Weight spin off......does riding make us wider?

[dalpal]

We were at a barn Christmas party and my husband laughingly made a comment of.."In the sea of wide hips"....which I said..."what are you talking about"...."Havent' you noticed that all you ladies, who ride, have wide hips.

Since I've been riding two horses a day for the past couple of years....my jeans do fit differently....they sag in the butt and inner thigh area....but are tighter in the hips and my waist is wider.

I'm in the best shape of my life, but I do feel wider in my hips and waist. :eek:

[Ambrey]

No, but age and babymaking do. Sigh.

[dalpal]

No, but age and babymaking do. Sigh.

Age, yes...no babies here. :D

[vbunny]

I don't think so. I know plenty of women who ride all day with no hips, waist or arse. Myself included. Some women need to do stomach exercises to keep their bellies strong and tight but I have never seen anything spread a persons hips except babies, time and eating habits.

[Jaegermonster]

Your husband is a very brave man. Most men with any sense know better than to say such a thing. I hope he has good life insurance ;)
bu to answer your question, No I don't think so.
eating too much that's bad for us makes us wider I think

[Laurierace]

I agree, he must have balls of steel to say something like that! Even if it was completely true, which I don't think it is, you just don't say things like that.

[TikiSoo]

Well, I have kind of wondered this myself.
I've had a horse since 24 or so. I was teased in school for my particularly wide shoulders, my hips were visibly smaller. As time went on I noticed my pelvis widening and now 20 years later they are caught up to my football player shoulders.
No complaints, I actually like my hourglass figure.

But not having kids, I wondered why my pelvis would spread wider. I attributed it to riding, but could it be from normal aging? I can understand the whole "drooping" part of aging, your body changing shape, but bones spreading?

[pattnic]

What is it about riding that you think would make your hips spread?

Hips spread when you're pregnant, to accommodate the baby... when you're riding, you certainly don't have anything IN your pelvis due to the horse.

The best I can think (if you want to attribute wider hips to riding) is that you have developed stronger outer leg muscles (they have "bulked up"), whereas on your inner thighs, the muscle has helped to smooth out any fat deposits.

I really don't know - I'm grasping at straws here. I have not experienced anything like this.

[SmartAlex]

I am a 3rd generation horseback rider, so whatever it is (DNA or horseitis) that has widened my hips, it is definetly heredity.
But, on a somewhat related subject, TMI alert....my husband recently accused me of having an ummm... shall we say a slight desensitization in the nether regions. Actually what he said included "you girls who grew up riding horses" and I'd like to know who his sample base included :confused:. Anyway, it is my backup excuse for needing to purchase a side saddle. So I don't require such a strenuous effort on his part. Lazy butt.

[LSM1212]

I am a 3rd generation horseback rider, so whatever it is (DNA or horseitis) that has widened my hips, it is definetly heredity.
But, on a somewhat related subject, TMI alert....my husband recently accused me of having an ummm... shall we say a slight desensitization in the nether regions. Actually what he said included "you girls who grew up riding horses" and I'd like to know who his sample base included :confused:. Anyway, it is my backup excuse for needing to purchase a side saddle. So I don't require such a strenuous effort on his part. Lazy butt.

ROFLMAO.... now that... was funny. I don't care who you are. :lol:

[danceronice]

I don't know, but if you ride from little kid through the teen years it sure can bow your legs....

[spirithorse22]

I am a 3rd generation horseback rider, so whatever it is (DNA or horseitis) that has widened my hips, it is definetly heredity.
But, on a somewhat related subject, TMI alert....my husband recently accused me of having an ummm... shall we say a slight desensitization in the nether regions. Actually what he said included "you girls who grew up riding horses" and I'd like to know who his sample base included :confused:. Anyway, it is my backup excuse for needing to purchase a side saddle. So I don't require such a strenuous effort on his part. Lazy butt.

:lol: rotflmao *snork* I especially liked your comment about the sample base. muwhahaha I'm still giggling.


re: last poster I've been riding-seriously riding, not just hacking about in the woods) and my legs have never bowed. I have seen some old cowboys whose legs were about as bowed as can be, and I'll admit, it seems like it must have been the riding, but really...mine are as straight as can be. Though my toes stick out. *guilty*

[chaltagor]

My SO thanks his lucky stars that I spent so much time learning how to move my hips on top of a horse, no matter what their size is.

[SmartAlex]

My SO thanks his lucky stars that I spent so much time learning how to move my hips on top of a horse, no matter what their size is.

:D I said CANTER!

Just think of the advantage the exercise jockey gals have. My hamstrings always cramp up.

[lcw579]

I don't know, but if you ride from little kid through the teen years it sure can bow your legs....

Okay! Now you sound like my brother who tried his d**dest to get my mother to make me stop riding before I was a teenager because he was certain I would end up "bow legged with fat thighs and walking like John Wayne" just like all the horse girls he knew. Lucky for me mom had her own horse and didn't take too kindly to the "fat thigh" comment .... :lol:

[TikiSoo]

What is it about riding that you think would make your hips spread?

The weight of the top half of your body pushing down and being distributed to each side of your pelvis. I'm speaking structurally of bones here, not muscles or fat.
I'm sure just gravity does this to a certain extent, but if you ride, you're actively repeating this "gravity" push with many pounds of energy thrust. (oooo :winkgrin:)

My muscle and fat content is the same as when younger, but I absolutely can see 1-3" of difference in my hip bone placement compared to my shoulders.

[pattnic]

The weight of the top half of your body pushing down and being distributed to each side of your pelvis. I'm speaking structurally of bones here, not muscles or fat.
I'm sure just gravity does this to a certain extent, but if you ride, you're actively repeating this "gravity" push with many pounds of energy thrust. (oooo :winkgrin:)

My muscle and fat content is the same as when younger, but I absolutely can see 1-3" of difference in my hip bone placement compared to my shoulders.

Based on what you describe, that would, at best, cause the bottom of your pelvis to spread, causing your "seat bones" to be further apart.

I REALLY don't think riding causes spreading of the pelvis in terms of actual bone structure.

[danceronice]

Okay! Now you sound like my brother who tried his d**dest to get my mother to make me stop riding before I was a teenager because he was certain I would end up "bow legged with fat thighs and walking like John Wayne" just like all the horse girls he knew. Lucky for me mom had her own horse and didn't take too kindly to the "fat thigh" comment .... :lol:

Hee. I really do have bowed calves-not enough to walk like John Wayne (who according to Maureen O'Hara only walked like that for the camera anyway) but enough that in dance I've had coaches comment! But seriously, riding from age 6 to 21, through all the time of maximum skeletal development, is going to do something! Even as an adult you can do activities and work that will mark your bones--I doubt riding is any different.

[lcw579]

Hee. I really do have bowed calves-not enough to walk like John Wayne (who according to Maureen O'Hara only walked like that for the camera anyway) but enough that in dance I've had coaches comment! But seriously, riding from age 6 to 21, through all the time of maximum skeletal development, is going to do something! Even as an adult you can do activities and work that will mark your bones--I doubt riding is any different.

My poor husband is going to get asked some very awkward questions now about the way I walk and the shape of my legs - poor man is not going to be thanking you when he gets home! :winkgrin:

[rainechyldes]

I don't think so - but I'll definitely use such as an excuse from now on!

And you only get bowed legs from holding your beer between your legs while driving a pickup. (sigh groan.. old joke I know ) I'm a redneck what can I say.

[lesyl]

I don't think so - but I'll definitely use such as an excuse from now on!

And you only get bowed legs from holding your beer between your legs while driving a pickup. (sigh groan.. old joke I know ) I'm a redneck what can I say.
snork - ahahahahhaha
back to the topic. No I don't think it is the riding, maybe it is the breeches that cause the look.

[rabicon]

I don't think so, I don't have wide hips and I'm 30 with a child and I ride alot!! Mainly dressage and jumping now. I have noticed that my butt is tighter though now, I think thats the dressage ;)

[pintopiaffe]

Your husband is a very brave man. Most men with any sense know better than to say such a thing. I hope he has good life insurance ;)

Well, thankfully, some men LIKE that. ;) :o

[Somantu]

We were at a barn Christmas party and my husband laughingly made a comment of.."In the sea of wide hips"....which I said..."what are you talking about"...."Havent' you noticed that all you ladies, who ride, have wide hips...

Twenty boarders: small and tiny or tall and lanky -- except me. I am the lone wide hipped rider in my barn. And that's due to a combination of DNA and bonbons -- NOT from riding for 30 years. :D

[EqTrainer]

Well...

I am still the same size in jeans that I was 20 years ago, and by all accounts, I have a stellar rear end. I have had children. I still like a narrow twist saddle. My *shoulders* have actually caught up with my hips, from all the trimming I do now. The position you trim in - basically, a squat - certainly cannot be hurting the rear view :lol: maybe between dressage, trimming and yoga to stretch it all out, this is the perfect workout!

[lunchbox]

I've been riding since I was 7, I am now in my.... *ahem*.... early to mid 40's. No kids.

I am thinner and maybe even narrower than when I was a teenager, so in my case the answer is no. Odd, because for most people it is the opposite. Not complaining though :)

I do know that we do lose height as we age, something about the cartilage in between our spines compressing??? Cannot remember exactly, but something like that.

Danceronice does make a great point, though...you would think there might be some repercussions of riding during our formative years.

I had the test for osteoporosis a few years ago and was diagnosed with mild osteopenia, which means there is some thinnng of the bones. I didn't go on any of the medications, or take more calcium. (I know, bad girl.) BUT I did ride more than I ever have. More days riding, jumping higher, longer lessens, more horses.)

When I did my second test a month ago, my scores had improved! So just by riding I increased my bone density! (I don't go to the gym or any other thing like that.)

I did decide to go on Fosteum, though, as the reality is that I am a prime candidate for osteoporosis later in life, as I am thin and small boned.

[Bearhunter]

Hips are not wider but my hip flexors are shot to hell.....:lol: