The advanced technology in our modern world offers various means of transportation. The fascinating development of our transportation methods, which usually involves complex machineries. It allows us to cope with the fast-paced environment we are living in today. However, many of us didn’t get the chance to witness the old-fashioned way of travelling across the land, also known as “horseback riding.”
Interestingly, despite the commonality of vehicles, horseback riding continues to be a significant method of transportation in some places. Horses are often used in farmlands; they are also found in equestrian estates located in various places. One of the great perks of living in such places is you would be able to experience riding this gentle creature.
Moreover, horseback riding is not only exciting as it seems; it is also known for the various benefits it gives to the rider. For these reasons, many people would go to equestrian estates to experience horseback riding. It may be a common experience for some people, but for others it a rare opportunity to unwind and enjoy.
As mentioned earlier, horseback riding offers several benefits: physical and mental. In this article, we are going to look into the benefits of horseback riding.
Improve Coordination
One of the primary benefits of horseback riding is it improves the rider’s coordination. As fun as it seems, horseback riding is not an easy task; it requires the use of various muscles and senses to execute properly. To ride a horse, a person must learn how to balance and guide the horse at the same time. Without proper coordination, riding a horse might be a challenging task. Thankfully, with constant practice, horseback riding helps in improving a person’s coordination, which is an essential skill for this activity.
Strengthen Core Muscles
Since horseback riding requires the use of various muscles in our body, it is a great way to exercise our muscles. The muscles used when riding a horse are the core muscles, which includes the obliques and abdominals. These muscles are used to balance the body while on top of the horse. With ample training, the body would be able to adapt to horseback riding and would eventually develop stronger muscles.
Practices Better Posture
Similar to our body coordination and strength, improved posture is another benefit of horseback riding. When you ride a horse, you would be forced to correct your body posture to be able to balance properly. Improper posture could lead to muscle strains, or worse, injuries. That is why horseback riding could help us in having better posture.
Calms the Mind
Horseback riding does not only exercise our body physically; it also gives an excellent exercise to our mind. Despite the simultaneous physical activities occurring when riding a horse, it gives our minds a relaxing feeling, which helps in keeping us calm. That is why horseback riding is a great way to unwind.
Improves Mood
Interestingly, when you engage in horseback riding, it would also have a significant effect to your body emotionally. It does not only train the mind and body; it also helps in improving a person’s mood. Besides being calm, records show that horseback riding tends to have positive effects to a person, emotionally. It is mainly due to the mood-enhancing hormones called serotonin, which contributes to a person’s feeling of happiness. When you ride a horse, the body will release serotonin, which will then make us happy.
Stress-Reliever
Another benefit of horseback riding is that is helps in relieving stress. Most of us might be exposed to various stressful elements outside; thanks to horseback riding’s relaxing powers, our body are able to overcome stress. Horseback riding has a gentle bouncing effect, which serves as a soft massage to the body. Combined with the physical and mental exercise happening during a horseback ride, it is a perfect way to relieve stress.
Also just interacting and caring for your horse can provide great benefits as well. You will learn about grooming, maintaining hip and joint health, training and more.
These are only some of the benefits of horseback riding. This activity offers a lot of positive effects to the body, which is why many people wants to get a chance to ride one. It may be quite challenging at first, but once you got the hang of it, horseback riding would be a truly fun and enjoyable experience.