Riding as exercise

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Yram1011
Yram1011 Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone track horse riding as exercise? Or do you class it as part of your 'lifestyle'?

3 times a week I will ride for around half an hour, schooling so lots of trot and canter work, and end up quite puffed out. I then spend generally another half an hour mucking out, filling haynets etc, which again is quite hard work.


I tend to only 'count' gym or running when I track my exercise. Just wondering what everyone else does!
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  • magicalpony
    magicalpony Posts: 18 Member
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    Hi! Yay another rider.
    I personally count riding (to the minute haha) as exercise. My reasoning is that I am counting literally every calorie I put in my body, so I can count every calorie I earn. I do have trouble staying in my calorie allotment sometimes, so it may be different for other people.
    Barn work though most definitely is a workout. I never ever had to worry about gaining a pound when I was doing barn work. This year is literally the first year I can't do it anymore since I'm in vet school and it's definitely quite a difference actually having to go to the gym!
    I do think some horses are more of a workout than others. As some rides are more than others. For example, a lesson is definitely more of a workout when you're riding, but there is more time standing around if you're in a group.
    Feel free to friend me!
  • Bounce2
    Bounce2 Posts: 138 Member
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    For myself it would depend on what sort of 'lifestyle' I had clicked on to set my calorie goal. I used to work 10-13 hour days in the industry and the calories would have been included as lifestyle. That being said I no longer work in the industry but have been riding horses for many years. The only way I feel I can log riding as actual exercise is if I a) ride a track gallop to help out a friend, b) educate young horses or c) treat it as an exercise and put my stirrups up 5 holes and trot for a couple of hours. As I only really ride for pleasure now I can honestly say that it is not a work out for me but I think this is an individual thing.

    I would say if it's not included in your lifestyle to log it as exercise (def. the case with the barn work), but I would take a modest approach to the calories burned by the riding itself if you have been riding from an early age.
  • Yram1011
    Yram1011 Posts: 6
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    Thanks for your responses. What I have done in the past is log 150 calories burned for 20mins-half an hour riding plus 20mins barn work so I think that is fairly conservative, especially as my horse can be hard work!

    My lifestyle on here is set as 'sedentary'. I think I will simply allow myself an extra 100 cals a day for the days that I ride, then I feel I am at least earning something, but it is definitely under!
  • kdavis82508
    kdavis82508 Posts: 24 Member
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    I sometimes count it. Like if I am in the drill or not. It is a workout. It uses many muscles and I have heard it is one of the best ab workouts you can do
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Hi! Yay another rider.
    I personally count riding (to the minute haha) as exercise. My reasoning is that I am counting literally every calorie I put in my body, so I can count every calorie I earn. I do have trouble staying in my calorie allotment sometimes, so it may be different for other people.
    .....

    While I don't have an issue with your post, the part the I quoted is generally an indication that your calorie goal is set too low.
  • Lutah7
    Lutah7 Posts: 45
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    Unless you are jumping or doing a lot of posting in the trot, a lot of horse riding is going to be core and isometric. Which certainly isn't bad but from what I've looked up, the estimates seem pretty high. If you are doing barrels and contesting that may even be more than what's listed. I'm not quite sure how they come up with some of those numbers

    If you have a horse that you can ride bare back or at liberty, that would be quite a lower body and an work out.
  • giggalon
    giggalon Posts: 22 Member
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    I have always counted my riding as exercise as I too get quite puffed out after an hours lesson. I wore my heart rate monitor the other week for the first time, and after cantering for a while it was bleeping at me saying I was using 101% of my maximum?!! Was a little worried but I bet adrenaline has a lot to answer for too?!
    :)
  • Yram1011
    Yram1011 Posts: 6
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    Yes good point about the adrenaline! Especially when jumping!

    I often cross my stirrups over the front of the saddle and do walk and trot work - it takes so much to stay balanced and my legs ache for days afterwards so that's got to be good! ,
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    I have always counted my riding as exercise as I too get quite puffed out after an hours lesson. I wore my heart rate monitor the other week for the first time, and after cantering for a while it was bleeping at me saying I was using 101% of my maximum?!! Was a little worried but I bet adrenaline has a lot to answer for too?!
    :)

    that speaks to how innaccurate HRMs are for calorie counting on anything besides walking, running, and biking
  • magicalpony
    magicalpony Posts: 18 Member
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    Hi. What do you mean?
    Hi! Yay another rider.
    I personally count riding (to the minute haha) as exercise. My reasoning is that I am counting literally every calorie I put in my body, so I can count every calorie I earn. I do have trouble staying in my calorie allotment sometimes, so it may be different for other people.
    .....

    While I don't have an issue with your post, the part the I quoted is generally an indication that your calorie goal is set too low.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    i found that on this site, if a person tries to count every single thing they can in order to get extra calories, they usually have their calorie goal set at 1200 or very close to there, and they need the extra cals earned just to be able to get enough food to not feel like killing everyone around them.

    for 95% of the people on MFP, 1200 cals is too low of a goal to sustainably lose weight and they can have much better progress with a higher number of calories. A number that allows them to enjoy most of their favorite foods and doesn't have them logging ironing and house cleaning as exercise.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    sometimes I think I'm in the 5% of everything.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    top 5 for sho
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I wanna do this. I should probably make a plan to start in the fall. Except, I will probably just use whatever number is on the MFP for it. I may not log it at all being as since I will be a beginner, I highly doubt I will do it to the level of burning anything.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    [img][/img]
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    this was a sad thread that died an early death almost as bad as my crickets threads. crickets thread #5478 claimed. *looks for flag to stick in it*
  • AEMW8
    AEMW8 Posts: 94 Member
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    I would count it as exercise if I did riding =( Costs too much for what little money I get. I'm envious that some of you can ride. I've always wanted to, but it just wasn't in the family budget after my brothers' sports and one brother's modeling.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I would count it as exercise if I did riding =( Costs too much for what little money I get. I'm envious that some of you can ride. I've always wanted to, but it just wasn't in the family budget after my brothers' sports and one brother's modeling.
    :sad: ur giving me the sadz. oh hoes. i jmean oh noes. oh shooooooooot. my handsssssssss. ahhhhhhhhh
  • AEMW8
    AEMW8 Posts: 94 Member
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    I would count it as exercise if I did riding =( Costs too much for what little money I get. I'm envious that some of you can ride. I've always wanted to, but it just wasn't in the family budget after my brothers' sports and one brother's modeling.
    :sad: ur giving me the sadz. oh hoes. i jmean oh noes. oh shooooooooot. my handsssssssss. ahhhhhhhhh

    Really? You had to go with sarcasm as a response? I apologize if it seemed like I was whining, but I was also being honest. Here, have a Snickers, you seem to be a little b*tchy.
  • puckers82
    puckers82 Posts: 200 Member
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    Id mark it as exercise. I read once its a great exercise for losing weight.

    When i rode every day ( schooling not hacking) and was mucking out ( ok i worked in a stables so there was lots) was when i was my thinnest! Oh them days :love:

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