Equi-Athlete

This is what rider-specific training looks like: one movement, multiple systems working together.

Madi is performing a single-leg RDL with a single-arm row, with a foam roller between her stance leg and the wall to cue controlled hip internal rotation.

Every component has a purpose.

The hip internal rotation challenges the stance hip to control rotation while maintaining alignment—an important piece of creating a mobile but stable pelvis. The single-leg RDL demands unilateral balance, foot and ankle stability, posterior-chain strength, and force production through one limb. The single-arm row adds an upper-body pulling demand while the core works to prevent unwanted rotation.

Put all three together and you’ve created a truly three-dimensional movement challenge: the lower body is producing and controlling force, the pelvis is managing rotation, and the upper body is working independently without allowing the trunk to lose position.

That’s highly relevant to equestrian performance. Riding requires the body to stabilize, rotate, produce force, and dissociate movement between the upper and lower body—often simultaneously.

Madi isn’t just getting stronger. She’s learning to coordinate multiple systems into one efficient movement pattern.

That’s the goal: strength that actually transfers.

If your hands feel rough, your seat feels stiff, or you struggle to follow your horse’s movement without bracing, don’t automatically blame your hands. Look at your shoulders.

A rider’s shoulders need to be strong enough to maintain external rotation and isometric stability while the arms and torso are constantly moving. We aren’t simply holding our hands in one position—we’re maintaining a stable connection while absorbing and following movement from underneath us.

Cable bent-over rear delt flys help develop the posterior shoulder and upper-back musculature responsible for controlling the shoulder complex. The rear deltoids, rotator cuff, rhomboids, and other scapular stabilizers all contribute to keeping the shoulder organized while the arm moves.

When that strength and stability are lacking, the body often creates stability through tension instead. Riders may brace through the hands, lock the elbows, elevate the shoulders, or stiffen the torso. That upper-body rigidity can then influence the seat, making it harder for the pelvis and hips to follow the horse’s movement.

Strong shoulders don’t create hard hands. A lack of usable shoulder stability can.

The goal is to develop enough strength and control that you can maintain your position without needing to brace. That creates the capacity for a softer hand, a more independent arm, and a seat that can remain stable while still moving with the horse.

That’s shoulder training with a purpose: stable enough to support you, mobile enough to follow.

Interested in booking a rider assessment? I have select in-person availability on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 4 online coaching seats available!

Front squats might not look anything like riding, but the body doesn’t think in terms of exercises. It thinks in terms of movement patterns, force production, stability, and coordination.

This is why front squats have earned a permanent place in my programming.

From head to toe, this movement demands the coordinated effort of nearly every major muscle group and challenges the nervous system to integrate them into one efficient pattern.

The thoracic spine must maintain extension. The rotator cuff, shoulders, and mid-back must stabilize the load. The deep core and muscles surrounding the lumbar spine must resist movement while simultaneously transferring force between the upper and lower body.

The hips must hinge efficiently. The knees must track appropriately. The feet and ankles must create a stable foundation. The glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors, and calves must work together to generate and absorb force.

Even more importantly, the nervous system must continuously interpret and coordinate all of this information.

This is precisely why front squats transfer so effectively to riding.

A rider’s body is constantly producing force, absorbing force, maintaining posture, stabilizing joints, responding to movement, and coordinating multiple systems simultaneously. Riding may look entirely different from a squat, but many of the underlying demands are exactly the same.

Strong riders are built one muscle at a time AND by teaching the entire system to work together.

Your ankle doesn’t work alone, so why train it that way?

One of the biggest misconceptions I see among riders is the belief that ankle instability should be treated exclusively at the ankle. In reality, the entire kinetic chain contributes to the position and function of the foot and ankle complex.

This single-leg calf raise variation trains that relationship beautifully.

By allowing the heel to descend below the surface of the box, the muscles of the foot and calf are placed into a lengthened position before force is produced concentrically during the upward phase of the movement. This increased range of motion creates a greater demand for strength, control, and coordination.

The intrinsic muscles of the foot are responsible for maintaining the arch and creating a stable base of support. Above them, the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles work together to control movement at the ankle. Continuing upward, the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus contribute to stability throughout the posterior chain, while the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus work to control the pelvis and maintain proper lower-extremity alignment.

Each structure depends upon the others.

If the hip lacks stability, the knee may collapse inward. If the foot loses stability, the muscles farther up the chain must compensate. If the arch loses integrity, the ankle becomes less efficient.

For riders, these compensations often appear as difficulty maintaining a stable lower leg, excessive bracing through the stirrups, uneven weight distribution, or reduced effectiveness of the aids.

Stable ankles begin with stable hips, and stable hips begin with a strong foundation.

This exercise trains the entire system.

A huge congratulations to Brooke for absolutely crushing these lat pulldowns! 👏🔥

Riders ask a lot of their upper body to remain stable while simultaneously following the motion of the horse. That takes a high amount of strength and endurance from the lats, rhomboids, rear deltoids, rotator cuff, and the rest of the muscles that support the shoulder complex and mid-back.

Brooke has been putting in the work to build exactly that kind of strength, and it’s paying off. Not only is her form looking fantastic, but she’s steadily increasing the weight and developing the strong, defined shoulders and back needed to support a stable, effective position in the saddle.

The best part? She’s not simply getting stronger—she’s learning how to move better, too.

I’m incredibly proud of your hard work, Brooke. Keep it up! 💪🐴