The extraordinary benefits of horseback riding. What are the benefits of horseback riding

Horseback riding is a great workout for the whole body. It will become both a cardio load for burning fat, and a strength program that gives muscle tone. Horse riding perfectly restores the body after injury, illness, overtraining or stress.

What to expect?

When the horse walks, the rider's pulse rises to 100-110 beats per minute, and when galloping - up to 170. But at the same time, serious organic changes do not occur in the heart muscle, as from running or aerobics. The thing is that we do not move ourselves, but respond to a motor impulse received from another living being. The horse gives us 90 to 110 of these impulses per minute. Therefore, our muscles work in a way that they cannot work in any workout.

Beginners notice that the load on the inner surface of the thigh is most felt. It is not surprising, because usually these muscles are not easy to fully load, even if you use special simulators. And then for an hour you have to squeeze the back of the horse. But cellulite disappears without a trace!

The quadriceps (quadriceps muscle of the thigh) work almost as seriously, and with them the calves and feet. After all, we are not sitting on a chair, but actually standing on bent legs, leaning on stirrups. The legs work like springs in time with the movements of the horse. Then we stand on our toes, then we lower ourselves, while the knees are half bent. To spring, you have to include the gluteal muscles.

I can not help but mention the muscles - the stabilizers of the body (those that create a flat stomach and an aristocratic posture). Crooked and stooped on a horse you can’t sit at all! Willy-nilly, you learn to keep your back straight - both during riding lessons and in life.

For those who are out of shape

If you have high blood pressure, heart disease, too much weight - feel free to start getting in shape with horseback riding. By the way, it corrects many problems with the spine, treats paralysis, muscle dystrophy, nerves, and even mental retardation.

The good news is that even those over 50 can start riding. The load on the weakest part of the skeleton - the joints, which are already quite worn out in older people - is minimal here. But the work of the muscles when riding a step is similar to fast walking, while galloping - running. The blood circulation in the rider's body is increased by 5–9 times. A real salvation from the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle!

A bit of intimacy: horseback riding helps to get rid of constipation, improves the functioning of the urinary tract and genital organs, because there is a kind of massage of the entire lower body.

So?

"Ride a horse" and "be able to ride" are two different things. It is not necessary to control the animal for riding, the groom will do everything for you. The effect of losing weight will not decrease from this. But "be able to ride a horse" means about the same thing as "be able to drive a car." That is, get into any car and get to where you want to go without road traffic adventures.

True, horses, unlike a car, are not iron and obedient to buttons, but lively and wayward. You will have to not only learn commands, but also develop gestures and intonations that will make the horse obey. From the outside, this is very reminiscent of the upbringing of someone else's child (namely, someone else's, because he is not obliged to obey us as his own). It takes time, desire and a competent patient instructor. It is better to start not in the park, but in the arena or on the parade ground, where walking onlookers do not get confused under their feet.

For some reason, many believe that as soon as they sit on a horse, they will certainly fall off it. We hasten to please: not idiots work in the stables to seat a beginner on an unbroken mustang. For training riding, as a rule, the most phlegmatic and docile animals are selected, usually geldings or mares. Yes, and horses, as a rule, love people, they try their best not to drop the rider and not to step on him. So in fact, falling off a horse is much more difficult than it seems.

There is no need to be afraid of the horse: with your fear, you will only provoke disobedience. To get rid of embarrassment, talk to the animal, stroke it, try to admire its grace. When you sit in the saddle, do not tense up, but relax and find a natural posture. Inspire yourself that it is you who is rightfully the leader in the "man - horse" tandem.

And do not forget about elementary caution:

• When leading a horse on the bit, do not stick under its feet! It is much heavier than a human, so if it comes, it will be very painful.
• In no case do not wind the bridle around your fingers or hand! If the horse accidentally jerks his head, you will be left without them.
• Never approach a horse from behind! If there is no other way around it, check if the animal is kicking.
• If you think your horse is acting aggressive, don't try to scare him! She is larger and, since she decided to "shake her rights", she will not be afraid of you. Call the groom, let him deal with her in his own way.

Horseback riding gives such sensations and emotions that you will not get on any simulator. Listen to your trainer, communicate with horses - and hours dedicated to riding will turn out to be an unforgettable pleasure for you, to which you want to return again and again.

Our reference

Hippotherapy - therapeutic riding - is very different from the usual. The head of the team is a physiotherapist who decides how, how much and in what position to ride. The patient does not control the horse: it is led by a groom. In addition to him, the rider is accompanied by two more people, because a person with disabilities can easily fall, but he cannot always change the position of the body. It happens that the patient must ride ... reclining. Hippotherapy also includes massage and physical therapy exercises. Thus, autism, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, muscular dystrophy, posture disorders, mental retardation, poliomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, mental retardation, epilepsy and some other diseases can be cured.

On a note

Let's get ready!

From the habit of riding a horse, some muscles are very sore. This can be avoided if you start doing special exercises in advance. Just do not load them on the eve of the first lesson - you will not be able to ride at all. Start at least two to three weeks in advance.

To stay in the saddle, you have to strongly compress your hips. We train the adductors of the thigh: take a small inflatable ball (30-40 cm in diameter). An easier option is to lie on your back, a harder option is to stand up. The knees are half bent. Squeeze and unclench the ball or ring between your knees for 10-15 minutes.

To spring in the stirrups, train your legs. Take a chair or stool, stand with your back to it. Get down on it and get up without the help of hands for 5-10 minutes. In no case do not plop down on a chair, but lower yourself in a measured and controlled manner. You need a chair quite high - such that from the buttocks to the seat there is no more than 50 cm. In extreme cases, put a pillow or a couple of books on the seat.

It is also worth strengthening the stabilizing muscles of the abdomen and lower back in advance. The load on them is mostly static, so “pumping” the press and lower back will not help. You need any exercises and postures in which you need to maintain balance. You can stand on one leg or balance on the balance beam, which is on any sports ground.

Horse riding is a hobby for those who like the wind in their faces, the smell of hay and communication with the smartest and wisest animals - horses. Try a new hobby!

If you don't like cross stitching and sewing soft toys, let's talk about something as useful and enjoyable as women's riding. Why do hundreds of fragile ladies from an early age and almost to old age prefer this sport? Why are they drawn to strong and noble animals like a magnet?

Horses are a living antidepressant

Probably, partly the fact is that horses, like horses, are a natural antidepressant, they give a person a lot of positive emotions, help to cope with internal problems, inspire, tear them out of a series of gray monotonous everyday life and take them to some special, their own world.

You enter the stable, smell the pleasant smell of hay and sawdust, communicate with the horses, stroke their velvet noses, look into their kind eyes - and now the mood improves, worries go into the background. It is easy to get stuck in the stable for the whole day, forgetting the clock. After all, the atmosphere of the stable is special, kind, so unlike what everyone is used to in our fast-paced world.

Horse riding: what is it

A dance with a horse, the clatter of hooves and the pounding of the heart, a swift run, forest paths, the shore of the bay, sand from under the hooves, the sun and wind in your hair and horse's mane. The horse seems to put you on a pedestal, and now you are no longer an ordinary person, no, you are an Amazon, famously driving her horse. No wonder they say that riders do not want to appear taller than other people, but still they are one and a half meters closer to the sky.

Horseback riding is the second most difficult sport for muscle work after swimming. Do not think that riding a horse is very easy. Not at all easy. From the outside, it may seem that the rider, sitting so lightly and elegantly on horseback, does nothing, and the horse just rides him. But behind this simplicity lies the hard work of the rider to achieve a beautiful fit, ease of control of the horse.

It is important to have good posture for riding (back problems greatly complicate the learning process; seating is the basis for proper riding, good seating also implies a straight back). Therefore, for those who wish to start learning horseback riding, it would be nice to improve their general physical training and (of course, if there is a need for this).

A bit of theory: equestrian sports

Those who have successfully mastered the basic skills of women's riding can move on by choosing a specialization for themselves. Let us dwell in more detail on the main types of equestrian sports:

• jumping (overcoming obstacles);
• dressage (performing elements of a higher riding school, what is called a “dance with a horse”);
• runs (passing long distances for a while);
• triathlon (it includes jumping, dressage, cross-country - overcoming various "field" obstacles when moving over rough terrain, it is most common in the southern regions of Russia).

Everyone can choose a sport based on their preferences and character. For example, show jumping requires courage, courage. Dressage is more about the patience of the rider, the thoroughness in his work - it is not surprising that the majority of riders are women.

Benefits of horseback riding for women

It is no coincidence that horse riding is compared with fitness - the muscles of the arms, legs, back, and abdomen are involved here. An hour of riding a horse is comparable to an hour of running, at first it will not be easy if your respiratory system is not trained, but over time you will get used to the stress.

Horse riding also develops reaction (here I would like to note that horse riders usually do not have problems with autodriving - after all, a person’s reaction has already become faster, and when riding in an arena there are also rules, a kind of traffic rules, so the driver will be prepared in advance for certain requirements).
There is also a therapeutic variety in horseback riding - hippotherapy, to overcome psychological or physical ailments (adults and children often come with diseases of the musculoskeletal system). The psychological and physiological effect of such activities is simply amazing. Communication with cats and dogs is completely different from that with a horse.

• Firstly, a horse is not just a large (weighing about 500 kg) and unsafe animal, each of them has its own unique disposition, and in order for it to obey you, you must show both your character and perseverance.
• Secondly, while sitting on horseback, you learn to control your body, moving in time with the movements of the horse, not to interfere with it. It is an incomparable delight to enjoy togetherness, as if a horse reads your thoughts and executes commands without any visible effort. But this will take a lot of work, of course.

How to make a wish come true

You can learn horse riding at any age - even ladies who have crossed the threshold of seventy years come to equestrian clubs. The main thing is to overcome internal barriers and fears. Do not rush to buy special equipment, first visit one of the clubs to make sure that classes are possible. For the first lessons, comfortable clothes that do not restrict movement without coarse seams are suitable. A helmet is required to protect your head.

To date, the choice of sports clubs and amateur stables is very large. There are good and different among them, for every taste and wealth. Reviews of already engaged people will help you make your choice, everyone will be able to find something of their own, whether it’s a weekend getaway (there is an opportunity to go for a walk in the forest, park, field - even for those who are in the saddle for the first time) or classes with serious intentions to go further into sports.

As a rule, women begin to sit confidently in the saddle after six months of regular training. Usually those who come to the world of the horse remain in it forever, albeit intermittently, but always return. Try it, and you will not regret the time spent and get new impressions and positive emotions in return, take a break from the monotony of city life. After all, most clubs are located outside the city, in nature.

Equestrian sport can be called healing, because horses have a unique energy that helps children improve their psycho-emotional state. Communication with horses brings great pleasure, it is almost the only pair sport where the child is engaged with animals. What else is so good equestrian sport?

"Magic" hippotherapy

Based on the combination of useful properties, equestrian sports can be called “magic”. Riding is good not only for the body, but also for the soul, noble animals can calm a person and even cure an illness.

For the first time, not athletes, but doctors spoke about the benefits of equestrian sports, a few decades ago they reported that horseback riding can cure even the most serious illnesses. And this is not a fiction, many seriously ill people, after communicating with horses, quickly recovered. A special term "hippotherapy" was introduced, and horseback riding became more and more popular in different parts of the world.

What is the benefit of equestrian sports?

• Communication with horses calms the child, normalizes his emotional background, helps to distract from experiences. The son got a deuce, and the daughter failed her performance at a music school? After an hour of riding, they will not even remember their failures.
• Equestrian sport establishes healthy blood circulation, has a positive effect on the processes of respiration and digestion.
• A big plus is the opportunity to communicate with majestic and noble animals. Most children are initially afraid of horses, but after a couple of lessons they are affectionate and friendly. It is worth stroking the horse, and you will feel that the stress recedes, the tension passes.
• It is impossible not to say about the huge physical load that the child receives during training. Almost all muscles and systems of the body are involved! When riding, it is important to maintain balance - the muscles of the back and the press work, when you need to stay in the saddle at high speed, the legs are also connected. Even a full-fledged fitness training leaves “without attention” certain muscle groups that work when riding a horse.
• If your baby is motion sick in transport, this means that he must be ... given to equestrian sports! Yes, at first it will not be easy for him, but this view strengthens the vestibular apparatus of children in the best way.
• Doctors often recommend equestrian training for overweight children. This will allow you to lose weight much faster than any aerobic exercise.

What harm can equestrianism bring?

Equestrian sport - on the one hand, a very beautiful, calm, even pacifying activity. But it is no secret that horses often show their character, do not obey the rider, or even throw him off. What other dangers are fraught with equestrian sports and to whom it is contraindicated?

• When riding a horse, the child's heart works in an enhanced mode, the heartbeat quickens, and the pressure rises. This sport is strictly prohibited. with hypertension and heart disease.
• When riding, the child will be shaken well, and therefore it is worth giving up classes for children with vascular disease.
• This sport is contraindicated for those who have pathology of the pelvic region, diseases of the organs of the reproductive system, inguinal zone.

If you decide to send your baby to equestrian sports, be sure to get medical advice. He will conduct a comprehensive examination, make a conclusion about the state of health of the child. Do not neglect this point, especially since professional riding schools require a doctor's permission to start classes.

Types of equestrian sports

Before the baby begins to practice, parents, together with the trainer, need to choose a specific type of equestrian sport:

• Show jumping is the most popular, steeplechase riding.
• Dressage - driving a horse using different gaits.
• Triathlon - riding on one horse, 3 days in three disciplines: dressage riding, trials in the fields, as well as traditional show jumping.

Among the less popular types of equestrian sports are biathlon, running, harness riding, jumping over barriers and long crosses.

When and where to start?

The first acquaintance of a child with a horse can take place at the age of five or six years. Of course, it’s still too early for him to ride a horse, but visiting an equestrian club, stroking a horse’s muzzle and watching training is not prohibited. Your child will go to a real equestrian school not earlier than 10 years of age, this is due to the high injury risk and the complexity of animal control. To begin with, the trainer will teach the kid to climb on and off the horse, then ride in a circle.

Choose your equestrian club carefully. Animals must be healthy! Pay attention to the qualifications of the coach, his experience, as well as his kind and patient attitude towards children. Learning to ride a horse is not easy, and without a competent leader, a child will not be able to cope with this task.

Equipment and safety

Even before the start of classes, purchase a complete set for your child. outfit kit for riding, it includes:

• Long trousers in slim-fitting fabric with an external seam to prevent chafing of the legs.
• Special shoes, it has a smooth sole and a small heel.
• A long sweater or loose jacket that will help the trainer to control the correct position of the baby on the horse.
• And most importantly - a high-quality helmet, at first you can rent it.

Even before the child makes the first independent ride on a horse, he must clearly learn safety regulations. The coach will tell them, your task is to control how he learned them:

• Strictly follow the instructions of the instructor, do not allow amateur performances.
• Do not be nervous, do not shout at the horse, do not show aggression towards it.
• Show affection and love for the animal, but show your authority. In a pair, the main rider, not the horse.

And finally, let's talk about how much "this pleasure" costs. Equestrian sport is one of the most expensive activities for children, especially if it is not a rural equestrian club, but a professional school in a large metropolis with thoroughbred horses and eminent coaching staff.

“If you decide to practice horse riding professionally, you should not forget about the maintenance of the horse, it costs about 15 thousand rubles a month. That is why classes in sports clubs in this area are not cheap,” says equestrian coach Asya Aleksandrovskaya.

If you want to send your child to this particular sport, then start getting to know the animals long before the start of classes. And, most importantly, do not forget that professional riding can be practiced no earlier than reaching the age of 10.

Do you think horseback riding is too risky for your child?

Horse riding is a full-fledged sport with a huge history, and it is included in the category of Olympic sports. Our ancestors used it, because at that time cars had not yet been invented, and even if they were, the availability of technology was not extended to all residents.

Already from early childhood, children begin to be intuitively attracted to horses, and this is not accidental, because the positive impact on health cannot be overestimated. And it is horse riding that is submissive to all ages, since it is not only a kind of great pastime, but also an excellent cure for many diseases and various diseases, which is not only curative in nature, but also prevents possible diseases.

Health benefits of horseback riding

Horseback riding will replace a full-fledged exercise in the gym, while you will get not only physical health from it, but also a lot of positive emotions. And as a result of long rides, provide yourself with the correct posture and sufficiently strong muscles, the question of losing excess weight is simply redundant.

Horseback riding is multifunctional and each person finds his own meaning in it, because on a day off you can safely spend time with these amazing and subtle animals that feel the world - horses. Studies have found that the benefits of horseback riding are as follows:

1. Hippotherapy. The effect of such trips entails the stabilization of the psyche and physical activity of a person. Riding becomes indispensable for people with poor posture, curvature of the spine, autism, polio, neuroses and mental disorders.

2. Fitness. To master horseback riding, you need to properly feel your body, due to this exercise, muscles are strengthened, the skin becomes elastic, and you feel all its places. Great for burning calories and burning fat. The figure becomes attractive and slim, and this is an important factor, when you like a person, it means that he radiates positive energy for other people.

3. Nature. Equally important when riding and communicating with nature. A person begins to feel the weight of natural phenomena, gradually begins to depend on it and correctly feel what needs to be done. He also communicates with the animal, and the horse is an understanding world and a sensitive representative of the animal world. This communication gradually develops into dependence, to such an extent that it becomes impossible to part with your favorite sport and a person is ready to give all his free time to this hobby.

4. Outdoor activities are a source of health, everyone knows about it. When muscles relax, the body relaxes and insists on the rhythms of the universe, which in turn give the right direction in later life.

Medical studies have shown that the benefits provided to the body of men and women are extremely positive and equivalent, the main advantages of which are:

- a significant improvement in the metabolism in the body;
- formation or correction of posture;
- prevention or elimination of a number of significant problems with the musculoskeletal system;
- improvement of the lungs and respiratory tract;
- training of the vestibular apparatus;
- a wonderful relaxing effect that affects the restoration of physical strength and psychological self-esteem.

By the way, to stabilize the mental state, just a few calm and measured skating a week is enough.

And this is just a small list of obvious positive effects on human health, and even the smell of horses contributes to recovery. The breath of a horse, specific fumes from its body and even, surprisingly, droppings have an effective healing effect on the human body. Therefore, even a short contact with animals has a beneficial effect on health.

But, no less interesting and important question is: does riding have any contraindications and any harm?

Health risks of horseback riding

Unfortunately, there are still some prohibitions and certain restrictions:

- primarily harms people with hypertension, due to a significant increase in heart rate and, accordingly, an increase in intravenous pressure;
- riding is contraindicated in case of thrombosis, due to an increase in the likelihood of a blood clot detachment;
- it is forbidden to ride with inflammation of the urinary system and kidney diseases;
- unambiguously contraindicated in diseases of internal organs;
- it is strictly forbidden to ride a horse in a position, regardless of the gestational age, as well as women during lactation, the relationship is simple - when riding, there is a significant load on the muscles of the groin and abdomen.
- the risk of injury has its place, so before the trip itself, you should carefully listen to the coach's instructions and at the beginning do everything under his guidance, otherwise the whole lesson may end badly for you. Be sure to use a special helmet for equestrian sports so that there are no problems associated with hitting the head.

And of course, dispel the myths in your head that horse riding leads to curvature of the legs. When riding a horse, you will definitely get athletic buttocks, strong leg muscles and excellent stretching, so you don’t need to deny yourself such pleasure because of untrue rumors.

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jellied lat ha and grazing herds, a peasant carrying firewood on a cart,hunting, horse racing, high society rides, - these pictures come to mind when thinking about a horse. It is unlikely that anyone will remember that a horse is also a unique living simulator. It was thanks to this ability of her that the method of therapeutic riding - hippotherapy, which became an effective way of rehabilitating the disabled, arose.

French professor Y. Lallery said: "Horse riding gives a feeling of independence, allows you to adapt to circumstances alone, while discovering that you can live with pleasure, and not just in tension and suffering."

An incomplete list of diseases
in which riding is effective.

There are a number of medical contraindications to horseback riding.

In some cases, the specific training load may be excessive for the body of a sick person.century. The main contraindications are: previous stroke and heart attack, all acute diseases of the internal organs, imbalance, acute thrombophlebitis, vein thrombosis, trophic disorders of the lower extremities. Also, riding is contraindicated in acute inflammation of the kidneys, bladder, prostate gland and gynecological diseases. Therefore, if you decide to take up horseback riding and you have any health problems, it is best to discuss this with your doctor.