Horseback Riding

Manage Your Pain and Stress With Horseback Riding

There is something about a horse that is good for a person. From the outside it seems like horseback riding is very simple; a rider has to command the horse, and the horse will do all the work. However, there is more to horseback riding than you might expect.

 

Two Major Horseback Riding Styles

English

What makes the English riding style different from other riding styles is the fact that there is no horn on the saddle. There are also different disciplines in English riding like:

• Hunter
• Dressage
• Eventing
• Show jumping

 

Western

Western riding originated from farm riders because they were using different and aggressive riding skills to take control of their horses to herd their cattle. Some common disciplines of Western you should consider are:

• Reining
• Barrel Racing
• Cutting
• Calf Roping

 

Benefits of Horseback Riding

Therapy

Horseback riding is often used as a form of physical and mental therapy. When a person sits on a horse, their body relaxes. During riding, when fresh air touches the face, it creates a sense of pleasure and happiness. The communion with another animal, time outside in the sun, and working together to achieve a goal can help boost self-confidence, emotional control, social skills like empathy, and more.

Horseback riding has also been proven therapeutic for chronic back pain. Due to the natural gait of the animal, it can help soothe spinal problems such as scoliosis. In addition, it benefits balance, core strength, and coordination. It can be a workout for the rider as well as the horse!

 

Recreation

For some people, riding a horse is simply a source of enjoyment. They have a genuine love for the animals and ride in their spare time. Imagine a morning, afternoon or evening spent riding outside together with a horse rather than staring at a phone, computer or TV screen. Which would you prefer?

 

Competition

There are several horseback riding competitions. The most common competitions are rodeos, polo, and horse jumping. Each of these call on different skills of the horse and rider to perform tasks unique to the competition. All require significant time and effort to learn, practice, and perfect them. Competitions can begin when the riders are young, some even as early as five or six years old! That's only slightly older than the horses, which are typically three or four years old before they are allowed to compete.

 

The Importance of Pain Management 

Horseback riding is a great way to deal with stress and other issues. However, most of the time people forget about the pain they will have to deal with after the riding session. Balancing on a horse may utilize different muscles than a person is used to using, causing soreness typical of any new activity. People often pay attention to the warmup exercises, but riders should know about the importance of applying topical pain relief cream like Super Blue Stuff OTC before and after a horse riding session in order to manage pain.

 

Blue Stuff brand Super Blue Stuff OTC is the best pain reliever available on the market.

• It can relieve your pain within few minutes.
• The natural relief is safe for frequent use.
• It is available in different sizes and containers for various activities and applications.
• Super Blue Stuff OTC smells lightly of peaches and the natural menthol scent. You will not have to deal with the strong-smelling odor of other products.

 

Sources:

https://www.thespruce.com/why-learn-to-horseback-ride-1887018

https://www.horselistening.com/2012/06/29/14-reasons-to-love-horseback-riding/

http://thehorseridingsite.com/horse-riding-styles

http://ihearthorses.com/4-ways-to-soothe-the-aches-and-pains-caused-by-riding/

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/565975/Horse-riding-benefits

http://www.cbc.ca/firsthand/m_features/everything-you-need-to-know-about-horse-therapy