Any equestrian fitbit users out there?

[deborahsulli]

It is nteresting to see that my riding exercise is logging just as strenously as the time I spend in the gym. (I am do Eventing and Dressage). I knew it, but trying to convince others that horseback riding can be great exercise can is a challenge sometimes ("doesn't the horse do all the work?" just like the mountain does all the work in skiing). Anyway, I would like to connect with other equestrian fitbit users in the community, if there is anyone out there. 

-Debbie in NH

[pandapants]

I'm one - non-competing at present (due to my weight issues and lack of time), ex-eventer with a jumper background.  Focusing on getting myself in shape again to get back in the saddle regularly.  Anyone who thinks riding isn't a workout has obviously never really ridden. 

Nice to virtually meet you!

[Helle]

I am also one, doing showjumping and eventing.

When i work with my horses schooling/dressagework, my heartrate sits steady at about 150 bpm, so thats exercise for sure;).

Just walking out looking at the nature im about 80-90 bpm, so thats not so demanding.

i usually leave my flex in the stable when i go out riding, and use mapmyfitness/endomondo and a heartrate monitor instead.

RIding with the flex gives an insane amount of steps, so i doubt it records it correctly.. 4 legs gives twice as many steps?

[mpa-in-ca]

I found that my Fitbit will reach my goal and vibrate after doing about 30 minutes of posting trot.  I usually ride in the evening a couple of nights a week.  On a day with similar activity level, when I go to the gym in the evening instead of riding, I either spend at least 30 minutes on the treadmill making sure to pump my arms to get my cardio going, or 30 minutes of racketball.  Although Fitbit logs the activity, I never reach the goal and get the Fitbit to vibrate on these days.  I know that riding is a strenuous exercise and a great workout for me, I wonder if the acceleration of the horse has anything to do with how the device is measuring my activity level?

[sleslie_99]

Hello Ladies, 

I have only had my fitbit for just under a week. I figured out on the first day that I had to take it off when I'm riding. I ride 2 horses western and 1 horse dressage daily and I know that it over registers my footsteps. Its a bummer because the dressage is strenuous but I believe it still overstates the activity. I don't like not getting any credit for that exercise. I tried updating the activity type but its not realistic for every day and it doens't update my band just the computer. When cleaning my stalls it counts as walking but we all know its a bit more strenuous than that. I dont think any of the other bands out there are better though. 😞 

[mpa-in-ca]

I emailed the help desk about this. I know my horse is getting a good work out  since it does track this movement.  I think there is an accelerometer in the Fitbit, so the forward motion is detected when we're riding.  They recommended for me to put my Flex in sleep mode while I ride.  I didn't get the details on why, but I'm guessing it will track my motion and activity differently, maybe disable the accelerometer aspect of it?  I know an hour of riding is way more strenuos than I get credit for....

[Helle]

Putting it in sleep mode is an interesting idea, but won't it just look like we slept a few hours in the middle of the day then?;-) I do want some credit for my riding! lol

[Helle]

Here comes a screen from my latest  "dressage"workout (4 yo horse) , about 40 min long.

Certainly it looks like i did a bit of work myself too;)

[sleslie_99]

That is great- quick question- how are you getting the heart rate? I have a Fitbit force and it doesn't track my heart rate. I would love to get a more comprensive picture of my physio reactions and calories burned. What do you recommend for heartrate an anything else I can track? 

Thanks for sharing this. 

🙂 

[Helle]

I use  a bluetooth heartmonitor that connects directly to endomondo via my phone.

Had the wahoo Blue HR for a while, but had problems with it losing signals, until i started to use a bit of adhesive gel on the electrodes, instead of water. After that it works perfect every time.

Also tested the 60Beat BTLE HRM, very good so far, bit more stable construction than the wahoo, so no need for adhesive gel, just a bit of water works fine:)

I take my flex off when i start the HRM, so that stepreadings will be more accurate, even if endomondo will override fitbit when it comes to active minutes and calories  the steps will be a lie;-)

I have also connected endomondo and fitbit, so that Endomondo autopost to fitbit about my workouts.

[Twister]

Is anyone tracking their horses steps? I have my own fitbit but recently set up accounts and put fitbits on my three horses. It was not my goal to monitor my horse trainers riding time, but it sure was interesting! BTW, I have a new horse trainer...

[CLopez]

I'm using a Fitbit One and have just now started using it while riding, since the weather just recently got warm enough to hit the trails again.  The first time I rode I wore the One without putting it into sleep mode and logged way too many steps.  I manually entered the horseback riding - general activity for the time I rode.  While it did adjust the calories burned, it did not delete the steps.  Last weekend I took the unit off when I rode and put it back on when I got back to the barn.  I entered the activity manually this time as well.  This seemed like a more honest representation of the physical work I did.  Next time I will put it into the sleep mode and then do the manual entry of the activity afterward.  Feel free to send me a friend request if you'd like to compare notes on riding, other activities, or diet. 

[Yada]

Hi!! I ride too! I have only been wearing my fitbit flex for about 3 weeks.

[Yada]

I ride most every day and was wondering how I could use the fitbit flex to track my activities at the barn and in the arena.

[CLopez]

I tried putting my fitbit one in sleep mode and I found it still logged all of my horse's activity as my own. It felt like cheating the system. Now I wear it to the barn to track my activity while preparing for my ride but I put it in my tack trunk just before I climb up. I track my riding times and log my trail rides as "riding-general".

[mnjpink]

I am new to the fitbit community! I am also a horseback rider, and I have been riding and showing hunter pleasure (more competitively in the last several years). Nice to meet everyone!

[EllaBella]

hey , i got my fitbit for christmas, I have my own horse and I am really interested in how people use theirs with their horse? I have only rode my horse for a hour since christmas day due to the snow . I rode her for a hour in the school just having a flatwork session. Before i started i went on track activity and it only gave me the option of walking hiking or running. i tapped hicking and clicked start . apprently i burnt 10,000 cal and went 12 miles, on the GPS it looks like i went through the woods and into the next village lol. I was really looking forward to using the GPS tracker and the fitbit for riding but now im not so sure! 

[JessieD15]

I also ride. I've been wearing my flex while i ride and I've noticed that sometimes it counts steps and sometimes like when I was riding saddlebreds and had my hands very very quiet it wouldn't really count any movement. I wish there was a riding setting I was hoping to use it to track my trailrides and get a better estimate on calories burned while I rode. I am looking forward to trying the sleep mode while I ride tomorrow! 

[Marcy]

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@deborahsulli wrote:

It is nteresting to see that my riding exercise is logging just as strenously as the time I spend in the gym. (I am do Eventing and Dressage). I knew it, but trying to convince others that horseback riding can be great exercise can is a challenge sometimes ("doesn't the horse do all the work?" just like the mountain does all the work in skiing). Anyway, I would like to connect with other equestrian fitbit users in the community, if there is anyone out there. 

-Debbie in NH

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Riding is great exercise. I no longer ride but miss how riding strengthened my abdominals. I can't seem to find any exercises that mimic that type of exercise.  Getting another horse isn't practical in my situation. Kudos to all of you that are riding regularly. 😉

[CSB54]

I ride too.  Trail riding. I ride mainly in the Shawnee National Forest southern Illinois. Some trails are withing 5 miles of my house.  I have never worn my fitbit when riding, I'm afraid I'll lose it.  I like the idea that another poster mentioned, taking fitbit off when riding but logging the time spent riding.  I may try that.  Horse back riding is good exercise!