http://www.theequestrianphysio.ca/, https://www.theequestrianphysio.ca/tep-training-app-landing-page

The Equestrian Physio, Guelph, Guelph, ON (2026)

01/27/2026

Bringing this post from last year back, because I think it's a valuable topic more people need to understand.

"Informed consent" is a term we hear often in healthcare, but do we really understand what it means, or how often it’s done poorly?

Informed consent is a process to ensure you fully understand what’s happening and why, not just a checkbox. It comes down to five key components: the explanation, risks, benefits, alternatives, and consequences of not proceeding. If any of these are missing, you don’t truly have informed consent.

Risks are what could go wrong–short- and long-term– to help you make an informed decision (not to scare you)).

Benefits need to go BEYOND “this might help.” What are the goals? Are the outcomes likely or just possible?

And understanding alternatives matter too. Is this the only option? Are there other treatments, even if less common?

Finally, what happens if you do nothing? Understanding the consequences of not proceeding is just as important.

This is top of mind because, even as a healthcare professional, I didn’t receive proper informed consent for this procedure I received last year. I got a basic overview but not enough to fully understand what I was agreeing to. I had to Google it to fill in the gaps and to know what questions to ask my doctor. That’s not okay. And if it’s happening to me, I know it’s happening to others.

And I don't blame providers for this either! Most aren’t dismissive on purpose, but in a system stretched thin, with routines and time constraints, it’s easy to overlook how significant a “routine” procedure is for the person experiencing it.

So, if you’re facing a medical decision–surgery, an injection, a manual therapy technique, even a skin treatment–ask the questions.
What are the risks?
What are the benefits?
Are there alternatives?
What happens if I don’t do this?

If the answers aren’t clear, keep asking. Your health isn’t routine. You deserve to feel informed, heard, and respected.

01/27/2026

I can write the perfect, most optimal training program for riders…

…and if it doesn’t get done, it means basically nothing.

So before jumping into that next Bootcamp or program, maybe ask how they help you build consistency (and sustainability) first?

01/26/2026

Do your heels creep up when you ride? Like most performance things in the saddle, there are usually MANY different factors at play. But before we go about throwing blanket exercises at the wall to see what sticks, it often helps a lot to determine WHY you body likes that particular position, so we can accurately do something about it.

A really simple way to think about this is bottom to top. Starting at the ankle is the most basic... if you don’t actually have the mobility to get into a heels down position, your body is going to find stability somewhere else. An easy check is a knee-to-wall test, see how far you can pull your foot back and still touch your knee to the wall without the heel lifting, then compare side to side. If one or both ankles are limited, that alone might be enough to explain what’s happening.

If you check that box, the next place I look is upper leg strength. Riding asks for a balance between quads and hamstrings to keep the lower leg where we want it. In their simplest mechanics, quads help you drive forward through the foot, hamstrings help bring the leg back, and a balance between the two helps you keep your lower leg in place and heels down. Things like a single leg sit to stand or a single leg hamstring bridge can tell you pretty quickly if one side is doing more of the work, or if you have enough strength overall.

And if all of that checks out, we look higher up. If you don’t have enough glute or trunk strength to stay tall and let the horse move under you, your body will usually default to trying to create security through the base, which is where heels creeping up often shows.

For most riding issues, the low hanging fruit is STILL strength work. If you’re not doing any, start there. If you are, running through a few simple screens like this can give you a much clearer answer than continuing to have your coach yell “Heels down” every 3.75 seconds.

Like these kinds of breakdowns? Let me know what I should do next in the comments!

01/25/2026

Looking for extra support in your riding routine? The Pleasure Rider program in the TEP Training app is specifically designed with peri- and post-menopausal women in mind. It combines heavy compound lifts, moderate explosive work, and short plyometric sessions; all the elements you need to stay strong in the saddle while balancing the unique challenges of midlife. You don’t have to sacrifice your passion for riding just because of shifting hormones or changing energy levels.

Menopause can surprise us with a variety of symptoms that may feel overwhelming at times. From vasomotor concerns like hot flashes and night sweats to gynecological or musculoskeletal changes that alter your comfort in (and out of) the saddle, it can start to feel like your body is working against you. But knowledge is power! If these symptoms are disrupting your daily life or riding goals, talk to your doctor about treatments that can help you manage them. Books like “The Menopause Manifesto” offer deeper insights into what’s happening beneath the surface, helping you stay informed and in control.

Building muscle and preserving bone density are vital for all athletes, but they become even more important as we enter menopause. Strong muscles keep your body resilient, your reaction time sharp, and your metabolic functions robust. Weight-bearing exercises support bone density, reducing the risk of fractures and keeping you confident, whether you’re mounting, jumping, or…falling😂. Although this carousel focuses on menopausal riders, these are simply solid training principles for everyone: lift heavy, move explosively, and rest enough to recover.

Midlife does not have to be a roadblock to your fitness or riding dreams…it’s an invitation to train smarter and embrace the power you already possess. By blending strategic strength work with proper recovery and honest conversations about your health, you can keep riding strong for years to come.

So if you’re ready for a targeted program that addresses the real challenges of menopause while preserving (or boosting) your ability to ride, check out The Pleasure Rider in the TEP Training app. Your horse (and your future self) will thank you.

01/18/2026

✨Enrolment for the 𝗧𝗘𝗣 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪! If you’re ready to build stronger, more responsive aids 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 locking up through your seat, this is for you. Check the link in my bio or comment "STRONG" get on the waitlist so you don't miss out on the limited spots! Enrolment is first come, first served, and only the waitlist will get tomorrow's invite. 😉

Now...have you ever felt like your seat is nice and soft 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 you go to apply an aid… and suddenly everything stiffens up?

There can be a few reasons for this, but one biggie is 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨. As we approach our max effort, our body instinctively braces the core to create a stable base for movement. Super useful in the gym or moving a couch, but less so in the saddle.

Why? Because a braced core = stiff seat = you getting tossed around.

So how do we challenge that pattern?

👉 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁: 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲. Deep belly breaths soften your core and allow your diaphragm and pelvic floor to move freely, which is a massive key for a soft, mobile seat.

👉 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗱𝘀. Research shows we brace more the closer we are to max capacity. If a certain aid takes, say 8 lbs of force (arbitrary number, don’t @ me😂), and that’s 80% of your strength? You’ll brace like hell. But say, instead, it only takes 40% of your capacity? It’s way easier to stay soft, because it's so far from your max.

👉 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱: 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱. Bending, twisting, and side-bending with load builds not just mobility, but confidence to move while maintaining some control and tension. That exposure helps your body stay relaxed in motion, even when things get spicy or require a high effort in the tack.

Try these out and let me know how it goes! Got a different strategy or lens? I’d love to hear it👇

LinkDM *015*

01/17/2026

Where do you think balance comes from?

Is “balance” some ethereal skill that you either have or you don’t? Or is it perhaps a representation of a larger composite of physical capacity and skill?

Riders who are unstable in the saddle are often told they need to train “balance“. But their first mistake is thinking that that somehow necessitates them standing on one leg on an unstable surface doing party tricks!

Our bodies don’t learn that way. Standing on one leg on an unstable surface doesn’t train you to do anything other than standing on one leg on an unstable service. And it certainly doesn’t build up physical capacity in any other areas.

We develop motor patterns, (kinda like “muscle memory”), through experience and repetition. Your brain learns how to follow the movement of a horse’s walk by having experienced that hundreds of times, and having messed it up along the way just as many times.

So the best way to build “balance“ for a specific skill like riding is to repeat that thing over and over until our brain starts to dial it in, having messed it up enough times to get the feedback needed to learn what to do, and what not to do.

Barring that, if you’re still struggling, we need to zoom out and look at what OTHER limiting factors may come up when someone lacks balance.

Motor patterning is one part of it, but if you have insufficient strength, power, reactivity, mobility, or other capacity for your brain to EXECUTE the motor pattern it’s trying to learn, then you’re gonna come into a roadblock.

Most people don’t need to stand on one leg or do exercises on a wobbly ball to train “balance“ specific to riding.

They need the power to move quickly, enough mobility be that they’re not getting blocked, reactivity, the cognitive capacity to juggle multiple things at once, and strength.

And then once those things are in place, they need to RIDE MORE in order to develop the motor patterns.

TEP TRAINING opens its doors for a limited enrollment to the waitlist this Monday. If you feel like something’s missing from your balance and you need some help, check the link in my bio for all the details and to add your name to be the first to know!

01/17/2026

Somehow out here trying to wrap my head around the fact that 2016 was 10 years ago 🤯

Started the year off with a bang, breaking my hand on a horse I probably shouldn’t have been riding🤦‍♀️

Graduated from my undergrad with a BSc in Animal Biology, and no idea what to do with it since I’d already been rejected twice from vet school.

We had one of the last babies born at my parents farm (on the day of my graduation), which had me running home because there was some worry due to his co tracked tendons (we had the vet consult and he turned out fine; my moms friend bought him and he now lives a couple country blocks away).

We had a lovely warm early spring, which meant patio weather in April (!!) and lots of mud pits for the boys to play in.

I worked my last year as a server/manager at the same restaurant I’d been in since starting my undergrad in 2012.

There was some music festivals, some backroad country nights, and I got to ride the lovely Bae over the summer, arranging a sale between her owner and a lovely young girl later that year.

Genuinely feels like it was yesterday, but at the same time, it’s also crazy what can happen in 10 years.

01/16/2026

Need a little help with your own strength or rehab? Next week doors open for TEP Training's next enrolment! Comment "READY" to join the waitlist!

If you’re experiencing undiagnosed pain while riding, my first advice is generally to see a sports physio or another qualified professional to assess the issue & develop a plan to address it properly.

That said, ankle & calf issues during riding are super common. Here are a few self-screening tests to help you identify potential contributing factors. Keep in mind, many factors can play into them, including training history, volume, intensity, previous injuries, tack or stirrup selection, & even riding discipline. This video covers some basic steps I’d take to screen someone with ankle or calf issues, but it’s a simplified approach, so please seek professional help if possible.

When addressing calf & ankle problems, we typically start by screening strength & mobility to identify deficits & determine a starting point. First up, the knee-to-wall test: measure how far your foot can be from the wall while still touching your knee to the wall without lifting your heel. Major restrictions or significant side-to-side differences indicate a mobility issue.

Next, check your ankle & midfoot inversion/eversion by placing both feet on the ground & twisting your body. Compare the range on each side & note any stiffness or limited movement.

Then, assess calf strength by performing unsupported single-leg calf raises. Compare the number you can do on each side, aiming for at least 10 per leg, ideally 25 to 30 if you participate in any jumping sport. If you can’t reach this, a general calf strengthening program might be a good place to start!

Finally, a single-leg hop test is useful for screening Achilles issues, particularly those related to storing & releasing energy. If this reproduces your pain, it’s may be an Achilles tendinopathy, which may require professional guidance & adjustments to your training volume.

These are basic starting points, but many factors, including issues up or down the chain, training volume, or equipment, can contribute to calf & ankle pain.

LinkDM *015*

01/14/2026

If form isn’t really about injury prevention, then what is it actually for?

Form and technique are way more about efficiency than anything else! Straight up mechanical advantage.

OR, sometimes biasing certain muscle groups or reducing compensation when the goal is to train something specific. And dialing for that CAN be useful, but it’s the last 5–10% of the equation, not the foundation.

“Good” technique is largely about physics more than "safety", contrary to popular opinion. We’re all just an arrangement of levers and pulleys, and there is a more and less efficient way for each of us to organize those levers. That will look different depending on proportions, structure, and context.

Which is why there is no universal “perfect” form! Just individual optimization.

But the other thing to remember is that life and riding do not happen in neat, textbook movement patterns.

Putting a saddle on doesn’t look like a clean overhead press. Picking out your horse’s feet is a far cry from a pristine deadlift. Leading, loading, mucking, carrying water buckets, mounting; all of it is awkward, asymmetrical, and a little bit messy.

Because of that, there are times where intentionally training with less-than-perfect form is actually beneficial! It teaches the body how to TOLERATE weird positions, off-centre loads, rotation, and asymmetry.

For a powerlifter, form and technique are going to matter a lot for performance. But their goal is different! They’re trying to move the maximum amount of weight as efficiently as possible.

For riders, the goal is more about riding performance and resilience. We’re not looking for perfect form; we're looking for physical capacity that translates to the saddle.

If lifting, riding, myth-busting, and evidence-informed strength and rehab are your jam, hit follow so you don’t miss what’s coming next!

01/14/2026

✨Does this resonate? TEP Training is opening it’s doors for the next round of enrolment Jan 19th! Comment TRAIN or check my bio to join the waitlist for first crack at limited spots!
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Specificity is a real thing, and a foundational principle we use when training for sport.

If you want to get better at riding specific skills, like seeing a stride, or timing a lead change, you need to RIDE. You need to practice that skill in order to improve it.

But riding is not strength training. Riding is not mobility training. And riding isn’t really aerobic training.

If you want to improve strength, you need to strength train. Riding does not provide sufficient stimulus to our muscles to create strength adaptations past a certain point. If you want to get stronger, you need to load your muscles at or near their capacity. Day to day riding just isn’t challenging enough for that. Sure, you might be sore after a competition or particularly hard lesson, but soreness isn’t strength adaptations.

If you want to improve your mobility, you need to strength train through full joint ranges and/or supplement with mobility training. Riding, for the most part, is performed in pretty limited postures. But, it does ask a lot of our mobility in order to get to those positions. So if you want to improve your ability to control yourself in the outer ranges of what your joints are capable of, you need to train it.

If you want to improve your aerobic base, you need to train cardio. Riding is, for the most part, a low intensity sport. Sure, there’s high intensity bouts, but how often do we practice those outside of competition? How often can we reasonably practice those without overloading our horses? If you need to perform at a high aerobic intensity for 2 minute, 5, 10, or even longer, you need to practice that.

Moral of the story? Riding is essential to become a better rider. Essential, but not sufficient. Sure, you can scrape by. But if you truly want to improve your performance, or accelerate your skill development, you need to build these blocks out of the tack, so that time in the saddle can be devoted to skill development. Not all these other things.

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The Equestrian Physio

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