Exercises to Improve & Strengthen Horseback Riding Posture

Equestrians, like any other athletes, should do exercises to strengthen and stretch the major muscle groups that they use most in their sport. The abs, thighs and calves are the most important muscles for horseback riders to train. A few minutes a day of some simple exercises can improve your balance in the seat and your endurance.

  1. Calf Exercises

    • Tight calves can make it difficult to extend your legs and stay in the saddle. Strengthening your calves will make it easier to maintain a half-seat or two-point position. A rider in two-point position is partway between seated and standing with his hips off the saddle. One exercise you can do to improve the strength and flexibility of your calves is to use an aerobic step or a stair for raises and stretches. Stand on a step with the balls of your feet on the step and your heels hanging over the edge. Lower your heels below the stair to stretch your calves for 10 seconds. Raise onto the balls of your feet as high as you can balance for 10 seconds. Do 15 reps once a day. Work up to 20.

    Thigh Exercises

    • Strong thigh muscles are essential to any equestrian. The adductor muscles of your inner thighs are the main muscles you use to squeeze the horse when riding. Doing daily squeezing exercises on an adductor machine or with an exercise ball is the most effective way to strengthen these muscles directly. One way to do this is to take an exercise ball, medicine ball, beach ball or even a basketball and squeeze it between your thighs. Place the ball above your knees while you are lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Alternatively, you can raise your legs into the air above your hips. Squeeze for 15 seconds and relax. Squeeze again for a total of 30 reps each day. Work up to 40 reps.

    Ab Exercises

    • The abdominal muscles act as stabilizers when you balance on a horse while riding. Exercises like crunches will not help as much as those that work your deep stabilizer muscles called your transverse abdominis. Planks, knee raises and ball rollouts are all effective exercises for the transverse abdominis. To do planks, assume a push-up position with your arms straight and your hands below your shoulders. You should be balancing on your toes with your spine straight and your abs squeezed. Hold this position for 20 seconds and work up to 60 seconds.