Re: RC: Re: riding and calories...

[RQuestarabians@aol.com]

In a message dated 09/20/2000 11:55:41 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
greymare@jps.net writes:

<< Here is the test-if someone thinks they can post a horse for an hour, then
 they "should" be equally fit to run for an hour, or bike for an hour......if
 all the exercise is comparable.
  >>
Nope. I do track and field/ long distance running running. I have ran since 
junior high/high school days. I have also rode horses at the same time. When 
I was running competively I had to make a choice, and give the riding up. It 
took too much out of me, and affected the wrong muscles that I really needed 
for running. What I mean is that riding made my muscles feel heavy. I found 
out that this is because when we ride (in an effort to stablize our own body 
and support it ) it takes a great deal of high muscle tone or muscle holding 
power to do that. Running uses totally opposite muscles, and takes a 
different kind of muscle power. Of course there are many variables in riding. 
It certainly takes far less effort on my muscles to ride my very smoooottthhh 
gelding whom I can very easily sit the trot for 50 miles, over my other very 
ROUGH gelding that pounds the ground and me too. There is no way I can sit 
his trot. I have to post and take the beating. I am far more exhausted riding 
this guy. I call this horse my aerobic horse. When I first bought him several 
years ago I stopped running for the summer to focus on him. I rode him A LOT. 
He is the type of horse that is not only rough but very "hargy bargy" you 
just have to be right on with your riding or you are a goner. At that time, I 
was training with Charlotte Brehdal Olympian in dressage, and conditioning 
him to do endurance. Charlotte taught that in order to ride him it was going 
to take a high degree of muscle tone ( a different kind of muscle tone that I 
did not have) to stabilize my body so he does not take me . After that 
summer, believe it or not I lost 25 pounds from riding that horse.  5 years 
later the weight is still off due to my maintenance rides on the aerobic 
horse perhaps? In the past year I only run in the endurance/ training rides 
to help the horse. I don't have time to train for track and field/ races. 
And, no even though I ride A LOT (many hours at a time) and my muscle tone is 
very high for riding there is no way I could the 800 meters ( which is only 2 
minutes 5-10 seconds) very well without specifically training my muscles for 
it.  
If you question my theory,  I recommend that you go try posting for an a half 
and hour and then go try running for a half an hour even at a gentle pace. 
You will see what I mean. It just aint the same breed of fish. Hope this 
helps.
Robyn