Counting the Calories

HOW do equestrian sports rank as calorie burners? A quick Google search places “horse riding” as mid-table, above gardening and on a par with golf, but way below the likes of hockey at 654 calories per hour for an average male and crosscountry skiing at nearly twice that.

“Generally, the higher your heart rate and the longer the the activity time, the more calories burned,” says Victoria Lewis, a senior lecturer in equestrian sport science at the University Centre Hartpury.

“It’s not an exact science, but riding would be classed as a moderate intensity activity — so around 460 calories an hour for men and 360 for women — but this varies between individuals.”

Before you fire up your fitness tracker, bear in mind that these gadgets are not hugely accurate for measuring calories burned.

“Fitbits do not take into account an individual’s metabolic rate, but are good for motivation and monitoring sessions — and cheaper and more reliable than many heart-rate monitors,” explains Victoria. “They are much better used for showing inactivity, such as a low number of steps taken per day. Remember, too, that calorie counting is not the best way to monitor fitness. Losing weight may work for some people, but ideally we need to establish the fitness elements a rider needs to improve to enhance their riding performance.”