Page 16 - Libro_MariaA_26agosto

María Alejandra Ramelli

Activity Calories burned per hour for a
60kg person
Horseback riding, walking 239
Horseback riding, trotting 365
Horseback riding, canter 460
Horseback riding, general 347
Horseback riding, jumping 567
Horse tasks (feeding, watering, cleaning stalls) 271
Saddling, cleaning, grooming 284
Table taken from: Captain Calculator. (2018). Calories Burned Horseback Riding Calculator. May 1st
2018, from Seneca Labs Inc., Website: https://captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-horse-
back-riding-calculator/ç

Plus, owning a horse encourages you to take care of your health and lead
a healthier lifestyle. We are not only owners, we are also athletes, so we have
to pay attention to our health in order to get good results in competitions. In
the United States, there is a common rule that says that the weight of the rider
should not exceed 20% of the weight of the horse. For example, an 1100lb horse
should not carry a rider who is more than 220lb. Several studies have shown
that breaking this rule may lead to health issues in your horse such as back pain
and lameness (Certified Horsemanship Association, 2018). In the UK this rule
changes, and the British equestrian community believes that the weight of the
rider should not exceed 10% of the weight of the horse if the horse is perfor-
ming in high level competitions (The British Horse Society, 2018). No matter if
you decide to apply the 20% or the 10% rule, as a rider you must maintain an
ideal weight, and have a balanced diet to stay in shape and healthy. You really
don’t want your horse to suffer because of your size.

Mental and Emotional Benefits

It is amazing to see how riding or even spending time with horses can make
your day different. The best therapy I can get when I have a bad day at school is
spending time with my horse. His stall is one of my favorite places to cry when I
feel bad. After a few minutes of crying, I start feeling better. The connection that
is formed between a horse and rider breaks all language barriers. I start feeling
better when I’m around this noble animal that always does his best to make me
feel better. All my tears dry up. The horse’s sensitivity allows them to know the
state of mind of their owner. There’s nothing better than a horse doing his best to
cheer you up on a terrible day. A study performed by the University of Michigan

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