A horseback rider’s lifestyle is very different from that of the average person. When at the barn with your horse, time can slip away and eating is usually the last thing a rider is thinking about. Thinking that you are going to lose weight because you’re not eating but still doing barn chores will backfire. Anytime you withhold food from your body, the body will slow down and prevent losing weight.

Riders in jumping disciplines (hunter/jumper/eventing) are always told not to lean up the horse’s neck before a jump or on the neck over a jump. Doing so puts the rider in a precarious position if the horse stops, and throws the horse off balance, which may cause his front end to hit the jump. Leaning up the neck may also lead to the hard-to-break habit of “ducking.”

By Bridget Braden-Olson

Something I never see at barns is a rider warming up before they get in the saddle. I get it – horse life is busy and very energy-consuming – but the body works better if it is properly warmed up.

Unless your schedule allows time for a full workout, rarely will you get more than ten minutes for a warm-up. I ride in the morning hours and there is seldom time for a long warm-up.