As horse riders, we have to be flexible, strong and fit enough to fool ourselves into thinking we can control the 500kg animal beneath us. Many people say you can only get strong enough and fit enough to ride a horse by actually riding a horse. However, not all of us can ride all the time, and there are ways you can improve your posture and muscle strength when you’re not riding. By doing some of these simple exercises whilst at work, or sitting at home you can be ready for the next time you have a spare moment to have a ride!

The Calf/Hamstring Stretcher

This one is something that I do myself very often, more now out of habit than anything else. This is perfect for helping you be limber enough to stretch those heels down as far as possible when you ride.

All you have to do is when you’re standing near a set of stairs, stand on the edge of one, and drop your heels towards the floor. Hold this position for 10-15 seconds then come back up. Do this as many times as you have time for!

Posture, posture, posture!

Being vigilant with the way you stand and sit will follow through to when you are on the horse. Now, I don’t mean just rolling your shoulders back and looking straight ahead. Although this is a good start, there is so much more to it. Horse riding takes extreme core strength, which you can build on simply by standing better. Try focusing from the bottom up. Stand with your feet slightly apart, knees bent minutely and hips set forward. Now this is the important part, imagine you are pulling your belly button in towards your spine. Feel your whole upper body lift, and then focus on your upper body and shoulders. The more you practice, the more it will become second nature like most things in horse riding. To find out more, or to improve your posture even further, I suggest you check out the Alexander Technique.

Planking

As I said before, horse riding takes a lot of core strength; and arm strength, and leg strength…okay, you just have to be pretty strong all over. Planking is the perfect way to work all the muscles needed to become a strong rider. It’s also extremely satisfying when after much practice you can hold a plank longer and longer. If you’ve never planked before, you’re in for a treat! Place your forearms on the ground with your arms parallel to the body, at about shoulder-width distance. Ground your toes into the floor and raise your body as if you’re doing a push-up. Hold this position as long as you can.

Leg Lifters

Another move that I would recommend to strengthen your legs and help to tone them up is the side leg raisers. Like the plank, this is a traditional Pilates move. Pilates is great for all over body strength, and is so easy to do at home. This move is something that becomes easier the more you do it, and you can slowly build on. All you need is a mat or soft carpet. Lay down on your side, legs together and then slowly raise your leg straight up. Focus on your breathing and ensuring that your leg remains straight. Remember to not push yourself too far, you don’t want to do more damage than good! Also, make sure you do this exercise equally on both sides.

Every day care for your horse!

This is something we all do every day anyway — lift feed and water buckets, pull on horses that decide they want to be somewhere else…you get the idea. Plus, we all walk a million miles every day, especially if you have a hard-to-catch horse. Really, just caring for you horse is the best exercise you can do to keep fit for horse riding. You get to spend time with your horse, whilst getting fit for the next time you get on.

Do you have any of your own unmounted exercises that have improved your time in the saddle? Make sure you share them with us below.

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