Editor’s note: This is an excerpt of the book, “Riding for Life,” Chapter 6: Fitness and The Female Equestrian

The Equestrian Athlete

If you’re a seasoned equestrian, you know how physically demanding and mentally challenging riding can be. Even if you’re a newcomer to the sport, it probably didn’t take you long to realize riding is much more than just sitting on a horse. Equestrians are athletes, just like dancers, golfers, and tennis players. Some folks might argue that riding is even more difficult than the vast majority of other sports, and they’d have a good point. Riding effectively requires the athlete to perform her skill while she’s astride a moving animal that may easily weigh in excess of 1,000 pounds. To make matters even more challenging, the animal has a mind and a will of its own, in contrast to, say, a golf club or tennis racket. While the rider is coordinating the movements of her own body, she must simultaneously direct the movements of her equine partner.

People who have never ridden a horse–or those who have never ridden in earnest–often have the misconception that riding is easy. You just climb aboard, sit back in the saddle, and let the horse do all the work, right? It’s true that skilled equestrians make riding look effortless, in much the same way that an Olympic gymnast makes a double-back somersault dismount from the balance beam appear as simple and as natural as rolling out of bed in the morning. In many athletic endeavors, including gymnastics and riding, the more accomplished the athlete, the more subtle her effort