In today’s culture, we seem to need a way to do something, without actually doing it…a “virtual experience,” if you will. Apparently riding is no exception. The iGallop was presented a few years ago, and never seemed to really take off. But there is still a series of simulators to do just about anything you want, without riding the horse.
The famous iGallop
Dressage
Jumping
Racing
Polo
Me? I’ll take the horse. I’m not saying rider exercise is a bad thing, by any means– I’m committed to my New Year’s Resolution and my stirrups are still hanging on the tackroom wall. I used to do this every winter, but it’s been a little while since my junior years, when equitation-legs-of-steel could ride for hours without stirrups. It’s been two weeks, I’ve worked up to 15 minutes of posting trot and I’m sore. My junior self hangs her head in shame. But I can feel my legs getting stronger and more secure…and I didn’t even need a fake plastic horse to do it.
