Chapter 9 - Horse riding and the lower limbs

Abstract

The regular and intense practice of a specific physical activity may lead to the development of pathological and non-pathological changes on the human skeleton. This applies, for instance, to horse riding, a determinant activity in human history, the archaeological identification of which can shed light on the lifestyles of past populations. This chapter begins by introducing why researchers might be interested in investigating horse riding practices in order to gain a better understanding of past societies. It goes on to address some aspects of anatomy and sports medicine concerning modern riders, and present different approaches used in biological anthropology and bioarchaeology to analyse the influence of horse riding on the skeleton, with a specific focus on the lower limb bones and recent studies. The chapter also includes a discussion on the main methodological limitations of this research question and provides elements of consideration for the reliable identification of skeletal changes related to the practice of horse riding.