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Balance & Core

Steady hands, quiet legs, balance in transitions, and core stability that holds up in motion.

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For riders thinking

“My hands won't stay steady.”
“My legs won't stay still.”
“I wobble in transitions.”
“I grip when I try to sit deeper.”
“I know what to do, but my body won't hold it.”

Stability in the saddle is not just about having stronger abs. It is about how your whole body manages movement, rotation, and support without bracing.

This often connects to

core stability · anti-rotation control · quiet aids · balance · transitions · torso control · support under the pelvis

Explore Core Training

Balance & Core articles

48 articles found

Strength & FitnessSeat & HipsBalance & Core

Why Riders Need Strong Glutes (And Why Weak Glutes Change Everything In The Saddle)

There’s a certain feeling riders are always trying to create.

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Balance & Core

Why Tight Riders Often Work The Hardest (And Why Trying More Isn’t Always The Answer)

Some of the tightest riders I’ve ever worked with are also the riders trying the hardest.

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Balance & CorePosture & AlignmentStrength & FitnessSeat & Hips

Why Your Hands Aren’t Steady (And Why It’s Not About Your Hands)

There’s a moment most riders notice. Your hands don’t feel as steady as you’d like.

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Balance & CoreSeat & Hips

Why Your Legs Won’t Stay Still (And What They’re Trying to Tell You)

There’s a moment many riders recognise. You’re trying to keep your legs long and still…but they don’t quite stay there.

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Seat & HipsPosture & AlignmentBalance & Core

Why You Feel Crooked in the Saddle (Even When You’re Sitting Straight)

There’s a quiet frustration many riders carry.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CoreStrength & Fitness

Why You Bounce in Sitting Trot (And What Your Body Is Really Trying to Tell You)

There’s a moment every rider knows. You ask for sitting trot… and instead of feeling connected, you feel like you’re being gently — or sometimes not so gently — bounced out of the

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Seat & HipsBalance & Core

5 Signs Your Hips Are Closing in the Saddle (And What It Means)

When riders talk about having “tight hips,” what they’re often feeling is something slightly different.

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Seat & HipsBalance & Core

Why Riders Have Tight Hips (And What Actually Helps)

Discover why dressage riders have tight hips and what you can do to create more freedom and support in the saddle.

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Seat & HipsBalance & Core

Your Hips Are Listening to Your Nervous System

Why Riders Often Feel Tight — and What’s Really Happening One of the things riders rarely realise is this: Your hips are constantly listening to your nervous system.

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Balance & Core

Core Stability For Dressage Riders

Learn how your Transverse Abdominals (TVA) effect your core stability, and how to train them.

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Posture & AlignmentBalance & CoreStrength & Fitness

Stronger in the Saddle: How Building Muscle Supports Your Riding Posture

There’s a moment in riding — whether in a collected canter or just a quiet halt — where everything feels still, balanced, and aligned.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreMindset & Confidence

How to Get Started with Strength Training (Even If You're a Total Beginner)

Let’s be honest — starting strength training can feel intimidating.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreDressage BasicsSeat & Hips

Why Strength Training Is the Missing Piece for Dressage Riders Over 40

If you’re a dressage rider over 40, chances are you’ve been told to stretch more, do more core work, or simply “ride more” to get stronger in the saddle.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CoreStrength & Fitness

Why Your Legs Slide Forward in the Saddle & How to Fix It for a Balanced Seat

Learn why your legs slide forward in the saddle and how to fix it so you have a more balanced and stable seat in the saddle.

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Seat & HipsStrength & FitnessBalance & Core

Struggling to Swing Your Leg Over When Mounting? Here’s How to Fix It!

Learn what's limiting you and how to fix so that mounting your horse becomes easier and much smoother every time you ride.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & Alignment

Understanding your pelvis and how it relates to riding balanced and soft

Learn how to create a soft independent seat in the saddle by learning more about the structure and balance of your pelvis Everything in riding is about balance, working with gravit

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentStrength & Fitness

Learn about your deep six and why they matter for dressage

Discover your deep six muscles and why they are important to understand as riders.

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Balance & CoreSeat & HipsPosture & Alignment

The Corset Of Your Abdominals : Your TVA

The Corset Of Your Abdominals : Your TVA, learn its role in your dressage position and how you can begin to strengthen it today.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & Alignment

8 Key Muscles Involved When We Ride

Learn what muscles horseback riding uses and discover the key muscles involved for creating a good dressage rider posture and how to improve.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreSeat & HipsPosture & Alignment

Strength Building For Equestrians

Learn all about strength building for equestrians. Get workout ideas and discover the best sort of training to do as a rider.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreSeat & Hips

Glute Strengthening Exercises For Dressage Riders

Here are a selection of glute strengthening exercises for dressage riders to help strengthening and improve your seat while riding.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & Core

7 Exercises To Improve Lower Body Strength And Balance

Improve your strength for riding with these 7 key lower body dressage exercises for riders. Create better posture and balance for dressage .

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Posture & AlignmentSeat & HipsDressage BasicsBalance & Core

How To Improve Your Dressage Position

Here I explain how you can improve your dressage position and give you insights as to how it should feel when you are both in and out of the saddle.

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Strength & FitnessPosture & AlignmentBalance & CoreSeat & Hips

6 Dressage Exercises To Help Improve Your Riding Posture

Here are my top 6 dressage exercises that you can do at home to help improve your position and posture in the saddle. Including step by step video to follow

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Strength & FitnessBalance & Core

How Much Exercise Should I Be Doing Around My Riding?

Discover if horse riding is exercise, how many calories you burn and how you can get fitter for horse riding with these workouts.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CorePosture & Alignment

Equestrian Workouts To Improve Your Riding

Improve your horse riding fitness, no matter what equestrain discipline you do. Here are specific equestrian workouts & stretches.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

Pilates For Equestrian Athletes And How It Can Improve Your Dressage Posture

Why pilates for equestrian athletes can improve your core and overall stability in the saddle. A must for dressage riders. Including exercises you can try.

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Strength & FitnessSeat & HipsBalance & Core

Mounting Exercises To Help Improve Getting On The Horse

Flexibility is crucial to making mounting your horse much easier.

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Balance & CoreSeat & Hips

Finding Your Centre Of Gravity

When it comes to dressage one of the aims is about improving the balance of the horse.

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Balance & Core

Improving Your Balance For Dressage

Learn how to improve your balance for dressage and why it is important as a rider to train this in ourselves as much as we do our horses.

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Balance & CorePosture & Alignment

How to Prevent Back Pain While Riding?

How to prevent back pain while riding? How your back naturally sits can be affected by a number of things. What is important though is that you understand the natural shape of your spine.

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Balance & CoreStrength & Fitness

7 Simple Ways To Improve Your Core Strength For Dressage Riders

Learn how to improve core strength for horse riding, especially for dressage. Article includes videos with free core exercises to try.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CoreDressage BasicsPosture & Alignment

What is Rider Biomechanics?

What is Rider Biomechanics? Dressage riders require a strength and fitness that is subtle to the unknown eye. What on earth is biomechanics and what does it have to do with dressage?

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Balance & CorePosture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

How The Office Chair Affects Your Core Strength

I’m sure you’ve experienced the feeling of tight shoulders, lower back pain and stiff hips after sitting for a period of time at your desk.

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Strength & FitnessBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentSeat & Hips

How Mobility And Yoga Can Help Your Riding

When you’re in your twenties, it seems you can go a 110 percent at the gym, a charity run, or a boot camp with ease.

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Balance & Core

The Ultimate Core Exercise For Dressage Riders

Core strength is vital for dressage riders to remain balanced and connected with the horse.

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Balance & CoreStrength & FitnessSeat & Hips

Using A Balance Ball To Improve Your Seat In Dressage

Establishing balanced seat bones and a strong core is vital for dressage riders to move freely with their horse.

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Balance & Core

How To Engage Your Lower Abdominals For Dressage Riders

Learning how to engage your lower abdominal muscles is crucial for a quiet and independent seat.

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Balance & CoreStrength & FitnessPosture & Alignment

5 Swissball Moves To Improve Your Riding Posture

When we ride in a good position the body has an illusion of stillness.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentDressage Basics

How To Relax When Riding

I dislike like the word relax when it comes to riding and being around horses, because the truth is they are a natural flight response horse.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CoreDressage Basics

Why Do You Bounce

Today I wanted to carry on talking about sitting trot and provide you with some more information on how to improve it.

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Seat & HipsBalance & CorePosture & AlignmentDressage Basics

How to Improve Your Sitting Trot For Dressage

Do you find sitting trot hard work? Discover how you can improve your sitting trot so it becomes effortless and soft for your horse's back.

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Balance & Core

Balance & CoreStrength & Fitness

Strength Exercises For Horse Riders - Improve With These 6 Core Exercises

Core strength exercises for horse riders to help improve your posture and stability in the saddle. Learn why its important and get the exercises that work.

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Balance & Core

Beginners Yoga For Dressage Riders

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