Physical fitness habits and perceptions of equestrian riders

Abstract

Recent research in equestrian sport has shifted focus to consider the rider themselves as more of an athlete and the physiological demands of the sport on the rider have thus been quantified. This study aimed to identify the fitness habits and perceptions of equestrian riders competing across the three Olympic disciplines of dressage, show jumping and eventing. A 15 question online questionnaire was distributed to gain quantitative data and yielded 299 useable responses. Overall 98.3% of those surveyed agreed that rider fitness had an impact on performance, however only 56.9% considered themselves to be athletically fit and only 63.88% took part in any form of cross training. Affiliated competitors rode for a greater number of hours per week and considered themselves to be more athletically fit than their unaffiliated counterparts, despite not taking part in any more off horse (cross) training. Previous studies have indicated that ridden only exercise programmes are ineffective in increasing aerobic fitness in equestrian athletes and have highlighted the benefits of cross training. These findings demonstrate that these messages have not been accepted by the general population within the sport and further work is needed to communicate the importance of cross training to riders.