For riders who need to weigh a little less…

Riders who are a little overweight will be doing their animals and themselves a favour by shedding a few pounds.
If you are an active person looking after a horse you don’t want to starve yourself or go on an extreme diet – simple dietary changes and upping your exercise levels can make all the difference.
Here are some easy tips taken from the Government’s Change 4 Life campaign to help you incorporate healthy eating and exercise into your daily routine.

Swap foods
You can save yourself loads of calories – not to mention unwanted sugar or fat – simply by swapping foods and drink.
Here are some examples:
Swap to water, skimmed milk or diluted fresh fruit juice instead of drinks with added sugar like cola or squash or full fat milk.
Switch to snacks like fresh or dried fruit, breadsticks and unsalted nuts (in small quantities) instead of sweets or biscuits.
Swap to lower-sugar cereals, fruit or toast instead of cereals with lots of sugar.

Meal times
Try to have regular proper meals instead of snacking all day long – your stomach will get used to when to eat and when to stop
Breakfast is an important meal for horse owners. Try to eat something sensible before (or after) doing the mucking out – that way you should avoid the mid-morning snack attack!
It’s healthiest to start with a small portion of food and then take more if you are still hungry (remembering to wait a while first), rather than overloading your plate and feeling you should eat it all.
Watch packaging sizes. Lots of foods and drinks are really designed for sharing.

Snack check
Many snacks are full of the things that are bad for us – sugar, salt, fat and calories. So try to keep a careful eye on how many you’re having. These tips might help keep the snack attacks at bay. 
Keep count. Many people are surprised when they actually count up how many sweets, crisps, and biscuits they get through. Keep count and you’re more likely to cut down.
 
Try not to think of food as a reward – have a nice bath or do something else you enjoy instead.

5 a day
We all know we’re supposed to eat at least five portions of fruit and veg a day to stay healthy. It can also help with weight loss by filling you up with things that are good for you instead of fattening, sugary snacks.
Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables count too. And it only takes a couple of minutes to boil some frozen peas or open a can of sweetcorn. 
Don’t forget you can drink a portion of fruit too. One glass of unsweetened fruit juice or one smoothie a day counts as one of the five. 
A piece of fruit or vegetable can help cheer up a lunchbox. Try carrot sticks, baby tomatoes or a banana to ring the changes.

Cut back the fat
Too much fat is bad for us. But it’s not always easy to tell where it’s lurking. Here are a few fat-busting tips: 
Cut down on snack foods as they’re often packed with fat. Try to keep foods like crisps, buns, cakes, pastries and biscuits as occasional treats only. 
Grilling or baking food in the oven rather than frying it on the cooker can reduce the fat content by as much as two-thirds. 
Literally cut the fat. Trim off any fat you can see from meat before you cook it, and skin chicken and turkey first. Draining off the fat after cooking will also help.

Stay active
Most horse owners are fairly active if they are mucking out and walking back and forth from field to stable. But maybe you’re not as active as you could be. As well as riding you could try walking briskly next to your horse (or to and from the yard) – regular walking is a great low-impact way to lose weight.
Get off the bus and out of the car – if it’s walkable, walk it. 
Aim to do around 60 minutes of activity a day – this doesn’t need to be at the gym, activity at the yard will count.
Our modern way of life means that most of us spend too long sitting down, doing nothing. Not being active means our bodies don’t burn off enough fat, which leads to it storing up inside. So try to set a limit for how long you sit down without getting up and doing something – two hours max might be useful. Don’t forget moving around helps digestion, can lift your mood and boost your metabolism – it’s also good fun!

For more information about healthy eating and living visit www.nhs.uk/Change4Life