What Muscles Do You Work When Horse Riding? Which Body Parts Get the Most Benefit?

Horse riding for fitness and strength building

What muscles are we training when horse riding?

Depending on the sport you practice, certain areas of the body will be called upon more than others, but what about when you’re riding? Will you tone and refine your figure while riding? Below is a list of the muscles and muscle groups strengthened and sculpted by horseback riding!

Upper limbs (shoulders, arms and forearms)

Riding requires very little of the upper limbs.

Trunk and pelvis (Chest, stomach and back)

• Abdominals : These are made up of several layers of muscle (rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, transverse) whose function is to flex and rotate the trunk.
• Back muscles : The back groups together muscles such as the trapezius, the dorsalis major, the rhomboids, the infraspinatus and the round muscle. These muscles play a wide variety of roles. From the dorsal to the lumbar, they ensure arm and shoulder mobility, postural support and protection of the spine.

Lower limbs (glutes, thighs and calves)

• Glutes: Located at the intersection of the lower limbs and the trunk, the gluteal muscles (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus) are among the largest and most powerful muscles in the body. In particular, they provide mobility for the thigh and support for the pelvis.
• Quadriceps: Located at the front of the thigh, the quadriceps is made up of 4 muscles (vastus femoris or rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius). These muscles facilitate flexion of the thigh over the hip, as well as extension of the leg over the thigh.
• Hamstring muscles: Located on the back of the thigh, there are four hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semitendinosus). They ensure leg flexion and thigh extension.
• Calf muscles: also known as the sural triceps, the calf muscles comprise 3 muscle fascicles, including the soleus and gastrocnemius. These muscles help extend the foot down the leg

Lower limbs (glutes, thighs and calves)

• Quadriceps: Located at the front of the thigh, the quadriceps is made up of 4 muscles (vastus femoris or rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius). These muscles facilitate flexion of the thigh over the hip, as well as extension of the leg over the thigh.
• Hamstring muscles: Located on the back of the thigh, there are four hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semitendinosus). They ensure leg flexion and thigh extension.
• Calf muscles: also known as the sural triceps, the calf muscles comprise 3 muscle fascicles, including the soleus and gastrocnemius. These muscles help extend the foot down the leg

Horse riding invigorates certain areas of the body that are seldom used. Whether it’s to maintain balance in the saddle or apply pressure with the legs to communicate with the horse, the lower limbs (glutes, quadriceps, adductors, calves) are the first to be strengthened by riding. The anteversion and retroversion of the pelvis and the upright posture of the trunk strengthen the abdominal and dorsolumbar muscles.