15 minutes of
horseback riding
104 kcal 15 minutes of horseback riding burns approximately 104 calories for a 70 kg adult, based on a MET value of 5.65. Heavier bodies burn proportionally more: 133 kcal at 90 kg, 163 kcal at 110 kg.
SOURCE·2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities·REVIEWED JUL 2026
MET 5.65 × 3.5 × 70 kg ÷ 200 = 6.92 kcal/min × 15 min = 104 kcal
Source—2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities—code 15406—ACSM energy equation—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- Take the MET value for horseback riding from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: MET 5.65, the median of its 8 measured variations (MET 2.1–9).
- Convert MET to a rate using the ACSM relationship: multiply by 3.5, then by body mass in kilograms, then divide by 200. That gives kilocalories per minute.
- Multiply the rate by the number of minutes actually spent.
- Round to whole kilocalories. Nothing else is applied — no age factor, no sex factor, no proprietary adjustment, because the underlying data does not support one.
kcal/min = MET × 3.5 × mass(kg) ÷ 200 kcal = kcal/min × minutes 5.65 × 3.5 × 70 ÷ 200 = 6.92 kcal/min 6.92 × 15 min = 104 kcal
15 minutes of horseback riding, by body weight
| Body weight | 15 minutes | Per minute |
|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 74 | 4.9 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 89 | 5.9 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 104 | 6.9 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 119 | 7.9 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 133 | 8.9 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 148 | 9.9 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 163 | 10.9 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 178 | 11.9 |
SOURCE·2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Questions
How many calories does 15 minutes of horseback riding burn?
About 104 kcal for a 70 kg adult at MET 5.65. At 60 kg it is 89 kcal and at 100 kg it is 148 kcal.
Is 15 minutes of horseback riding a good workout?
At MET 5.65 this is moderate activity. Adults are advised to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, so 15 minutes is 10% of a week's target at that intensity.
A number this clean is a model. It does not know your gradient, your gear, the wind, or how hard you were actually trying.
MET from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. General information only — not medical, fitness or nutrition advice. Calorie figures are population estimates and vary between individuals.
