Ever compare your body to a horse? No! Seriously, I’m not talking about “as big as a horse,” or “eats like a horse!” Chances are you haven’t but horse breeds have distinctive body types and it helps us to understand ours.
Thoroughbreds (it’s a breed; it isn’t a term to describe a horse with a pedigree as opposed to a mixed-breed horse) are the Ectomorphs of the horse world. They are tall, lean, with fine bones and it’s tough to put weight on them. Sort of like a supermodel!
Morgan Horses are the Endomorphs of the horse world. They’re shorter and rounder than their Thoroughbred cousins. They have heavier, denser bone than Thoroughbreds. Toss them a handful of grain and they’ll stay fat. Throw them two handfuls and they’ll become obese if their exercise isn’t increased to help them burn the extra calories. I think Endomorphs represent the greatest percentage of the US population.
Quarter Horses are the Mesomorphs. They are similar in height and bone to Morgans, but they are muscly! They have bulky, well-defined muscles. Companies that make exercise machines choose them to illustrate “what happens when you work out on a (insert any as-seen-on-TV fitness machine here!)
It’s important to understand bodies can’t change. We are born with a certain body type and no exercise, supplements, or diets will change our inherent body type. We can take care of our body to make it healthy and as a result of good care it will look good. Understanding our individual body type will save us money and frustration.