Shania Twain Shows Off Her Horseback Riding Skills On TikTok

The singer shared a few videos set to one of Taylor Swift's new songs.

Shania Twain has never been secretive about her love of horses. She's filmed music videos with horses and brought horses on stage during performances. Most recently, the original queen of pop country music showed off her horseback riding skills on TikTok, where she has more than two million followers.

In a new post, Twain shares a few clips of her in the saddle. First, she's sitting on a white horse in red jacket. Then, she's riding a brown horse while wearing a helmet. They move at a slow pace until the video cuts to a clip of the horse galloping forward as Twain seems to ride comfortably atop the fast-moving animal. Finally, the singer is all smiles while recording a selfie video as she seems to ride a horse in an indoor facility.

The post is set to fellow country-pop-crossover artist Taylor Swift's new song "Anti-Hero." Twain seems to be participating in a recent TikTok trend set to the lyrics: "It's me, hi, I'm the problem / It's me." Users, including Twain, lightheartedly share their problematic tendencies as the song plays.

In Twain's case, she includes a text box over the clip of her riding away on a galloping horse. "Queen of cancelling on friends to hang out with horses," it reads. The "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!" singer tagged Swift in the post with the caption "Giddy Up!"

While Twain's post is all fun and games, horseback riding is no joke. Research shows it offers physical and mental health benefits.

For instance, a 2015 study published in the International Journal of Exercise Science found riding a horse for 45 minutes at a walk, trot, and canter (a fast but comfortable pace) can burn up to 200 calories. More strenuous horseback riding activities may increase calories burned.

Another study published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health in 2015 looked into the physiological demands of horseback riding. Researchers found a recreational horse riding session meets the criteria for moderate-intensity exercise in women based on oxygen consumption.

The sport may also improve stability, as a person's balance and postural adjustment are stimulated while riding a horse, according to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science. It may even be more effective than other exercises for improving balance because it can lead to progress quickly, noted researchers.

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"Riding is a total body workout," professional hunter-jumper rider and trainer Melissa Gruber previously told People. "Your legs, arms, and core work together to control and communicate with the horses," she said to the magazine. "That subtle body control takes physical strength and balance very similar to Pilates, yoga or even surfing."

When it comes to mental health, horseback riding has long been used in therapeutic methods. It may help those with autism improve social and communication skills, and it can alleviate post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in military veterans, for example. Recreational horseback riding can also boost mood in adults 45 and older, according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2020.

Whether you want to get closer to nature, build your stability, or channel your inner Shania Twain, you might consider adding horseback riding to your workout bucket list.

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