Horse riding Exercises: Body Twists, Leg Lifts & Toe Circles Copy
Body Twists
When your horse is on a lunge line, extend your arms to the sides like an airplane. Twist your upper body ninety degrees so that your chest becomes parallel with your horse.
Take care not to torque your back, but once you feel secure, feel free to attempt this at the trot or canter. It’ll really test your balance!
Exercises with No Stirrups
Nothing forces your legs into the correct position quite like riding without stirrups. This can be challenging for beginners, so work your way up from a walk to faster gaits like trot or canter.
Practice Taking Your Feet in and out of the Stirrups
One at a time, take your foot out of the stirrup. Ride a few steps, and put your foot back in. Try to do this without looking, and avoid reaching down and using your hand.
Practice this exercise until you feel comfortable putting your feet in and out of the stirrups. This is an important skill for any rider, as we all lose a stirrup now and then!
Ride with No Stirrups
Start with one foot at a time, so you can maintain proper balance and feel where your leg is supposed to be. Even with your foot out of the stirrup, your leg should stay in the proper position (knee bent, your ankle in a straight line under your hip, toes up).
Try this exercise at various gaits, and work your way up to riding with no stirrups at all – or bareback!
Note: Tennis shoes, as worn by the rider in this stock image, are not recommended for riding. Instead, this rider should have been wearing a heeled boot of some type.
Leg Lifts
Take your foot out of the stirrup and slowly lift your leg a few inches. Slowly move it up and down, lifting from the hip.
The stretches and strengthens your hips, and helps you sit better on your “pockets.” You can also try doing circular movements with your legs away from the saddle.
Be careful not to inadvertently kick your horse in the process, but a seasoned school pony would be a perfect partner for these sorts of exercises.
Toe Circles
With one or both feet out of the stirrups, lift your toes and roll them in small circles. This will help improve your balance, stretch your ankles, and get you thinking about your toe position.
Lunge with No Stirrups and No Hands
As your balance and strength improve, you can combine the stirrup exercises with the arm exercises while your horse is on a lunge line. This can be quite the workout for a beginner, so start slowly to build your strength.