Does horse riding tend to give you bigger thighs?

[OrmRenewed]

DD has been riding for a few years now - spends a lot of time at the stables helping out and has lessons several times a month - sometimes more as a thankyou from the owner. She's 11 next week and heading at breakneck speed towards puberty so has put on a little weight around her hips and boobs, but not much. However I have realised now that she has quite big thighs - I was sort of hoping this was down to riding instead of her cake habit.

Is this likely?

DH took up horse riding in earnest about 6 months ago and now rides for several hours a week. His legs are harder, but not larger. Also have a friend who rides and runs and she reckons running makes her legs bigger but not riding?

However, I have no idea what the technical medical answer is. Riding certainly tones the thighs, so I suppose if you're naturally very petite and slim then they might appear larger when your muscles develop, whereas if you were bigger to start with they might seem smaller as they get more toned??

I used to ride when I was younger and always heard that it made your arse spread. DH claims that all the girls at the stables have big sofa-like arses, but suspect that is to make me feel better about how much time he spends there...

Blimey! Perhaps she's just a fatty then

I run a lot (or do when I'm not hurt) and it tones my thighs quite well. But I suppose they are bigger - I always imagined that you use different muscles somehow when riding.

The muscles you use when riding are secret muscles that are not used for any other purpose or exercise, ever. At least that's the conclusion I reached when I went riding for the first time after a very long break (of a number of years) and could not climb stairs for some time afterwards. I had naively thought that regular spinning, aerobics, swimming and the occasional run would have meant I was quite well developed in the thigh muscle area, but sadly not it seems.

LOL at 'secret muscles'!

Riding also develops your back muscles, and your arms.

Just look at the piccies of whatsername - Zara Phillips. Thunder thighs no doubt, but trim in her way.

Hockey gives you those big legs also- and any exercise really - cross country (uphill) running, swimming. From looking at runners in clubs round my way, running on the flat seems to slim down the body.

Far better to be fit and healthy if a bit bulky than have no muscle tone at all though.

A bit of stretching / yoga works wonders for slimming down any bulky muscles, and is important for relaxation of the muscle fibres.
emsyj, I've heard that about the pelvic girdle (secret muscles) also. A lot of the riding women I know of had torn quite badly when giving birth as their nethers were rock hard and inflexible.

Maybe you could find a nice stretching yoga class for your DD Orm - especially as she heads into puberty - to counter balance the hardening of her pelvic girdle muscles and keep her head clear also.

Yoga would be great zazen - I'd got too if I could find a class! They tend to be during the day round here. But I could do a few sessions with her at home.

Thankyou.

She has a small waist, bigger hips and thighs.

Lots of riders do have big arses, don;t they.

dd1 (13) has ridden regularly for a few years now and no obvious bigness of thighs yet but maybe those secret muscles will out.