coordinate several parts of your body at once. Think about it as having multiple tabs open on a computer at the same time. The machine has to multitask to keep them all running.
7. You’ll Improve Your Posture
Most people sit and stand with horrible posture. It puts a strain on the body, and over time, can even result in horrible injury. Riding a horse is one of the best ways to whip your posture back into shape.
As long as your riding form is good, you’ll be strengthening your lower back and abdominal muscles. Both of these are associated with your posture.
Seek Out Horseback Riding Near Me
There are a million and one reasons why you should seek out horseback riding near me. Keeping yourself balanced on horseback will give you a mental and physical workout.
By taking lessons, you’ll meet tons of new people, and hitting the trails can be relaxing. Saddle up today and see the difference that it brings to your life.
Getting on a horse isn’t the only way to improve your overall wellness. Visit the Health section of our blog for more ways to take care of yourself.
