Horseback Riding Becomes A Part of You. It’s, Literally, Science. Maybe.
A new study reveals that horseback riding leaves evidence on our skeletons and has for thousands of years.
Published in Science Advances, the study stops short, though, at definitively linking skeletal changes to horse riding alone.
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder are comparing modern medical studies with archaeological data. What they’ve found is that equestrian skeletons can be identified by their bones, especially by the shape of our hip joints.
But, hold your horses, because the study also challenges several leading archaeological theories including the Kurgan hypothesis, which states that the Yamnaya people domesticated horses around 4,000 BCE. We discussed this way back in 2023. It was controversial then and, apparently, still is.
Lauren Hosek, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the lead author of the study states, “In archaeology, there are vanishingly few instances in which we can tie a particular activity unequivocally to skeletal changes.”
Basically, when you flex your legs at the hip for long periods – like during an extended horse ride – the hip joint’s ball and socket may rub together along one edge. But researchers admit other activities cause the same wear and tear, not to mention the art of riding isn’t isolated to horses. People rode other animals such as donkeys and cattle for centuries, too.
The fact that Hosek is trying to prove their point by running a comparative analysis between ancient and modern equestrians is also intriguing.
As this video from The Bone Museum asserts, “In the past, long hours on horseback made these growths more common. Today, they’re far less common thanks to advancements in riding gear, better saddles, and fewer people relying on horses for daily transportation. Modern riders, with improved techniques and shorter riding durations, are less likely to develop these bone changes.”
View this post on Instagram
As a lifelong equestrian, I can tell you that my bones have DEFINITELY been altered by this sport.
As a person who majored in Cultural Anthropology, I can tell you that this discussion is not a new one, especially when it comes to ancient female equestrians. Not too long ago, anthropologists would come across a set of bones that showed markers for horseback riding and war, but — GASP — they were also female bones! How could both of these things be true?
Thankfully, that’s starting to change. Feel free to check out this article or this one or most of the history pieces I’ve written for this website dating all the way back to 2014 for evidence of powerful women equestrians in history.
So what do you think, Horse Nation? Give us a shout in the comments!
Go riding.
Amanda Uechi Ronan is an equestrian, author, and wannabe race car driver. Follow her on Instagram @amanda_uechi_ronan.
