There is a general consensus that riders require physical fitness for effective riding technique (Alfredson et al., 1998; Douglas et al., 2012; Meyers, 2006; Meyers and Sterling, 2000; Roberts et al., 2010; Westerling, 1983). Here are a few dot points about what the literature suggests are physical requirements for horse riding.

• Range of movement
  • Ankle dorsiflexion is an essential movement for all horse riders (Kang et al., 2010). This movement allows riders to put their heels down while riding in stirrups, which is an important safety position.
  • Hip flexion is another essential movement particularly for show jumping and racing (Nankervis et al., 2015). When a rider is limited into hip flexion the lumbar spine tends to compensate with excessive flexion.
• Muscular
  • A lot of muscle contraction during horse riding is close to isometric (with some oscillatory movement). Isometric contraction means that the muscle is contracted but is not lengthening or shortening, which means the joint or limb does not move. Studies have shown that rider effectiveness is not about peak strength but more about the rider’s endurance and symmetry (Terada et al., 2004)
• Functional
  • Balance, proprioception/co-ordination, squat, shock absorption, and hand grip, are all functional requirements for the human equestrian athlete (Williams & Tabor 2017; Engell et al., 2016). I could quiet easily go into a lot of detail about each of these areas, but I’ll try not too!
  • A study by Sung et al. (2015) found that single leg balance with eyes closed was significantly better in elite riders compared to amateur riders. Elite riders managed an average of 58.29 seconds compared to 27.74 seconds average for amateur riders.
  • Proprioception relates to our awareness of our position or movement without vision, while coordination relating to our ability to use different parts of the body smoothly and efficiently. Just one (of the many) areas this is vital for riders is with rider’s hand position. Hands should stay independent from the rest of the rider’s movements, improving the communication with the horse’s mouth and avoiding confusion for the horse.
  • Squat – Looking at any rider’s position, there should be ankle dorsiflexion, knee flexion, hip flexion, and a “neutral spine”. Now, if you were to do this while on the ground, you would be performing a squat. Therefore, riders should squat – I rest my case 😉
  • Shock absorption – Two simple examples 1.) shock absorption through the leg when landing from a jump, and 2.) shock absorption through the pelvis and spine to minimize vertical displacement during sitting trot.
  • Hand grip – pretty obvious! However, I have seen some amazing para-Olympians ride without hands! It’s actually not about strength. Studies looking at grip strength have not found any advantage. Interestingly, Sung et al. (2015) study found that elite riders had better grip symmetry than amateur riders.
• Cardiovascular
  • Horse riding is predominantly aerobic but can have small bouts of anaerobic demands (Douglas 2017).
  • Heart rate zones vary greatly on the type of riding and other factors, such as, psychological and environmental. The universal agreement in the literature is that heart rate increased with gait of the horse (walk, trot, canter, jump) (Douglas et al., 2017).

Are you still with me??? 😉

Well there you have it, the physical requirements for the ‘human’ equestrian athlete. Of course, you could go into a lot more detail in each section, but I also need to see clients too!

This post is mostly a general overview of the physical demands. In clinic, I have found that each rider is unique and may have particular areas of concern. Feel Good Sports Physiotherapy offer individualized horse rider assessments and exercise programs. So why not work on rider performance and not just the horse’s performance.

Give me a call on 0400178009 or book an appointment online 🙂

Our clinic is located in Pinjarra Hills and services Bellbowrie, Kenmore, Pullenvale, Karana Downs, and surrounding areas. On horse assessments can also be arranged. 

Email hilarygooding@fgsportsphysio.com.au for full reference list 🙂

Stay safe everyone 🙂

Hilary Gooding – APA Titled Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist