*Article* **Puberal and Adolescent Horse Riders' Fitness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effects of Training Restrictions on Health-Related and Functional Motor Abilities**

**Sabrina Demarie 1,\* , Emanuele Chirico <sup>1</sup> , Cecilia Bratta <sup>2</sup> and Cristina Cortis <sup>2</sup>**


**Abstract:** The aim of the study was to analyse the fitness level of young horse riders before and after 12 weeks of training restrictions instituted due to the COVID-19 emergency. Anthropometrical measure assessment and an eight-items fitness test battery were administered to 61 puberal and adolescent female amateur horse riders. Subjects were evaluated within 3 weeks before (pre-tests) the period of training restrictions and on the first day of normal training after it (post-tests). Post-test results showed significant increases in body weight (Z: −1.732; *p* value: 0.001; ES: −0.157) and BMI (F: 9.918; *p* value: 0.003; ES: 0.146), whilst the performance in hand grip and abdominal strength, hip mobility, and 10 × 5 m Shuttle and Cooper 12 min tests' outcomes significantly decreased (F: 29.779; *p* value: 0.001 F: 29.779; *p* value: 0.001 F: 29.779; *p* value: 0.001 F: 29.779; *p* value: 0.001 F: 29.779; *p* value: 0.001, respectively). Correlation analysis revealed that riders' experience was significantly correlated with hand grip (*p* < 0.01), leg strength (*p* < 0.01), hip mobility (*p* < 0.05), and 5 × 10 m Shuttle (*p* < 0.01) and the Cooper 12 min (*p* < 0.01) test results. It could be suggested that equestrian activities could produce a higher fitness level in puberal and adolescent riders, whilst home-based, unsupervised, and unattentively planned training during the twelve weeks of training restrictions might be insufficient to maintain it.

**Keywords:** SARS-CoV-2; adolescent fitness; young athletes; outdoor sport; horse riding
