Does horseback riding count?

i would count it as exercise, i count cooking dinner and prepping as burning calories because i move around as i do it

Sure. Check local stables and see if you can get out and ride!

Rather than pay for lessons could you perhaps offer to muck out, groom and be a general help on the yard for a couple of hours at weekends in return for lessons? I can appreciate you don't need lessons but it's probably for the owners peace of mind that anyone riding their horses is an able and safe rider.

Different places have different ways of doing things.. for example, my mum is an experienced rider but had not ridden for a few years, so I paid for her to hack out with the riding school. My mum was use to a rising trot but the stable owner preffered people to stand in the stirrups as it's easier on the horses, so my mum did this. There were a couple of other things the stable owner felt they could help with so they suggested one or two lessons just to really get her use to riding 'their way' as appose to the way she was use to riding.

Hello! I'm working as a horse back riding instructor this summer (I've been riding since I was 4), and I definitely log it! I don't log all the barn chores I do, but the actual riding I will count!

Rather than pay for lessons could you perhaps offer to muck out, groom and be a general help on the yard for a couple of hours at weekends in return for lessons? I can appreciate you don't need lessons but it's probably for the owners peace of mind that anyone riding their horses is an able and safe rider.

Different places have different ways of doing things.. for example, my mum is an experienced rider but had not ridden for a few years, so I paid for her to hack out with the riding school. My mum was use to a rising trot but the stable owner preffered people to stand in the stirrups as it's easier on the horses, so my mum did this. There were a couple of other things the stable owner felt they could help with so they suggested one or two lessons just to really get her use to riding 'their way' as appose to the way she was use to riding.

This is a good idea too!! If you have a lot of experience then you maybe can get hired to give horse lessons in trade for riding or work for the barn in trade. So many options for you!

Well, I count it as exercise, but I don't always log it, because it's so varied that it's hard to know the ballpark calorie output, but I totally know what you mean about the legs! After a day of trail riding, there are muscles in my inner thighs that I didn't even know existed that are sore! It's amazing how much leg strength you have to use, especially bareback for an hour or so. I love it!

I'm sorry you can't have a horse right now, though, When I was a kid, I used to go to the local stables or shelters and offer to muck out stalls in exchange for time with the horses. Don't think I could get away with it now, but that was my horse fix when I couldn't have one as a kid. We have two Quarter Horses that we use for roping/reining and trail riding, but we live in a smaller city that actually has a lot of property within the main part of the city that's zoned for animals, so we rent a house within the town and keep them in the pasture right next to the house. They're such wonderful animals, and it's awesome that we get to have them so close, and yet still live within the city.

Hope that it works out for you soon that you can have them again!

Hell yeah it counts we ride on the beach down here in south texas every Monday and I don't mean a Lil walk sometimes were out there for 2-3 hours . Tell me that's not exercise

I have been riding since I was a young kind and I worked on a ranch for 7 years... It drives me CRAZY when people say that riding isn't exercise. They obviously don't know anything about riding!! Maybe if you sat like a lump of poatoes and did nothing on a horse it would do nothing... but even then you are using your core to stabilize yourself on a gaited beast!! If you weren't gaining anything from it, professionals wouldn't be using it as therapeutic modality (see: hippotherapy).

This has just kicked me in the *kitten* and made me want to ride tonight. I have really only been a weekend rider on my greenie, but who says that it has to stop there. BEST CARDIO EVER. Time to get my *kitten* in gear.

I wear my HRM when riding. When I ride for a hour in a jump lesson, I burn 600-700 cals. (im 5'7", 131 lbs). So yes, it does count!!

So I grew up on a farm and used to have a horse and man were my legs nice and toned in those days!!! So does horseback riding count as exercise? I know it's not really cardio but it does work your leg muscles pretty good... I guess I'm just feeling really bummed, it's been 6 years since I sold my horse but I miss her like crazy. Once we start having kids we're going to move out to the country and I'll be able to get a horse again, but boy I wish I could afford boarding. But it's just so crazy expensive!!! It costs as much a month to board a horse as it does for our house payment. I wish I lived closer to my dad I'd just keep the horse there, but that's why I had to sell mine to begin with... Just feelin down today and wishin I had a place I could go horseback riding!

US TOO! My horse was sold 4yrs ago and I too miss her dearly. I'm with ya, it is an incredible leg workout and sometimes it can wind you. I'm sure it counts, but enough to track, not sure, We'll have to wear an HRM when riding to find out, THAT you can track!!

Just read your post again and noticed you can't afford a horse. My suggestion is to look for a horse rescue in your area and volunteer. You can work around and horses and ride the volunteer horses to help them become adoptable. Hope this helps!

Ahhh, Love this ^. I personally don't have room for horses right now or time for them with all of my little one's. But eventually we hope to again. In the meantime that sounds like a blast!!

It absolutely counts! After I had my first daughter, I lost 35 lbs in two months from riding my horse hard every day. Not that I would recommend losing weight that fast to anyone. (I was having problems with my then husband and riding helped burn the stress.)

If you can't afford your own horse, I'd suggest seeing if there are any people near you who need someone to exercise their horses for them. Sometimes kids go away to school or people go on vacations and need someone who'll keep their horse in shape. Another thing you can do is lease one. I leased a horse for a while and it was much less expensive than owning my own had been.

Good luck!