Horse Myth #2 - When Riding, the Horse Does All the Work!

This idea is obviously something only thought of by those who don't ride. Even when riding western out on a leisurely trail one will feel the punishment to one's body when they dismount at best but change that to riding a discipline such as Dressage or Eventing and you can be sure the one doing the riding is just as much of an athlete as the one with the four legs underneath perhaps more so.

It's not enough to simply direct a horse but in proper riding the rider not only controls their own balance throughout a multitude of conditions but often is responsible for influencing and maintaining the balance of a 1,200 lbs. animal underneath them. Just being able to have enough control over your legs and keep them balanced directly underneath your seat giving your entire body the support it needs while you float effortlessly above the saddle when jumping takes the strength of a triathlete.

Did you know pound for pound a jockey is the greatest and strongest athlete of them all with greater endurance than a marathon runner and stronger than a weight lifter with more agility than a soccer star or karate expert? You don't have to take my word for it... I would challenge anyone with such a misconception to last 30 minutes in a formal Dressage lesson and still be able to walk the next day.

Long ago when most of my students were teenage girls I had them invite all of their "jock" boyfriends to come out and take a spin on the horses. Seems the girls were getting tired of the boys always complaining about their dedication to the sport and going on about it being no big accomplishment to ride. All I can say is there was a lot of education transpiring that afternoon with the girls laughing hysterically as they watched their boyfriends bouncing and falling everywhere pleading (some to the point of tears) to dismount. Those few brief minutes that afternoon was a rude awakening for the young men and they were never again to complain about the horses taking the girl's time.

I'm sure I've been "preaching to the choir" with this article as everyone reading this is well aware of the physical nature of our sport but feel free to pass this along to anyone next time an "unenlightened" person makes that age old statement; "I don't see what the big deal is, it's the horse that's doing all the work". Oh brother.

Millie Chalk (White Star Woman)

Professional horse trainer for 25yrs. and author of historical fiction. Part Cherokee Indian I'm passionate regarding the current struggle of all the first nations feeling most akin for several reasons to the Lakota.

If you'd like to learn more about horses and riding please check out my new website: http://backyardhorseman.com/