Horseback riding is often underestimated as a physical activity, with many people assuming the horse performs all the work. However, the energy expenditure for the rider is highly variable and can be comparable to other moderate-to-vigorous sports. The number of calories burned depends not on passive sitting, but on the intensity of the horse’s gait and the sustained effort required for the rider to maintain balance and control. Understanding the physical demands of this sport requires looking at specific metrics beyond simple time in the saddle.
Baseline Calorie Burn Estimates by Gait
The most direct way to measure the energy expenditure of riding is by using Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) values, which quantify the intensity of an activity. These values are used to calculate the calories burned per hour. For a rider weighing 150 pounds (approximately 68 kilograms), the calorie burn changes significantly as the horse moves through its gaits.
A slow, leisurely walk demands the least from the rider, corresponding to a MET value of about 2.01, resulting in an expenditure of roughly 143 calories per hour. This still requires continuous, low-level muscle engagement for posture. When the horse progresses to a working trot, the intensity increases substantially, with a MET value of around 3.2, raising the calorie burn to approximately 228 calories per hour.
The long trot or posting trot pushes the energy output into the moderate-to-high range, measured at about 6.19 METs. This vigorous activity can burn approximately 442 calories per hour for the same 150-pound rider, which is similar to the energy spent while jogging. Cantering, which requires significant sustained core control, registers a MET value near 5.95, resulting in a burn of approximately 424 calories per hour.
Variables That Change Your Energy Output
While the horse’s gait establishes the baseline, several external factors dramatically modify the total energy output during a ride. A rider’s body weight is a straightforward variable, as heavier individuals naturally require more energy to perform the same movement and therefore burn more calories.
The type of riding discipline also plays a significant role in calorie burn. Activities like reining, cutting, and jumping are considered high-intensity endeavors that can momentarily reach peak metabolic outputs similar to playing soccer. Furthermore, riding over varied terrain, such as hills or uneven ground, requires greater muscular effort for stabilization compared to riding on a flat arena surface.
The physical labor involved in horse care, often performed before and after riding, adds to the total energy expended. Tasks like mucking stalls, grooming, and carrying heavy equipment contribute a measurable amount to the overall caloric burn. This barn work often has a MET value of approximately 4.3, positioning it within the range of moderate physical activity.
Understanding the Core and Stability Effort
The underlying reason for the significant calorie burn is the sustained engagement of the rider’s core musculature. Horseback riding is fundamentally an isometric exercise, meaning that muscles are contracted and held in a fixed position to counteract the horse’s motion rather than shortening or lengthening.
The rider must continually recruit deep core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and gluteal muscles, to maintain an upright and balanced posture. Activation of these muscles is necessary to absorb the rotational and vertical forces transmitted from the horse’s back, particularly during the more jarring gaits like the trot.
The effort of posting the trot or maintaining a two-point position over fences requires momentary bursts of dynamic muscular work combined with sustained isometric hold. This constant adjustment and static contraction against the horse’s movement is what prevents the rider from being unseated and is the source of the hidden energy expenditure.
Methods for Tracking and Calculating Burn
Accurately tracking the calorie burn from horseback riding requires awareness of the limitations of common fitness technology. Most standard wrist-worn fitness trackers rely heavily on step counting and arm swing, which can lead to inaccuracies when the device mistakes the horse’s movement for the rider’s.
Heart rate monitors, especially chest-strap models, offer a more reliable method for estimating energy expenditure because they measure the physiological response to the activity. However, even heart rate data can be misleading for an activity like riding, which involves a high degree of isometric contraction. Isometric exercises can elevate blood pressure and muscle fatigue without causing a proportional rise in heart rate, potentially leading to an underestimated calorie count.
The most precise way to estimate personal calorie burn is by using a calculated formula based on the established MET values and the rider’s actual weight. Riders should track the duration spent at each gait (walk, trot, canter) and use the corresponding MET value to calculate a more accurate total for their session.