You and Your Healthy Horse - Burn Calories!

We all know that riding is great exercise. After an hour in the ring, or 15 minutes (if you've not ridden in a week because it's so cold, although I wouldn't know anything about that), you feel it especially in your legs. But do you know how many calories you've burned?

I found this really cool calculator that actually figures it out, based on your weight. You even burn calories grooming (more than walking actually)! For example, someone weighing 130 pounds burns:

Grooming (15 minutes) 88 calories
Walking (15 minutes) 37 calories
Galloping (15 minutes...I'd say for the canter, add calories burned) 119 calories
Trotting (1/2 hour) 191 calories
Total Calories Burned: 434

That's a couple of cookies at least! To see your actual figures, and to calculate in your other activites, check out this great calculator at http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc.
P.S. I don't know think I know this rider or her mount (from July 2007 show at Hazelwild Farm)...if you do, please let me know so I can include their names in this post!