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

The Equestrian Physio, Guelph, Guelph, ON (2025)

12/28/2025

At #3 for our top posts of 2025... the WATER BAG analogy. And honestly, you guys really blew me away with how this resonated:
..You *can* become a more effective, softer, more capable rider just by riding more. You’ll get there eventually.

But… it’ll be at the expense of your horse putting up with you pulling them off balance, slamming their back, or dominating one rein until you figure it out.

Or...you COULD take the closest thing we have to a shortcut, and train your strength, mobility, and body awareness out of the saddle🤷‍♀️

Here's a little example of why it matters.
I used a 17lb water bag in this video to represent a rider who isn’t strong enough to match their horse’s movement. Like the water sloshing around, that rider’s body is always a step behind or ahead. Flapping legs, bouncing seats, pumping torsos. The horse has to waste energy just managing them.

BUT WHAT IF I swap it for a 20lb solid weight? Even though it was actually a bit heavierheavier, it moved with me. Like a rider who can sit quietly, match the horse’s rhythm, and support without conflicting their movement. That rider is WAY easier for the horse to carry, allowing them to go faster, jump higher, and stay sounder.

Yes, timing, feel, and skill come from saddle time. That is very true. But without the physical CAPACITY to hold your position, follow the movement, and generate power when needed, your timing means nothing.

And the fastest, most effective way to build those qualities? The gym.

If you're looking for some help in that lane, but don't know where to start, that's EXACTLY what I've built TEP Training for. It's a comprehensive training program with discipline specific training program, a comprehensive onboarding process to help you build new habits and confidence in the gym, on-demand resources including riding biomechanics, training and rehab principles, and more. If anything is your shortcut, it's this.

Comment "WAITLIST" to join! Doors open JANUARY 19th!

LinkDM *013*

12/27/2025

You’re allowed to have barriers.

You’re allowed to worry and struggle with the fact that you don’t have access to a gym within 10 miles of your house, or you can’t afford the membership.

You’re allowed to struggle with the fact that with 6 horses to ride today, 3 kids to get to school and a mother in law to take care of that personal time is a precious commodity.

You’re allowed to sit down at the end of the day and have a genuine internal struggle that your KNOW you would benefit from working out, but summoning the “willpower” is like slogging through molasses in January.

Limitations and barriers are real. Ignoring them with bu****it like “we all have the same 24 hours” is not the way.

But at the same time, to quote , “The prize for fighting for your limitations is you get to keep them”.

Limitations are allowed. The struggle is allowed. What’s NOT allowed is shutting your brain off to the possibility of “what if?”. When dealing with barriers, getting CURIOUS is the real superpower.

“What if I just did one set?”
“What if I just bought some bands and did exercises around the barn?”
“What if I cut my ride by 10 min to fit in a few exercises for myself?”

Instead of saying, “I can’t because…”, get CREATIVE and start brainstorming all the crazy and fantastic ways you COULD! And you might surprise yourself with how much possibility there actually was.

I knew I wasn’t going to have all the equipment I needed for this workout. The holidays at the cottage meant I was squeezing this one in. But instead of seeing the lack of med ball or squat rack as a barrier, I got curious and started thinking, “What could I sub in for med ball?“, “What can I do chin ups off around here?“. And while it may not have been perfect, it was 1000 times better than doing nothing.

Curiosity and creativity are superpowers. If you’re struggling with barriers, just taking a moment to switch on your curiosity can make all the difference in the world.

Drop a follow if this one resonates❤️

12/27/2025

Coming in at #4 on our top posts of 2025... we're chatting about the LOW BACK BUFFER.
Comment "TRAIN" for a link to my guide on pelvic tilt and my favourite low back exercises!

Do you sometimes feel like you flop around like a dying fish in the saddle?

The missing link might be between your back and your pelvis!

Take the way I explain things to riders; think of everything from your hips to your low back as belonging to your horse’s BACK. This part of your body’s job is to absorb and adapt to the motion coming up from the horse.

Everything from your ribcage up is for following the horse’s head and neck. The lower and upper body are like two separate systems in a reciprocal motion. They feed off each other, but they need to operate INDEPENDENTLY.

To ride effectively, especially in gaits like sitting trot, collected canter, or extended gaits, you need the ability to DISSASOCIATE those two areas. Meaning: your lower back needs to move one way, and your upper body needs to move another, without one spilling into each other.

This requires a high degree of mobility in the low back and pelvis so you can follow the horse’s motion fluidly. But... mobility alone isn’t enough! You also need strength in that same area to actually control and absorb those forces so you’re not just getting tossed around.

If you lack mobility, you’ll hit your range limit in you're low back and compensate elsewhere (bouncing butt and flailing upper body). If you lack strength, the force coming up from the horse will overpower you, and you’ll lose stability and get bounced that way instead.

And you're horse is the one who takes the percussion. Riders slamming down or collapsing through the seat can lead to discomfort, bracing, and very likely shortened strides.

So if you’re struggling to sit the trot, or keep getting pitched in bigger gaits, it’s worth checking in on your trunk mobility and control. Because riding well is all rooted in having the capacity to not only absorb the motion, but isolate it as well.

LinkDM *012*

12/26/2025

Rolling in our 2025 Countdown of my most popular posts, we have #5! Comment "TRAIN" for my guide to pelvic tilt and training the low back!

Contrary to popular belief, our backs are DESIGNED to bend. They are DESIGNED to handle load, transfer forces, absorb impact and generate a wide range of movement on their own.

So why does traditional strength training tropes, (and equestrianism too), emphasize the myth of a “neutral spine”?

“Don’t let your spine flex or you’ll wear out your discs…”
“That amount of impact is a great way to destroy your back…”
“My doctor said I had the spine of an 80 year old…”

Even in the equestrian world, where it seems very counterintuitive to expect a body on a MOVING and BOUNCING horse to maintain stability with a ridged, “neutral” spine, that kind of language is emphasized all the time.

It’s no secret that low back pain is one of the most prevalent conditions among riders, but sometimes I wonder… WHAT IF we don’t all have back pain because riding is “wearing out” our back, but instead we struggle with back pain because we haven’t PREPARED and EXPOSED our backs to HANDLE the kinds of movement and forces we’re forced to handle in the saddle?

Think about it – if we NEVER practice flexing our spines under load, or training our backs to absorb impact in all kinds of ranges, then why do we expect to be able to handle it in the saddle? Spoiler alert, we can’t.

So we get overloaded. Our tissues get pi**ed off. And we get pain.

You can see it in the videos. I’m not even riding massive jumps or above average movers here, and I STILL need to move my spine a fair bit to absorb those forces and match the horses movement.

But if we OVER-ENGINEER our backs to handle those forces - we build them to handle 2 or 3 times what we are exposed to in the saddle - then maybe, we’d all suffer from a little less back pain.

Just a thought🤷🏻‍♀️

LinkDM *012*

12/25/2025

And next in our 2025 Countdown of my most popular posts, we have #6! Comment "TILT" for a link to my FREE GUIDE on APT to get you started building that resilience💪.

Anterior pelvic tilt (APT) gets a bad reputation in the equestrian world, but it's not the demon you think!

Most people naturally have some degree of APT, and research shows no strong evidence linking it to pain or poor performance.

And from what I see, the issue isn’t where your pelvis naturally likes to rest, but how well it MOVES. Riding requires your pelvis to transition fluidly between APT and posterior pelvic tilt (PPT).

In sitting trot or canter, this movement helps absorb the horse’s suspension. At the walk, your pelvis needs to swing side to side to match the motion of the horse’s stride.

If you lack mobility through this range (or don’t have the strength and control to support it) your body will find ways to compensate. Over time, this MAY lead to discomfort or overload. Pain is rarely about posture ALONE. There can be a LOT of varying contributing factors. Doing too much, too fast, without allowing your body to adapt, or regularly working beyond your bodies capacity.

When we look at the research, a few things are clear:
• APT doesn’t correlate with low back pain (Chun et al., 2017; Dieck et al., 1985).
• Weak abs or glutes don’t cause APT (Walker et al., 1987; Mills et al., 2015).
• Tight hip flexors aren’t the sole reason for APT (Schache et al., 2000).

I find a lot of riders fixate on correcting their APT, or holding APT as the “root cause” or their pain. But what matters far more than“fixing” your pelvic tilt is building mobility, strength, & resilience so your body can handle the demands of riding. We NEED to have the mobility to match the horses motion, & the strength to absorb those forces.

If you’re feeling restricted or uncomfortable in the saddle, it’s worth exploring how to improve your mobility and control. Let’s focus on what your body CAN do & build from there.

LinkDM *012*

12/24/2025

Next on the 2025 Countdown, we have #7!

Want to hear more about my take on this topic?
Comment "MOUNT" and I'll send you the link to my podcast where I give this topic a deep, critical dive!

Let’s bring back this oldie but goodie… Did you know this is actually one of the first videos I ever made? I have a feeling it continues to be popular because of *gasp* the controversy of mounting from the ground.

Now, as an aside, I don’t think riders should regularly mount from the ground if they have access to a mounting block, but I think all riders SHOULD be able to mount from the ground for shows, trails or emergencies. Plus, it’s a really good test of sufficient strength and mobility to be able to mount from BOTH sides.

So, let’s break this down. What do we actually need to be able to mount from the ground?

First off, you need to have the hip, knee, and ankle mobility to actually get your foot up into the stirrup. That is a high level of mobility. So over the next little while, we’ll dive into some exercises to assess, and then work towards that.

Next, you need to have enough strength in your glutes and quads to lift your entire body weight off the ground. This is like doing a very deep, single leg squat.
You need to have some plyometric or ballistic capacity in your down leg to give yourself a few hops in order to generate enough momentum to start pushing yourself up.

As you bring your leg over, you need to have stability and rotational range of motion through your upper hip (notice I didn’t say left, because ideally, you should mount from BOTH sides) in order to stabilize you as you swing your leg over.

And that’s just some of the basics.
It’s actually a fairly athletic skills to demonstrate mounting from the ground without hauling your body with your arm arms, kicking your horse in the hind end, and pulling your saddle over.

If this is something you struggle with, or even the thought of trying it makes you nervous, it might be time to look at some off or strength training. Like I said, we don’t need to mount from the ground regularly, but we ABLE to.

LinkDM *014*

12/23/2025

Rolling in at number 8 in our Top Posts of 2025...
Drop a follow so you don't miss any of the countdown!

One of the biggest gym mistakes I see riders make?
Trying to MIMIC riding in the gym.

Standing in two-point on a Bosu ball or wobbling on your tiptoes doesn’t prep your body for the saddle. It may look a little like riding, but resemblance ≠ relevance.

Strength and conditioning isn’t about copying the sport. It’s about building CAPACITY, so your muscular, aerobic, and neurological systems can handle MORE than what riding demands.

That’s what builds RESILIENCE. When you build a solid foundation off the horse, you stop using the horse as your training tool. Remember, the horse is NOT your gym. Ideally, you show up with enough STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, and MOBILITY that riding doesn’t challenge those systems much.

Think about it like this: if you’re riding at 50% of your neuromuscular capacity, saddle time stays focused on developing SKILL and PARTNERSHIP. But if each ride pushes you to 100%? There's no way you can focus on skill building when you’re just trying to survive 😂

So use the gym to build your capacity, NOT to replicate the sport. That means:
• Lift weights that actually challenge you
• Rest long enough to repeat quality reps
• Train strength, power, mobility, and aerobic capacity (and no, these don't have to "look" like riding, but they can minic the demands)
• Be consistent. Be intentional. Be progressive.

The gym won’t make you a better rider directly, but it WILL give you the tools to train more effectively IN the saddle.
Better capacity off the horse = better progress on the horse.

If this hits home, I will be opening the doors to The Equestrian Physio Training App again January 19th!

If you're don't hoping from one bootcamp to another and looking for real, progressive training you don't have to think about, COMMENT "READY" and I'll send you the link to join the list! Can't wait to see you in there:💪

LinkDM *013*

12/22/2025

Aannnddd rolling in at #9...
This one honestly remains a top post each year, and I've been reposting it for three years!

There are lots of reason a rider might struggle with their toes seemingly flapping out in the wind.

While any form/performance issue may be due to a multitude of factors, one I often see related to toes pointing out is a lack of hip internal rotation!

In order to have your thigh, knee and toe nicely aligned and forward in the saddle, we need to have sufficient hip mobility, specifically INTERNAL rotation in a FLEXED position, to allow the leg to sit this way.

If you’d like to test this on yourself, set yourself up on the edge of a chair or table. Stick a yoga block, foam roller, or really anything between your knees, and see how much you can lift your heels out to the side. Film yourself, or do this in front of a mirror, and compare side to side as well as overall range. You can also do this lying down if you find yourself twisting through your back too much in sitting.

If you find you struggle with range, or asymmetry between the hips, or find it difficult to hold the position, this may be a good area to work on. And to keep things simple, the test that you use for hip internal rotation can also become an exercise for it! Add a band around your ankles if you want to make the exercise a bit harder as you progress.

Keep in mind that hip mobility is only one of a multitude of reasons why a rider might struggle with toes pointing out. Motor control of the hip muscles, individual anatomy, knee rotation and control, and ankle mobility are also all potential reasons why you might struggle with keeping your toes aligned. A qualified rehab professional like a physiotherapist or a chiropractor can often help you distinguish between these impairments, so you can focus your performance rehab on the right target. Regardless, working on hip internal rotation strength and control is often a beneficial exercise for equestrians!

Looking for a little help getting your own strength and mobility on point in the new year? TEP Training opens again January 19th! COMMENT "STRONG" for the link to join, and I can't wait to see you in there!

LinkDM *013*

12/22/2025

At number 10 on the 2025 Top Posts countdown…

One of the key things I often emphasize as part of my programming is picking and dosing appropriate exercises for what your body is capable of.

But how do we test that? How do we figure out what our body actually IS capable of?

Considering the gold standard for testing strength is isokinetic dynamometry, but those are pretty hard for the average person to gain access to, I use other tests and movements as a proxy for assessing strength.

We select movements that bias certain muscle groups, and because we are using repetitions to failure or holds to failure as our testing point, it’s more of a strength-endurance test than a true strength test.

But it’s still incredibly useful to have SOME objective data. Some of the tests that I like to use with my clients include;

🔸30 second Single leg sit to stand, which biases more the quads and glutes or a squat pattern movement. I like to see a min of 12-15

🔸Hamstring bridge to failure to bias more of the posterior chain. I like to see a min of 20-30 reps.

🔸Copenhagen plank to failure to bias the groin muscles

🔸 Side plank to failure to bias the lateral chain. I aim for 60-90 seconds min.

🔸 Calf raise to failure - I like to see around 30 if performed on a downward angle.

Through all of these, I like to see less than a 10% difference side to side, and if a rider struggles to hit these minimums or has a big asymmetry, it often gives us a place to start and sheds some light on what they are struggling with in the saddle.

Looking for a more comprehensive breakdown to test (and track) all these tests for yourself? Comment SYMMETRY and I’ll send you the link to download this screen in full (and the YouTube videos that walk you through in more detail!) Plus an accompanying PDF and spreadsheet to track your score and compare to target baselines for riders!

LinkDM *005*

12/21/2025

Coming in at #11 in our top posts of 2025...

Body awareness is a key component to clear aids and movement in the saddle. But if you don’t understand the individual movement of each joint, it gets very hard to understand how each contributes to your position, let alone how to control them.

If we focus on the lower body only, rotation at the hip, knee and ankle are pretty essential for determining where and how we apply our aids, or even how well our leg can lay against the side of the horse.

Obviously you’re not actually going to move in this exaggerated manner while riding, but next time your in the saddle, see if you can isolate each movement to get the feel for how it’s controlled. You may find it’s really hard to move one area without spilling over to another, or that one side is harder to move or more restricted. Often these can be small clues to performance or position issues we’re dealing with in the saddle, and identifying these areas can give us something to work on to correct them!

This is also why I LOVE resistance training for equestrians. Naturally, when you’re training your body though various movement patterns a regularly, focusing on your body’s control and form, you’ll pick these things up as well! Strength isn’t the only thing you gain from off-horse resistance training —body awareness and mobility are key components, too.

If you’re looking to get started in your off horse training journey, TEP Training will be opening the next enrollment for the Training App on January 19th! You can check for all the details through the link in my bio or comment "READY" to join the waitlist!

LinkDM *013*

12/21/2025

And we’re LIVE. Kicking off our Top Posts countdown for 2025 with number 12. Follow along for the rest of the countdown as we work our way through the top posts of 2025!

“Why can’t I sit the trot like that?”

For a lot of riders, sitting trot feels like something you just have to survive.

It’s almost treated like a punishment. Three laps in two-point if you messed up. Three laps sitting trot if your trainer really wanted to drive a point home.

Of course, it’s framed as a way to “strengthen” your seat and legs (and if you’ve seen my other content, you already know my thoughts on that 🙄), but it always felt like endurance, not skill.

Like most riders, I bounced along with shaky hands and daylight between me and the saddle, gritting my teeth and waiting for it to be over.

Later, when I reached a level where sitting trot was required in tests, everything fell apart. The moment I sat, my connection disappeared. I’d hang on until the next transition or medium trot so I could rise again.

Then one day, weirdly, it just clicked.

My seat stayed secure. I felt like I was doing something with my body instead of bracing against the motion.And years later, with more education in biomechanics and training, I finally understood why.

First, I was stronger. My legs could actually hold me. My posterior chain could support my trunk without gripping or collapsing.

But more importantly, I UNDERSTOOD the TIMING.

It wasn’t about sitting tighter or shrinking the trot to manage it. It was about letting the pelvis ROLL into slight posterior tilt as the horse suspended between diagonals. Absorbing motion through the hips instead of trying to freeze it. Using strength to support movement, not brace against it.

Honestly, I think the whole industry would benefit if riders learned this off the horse first. Once you feel it in your own body, it finally makes sense in the saddle.

Remixed from content by

12/20/2025

What do we actually need to mount from the ground? I did a post looking at the mobility & strength demands of mounting from the ground a while ago, and despite the controversy of *gasp* not using a mounting block, I still firmly maintain that the ability to mount from the ground on BOTH sides is not only a safety thing, but is also a good screen of our mobility & strength.

So these videos are intended to help you screen and work on these requirements:) In the first few parts, we’ve been looking at screening and addressing some lower leg mobility.

Now we’re getting into the meat of it. The actual strength it takes to get on. Mounting from the ground is essentially a full depth, single leg squat (With a little help from your hands and bottom leg). It requires a large amount of quad, glute, and calf strength to lift your body up. Exercises like this sit-to-stand, or box step ups, progressed slowly over months to years can help you build the strength to do this. It’s not sexy, but the basics work.

Remember, these exercises are not going to be a quick fix. If you’ve struggled with these impairments for a long time, you should expect it to take weeks to months (or even years) of consistent effort to see changes.

Also, please note this is not medical advice and not individualized. This is just a general overview of some hip mobility tools. While these exercises might be a bit uncomfortable or stiff, if you experience pain with any of these exercises, please stop and consult a health professional in your area.

Looking for a little help getting started building the strength and mobility to meet these demands? Comment "READY" and I'll send you all the info on the TEP Training System! A fully decked out training app for equestrians with discipline specific programs so you're never left guessing, on demand rehab and mobility so you always have what you need at your fingertips, forums to get personalized feedback and keep you engaged and accountable, and more!

LinkDM *013*

The Equestrian Physio

12/28/2025

12/27/2025

12/27/2025

12/26/2025

12/25/2025

12/24/2025

12/23/2025

12/22/2025

12/22/2025

12/21/2025

12/21/2025

12/20/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category