The Balanced Rider

The Balanced Rider The Balanced Rider is run by Clare Howard who specialises in rider physiotherapy and biomechanics

Awesome day at Michelle Pack Equestrian Coach’s dressage camp at Sparsholt Equine Centre using Charisma their Racewood L...
05/04/2026

Awesome day at Michelle Pack Equestrian Coach’s dressage camp at Sparsholt Equine Centre using Charisma their Racewood Limited dressage and jumping simulator.

A super group of riders, loads of fun and learning. Can’t wait till next time.

03/04/2026

Exercise of the month: April

A few weeks ago the British Horse Society magazine asked me to be involved in a future article, asking for some rider relevant exercises.

I spoke to a few patients, and several suggested I do a monthly favourite exercise. So here’s the first of hopefully many to come.

I’m starting with my personal favourite. Shoulder joint and shoulder blade mobility with good posture.

Check out the video. Passing an object from hand to hand between your shoulder blades. If you’re just starting and you’re not feeling very flexible, start with passing a riding whip. When things get easier, try a dandy brush, or your phone or progress to touching finger tips.

I do this every day for approximately 10 reps.

Please be careful when you start a new exercise and if you have any underlying illness or injury it’s best to check with your GP or physical therapist. These exercises should not cause you any pain, if they do then STOP.

Super day with Team Naprous driving team and The Devil’s Horseman stunt team 💚💛
25/02/2026

Super day with Team Naprous driving team and The Devil’s Horseman stunt team 💚💛

“Are you sitting comfortably?”I’m very pleased to have been asked to contribute to an article in Horse & Hound this week...
19/02/2026

“Are you sitting comfortably?”
I’m very pleased to have been asked to contribute to an article in Horse & Hound this week on rider biomechanics.

Super article written by Catherine Welton, featuring Clare from The Balanced Rider, and fellow physios Sarah from Meadow Physio & Pilates, Jennifer from Pegasus Physiotherapy, Dr Jane Williams from Hartpury and Tamsin from Classical Rider Training

🌟Lovely start to 2026 🌟Super to catch up with Emma Bailey and Purdey 😀
05/01/2026

🌟Lovely start to 2026 🌟
Super to catch up with Emma Bailey and Purdey 😀

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Clare and Harry the Skeleton at The Balanced Rider 🎄🎄🎄
24/12/2025

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Clare and Harry the Skeleton at The Balanced Rider 🎄🎄🎄

I’ve always loved the Six-Bar class, it’s such a great test of athleticism, good training and partnership. Well this yea...
24/12/2025

I’ve always loved the Six-Bar class, it’s such a great test of athleticism, good training and partnership.

Well this year at The London International Horse Show I had even more to celebrate, as I had a connection with each of the three shared 1st place winners - the three riders choose to retire at the same height and share the prize 🏆

Max Kühner Sporthorses I have treated in my role as show-physio for minor aches and pains for several years at the UK 5* shows
Seb Hughes I had treated for a tiny ni**le just the night before
John Whitaker I have treated his awesome groom Kerry every opportunity I can get anytime we’re in the same place at the same time

Huge congratulations to Max Kühner and team at The London International Horse Show What a great week for him and his hor...
24/12/2025

Huge congratulations to Max Kühner and team at The London International Horse Show

What a great week for him and his horses! Super end to 2025!

FEI Worldcup winner, Six-Bar joint winner, and second in the Turkish Airlines Grand Prix

I’ve known Max for several years and he pops into see me as show-physio as needed at the UK 5* shows. He’s one of the best riders on the tour that works to improve his own fitness, symmetry, balance etc - makes the physio’s job incredibly easy.

He’s always very keen on working with his horses to find the best method for each individual horse. There’s definitely no “one size fits all”. His press conference epitomised this ““EIC Cooley Jump the Q was really with me today. I could feel what he was asking for and he was listening to me, so I could go fast and we were still always connected in a good way… it was a really good feeling today!"

I’m also incredibly lucky to treat his awesome groom Mariella - she’s so lovely and kind, and I’m always chuffed when she has time in her hectic schedule to see me 🤩🤩

P.S. thank you to Max for the bottle of Champagne Taittinger 🥂🥂 the photo isn’t my bottle - I’m saving it for Christmas; it belonged to a lovely couple in the champagne bar trying to celebrate their anniversary until I turned up and asked for a photo for social media 😳🫣😆😆😆🥂🥂🥂

Fabulous week as show-physio at The London International Horse Show Super busy as usual - so much so that we often use a...
24/12/2025

Fabulous week as show-physio at The London International Horse Show

Super busy as usual - so much so that we often use a buddy system i.e Paul Collier groom to Jack Whitaker and Hepburn super vet; who’ve known each other for years and are happy to share 🎄🎄🎄

I’ve often been asked how many people I see; it’s surprisingly consistent considering I operate a completely flexible variable diary
Number of days 5
Number of treatments 66
Percentage of riders, drivers, and grooms: everyone else is 61% : 39%

Feet and ankles often taken a battering at the horse shows. This is typically due to the long hours standing and walking...
23/12/2025

Feet and ankles often taken a battering at the horse shows. This is typically due to the long hours standing and walking, especially on concrete floors. Plus when people start to get tired after about day three accidents tend to occur, like tripping over your own feet and rolling over on your ankle.

Here we’ve got a rider, an FEI judge, a groom (Kerry John Whitaker’s groom), and a display rider

The London International Horse Show truly is the Christmas show of the showjumping world 🎄🥂🎄🥂 🎄With Christmas trees all ...
23/12/2025

The London International Horse Show truly is the Christmas show of the showjumping world 🎄🥂🎄🥂 🎄

With Christmas trees all over the show, even Harry the Skeleton was encouraged out of his comfy room and stop being bar-humbug 🎄😎🎄😎🎄

I particularly liked the and Stevenson Brothers Rocking Horses display outside the champagne bar 🎄🥂🎄🥂🎄

Cross country day at Defender Burghley Horse Trials - a busy day in the physio cabin but only minor aches and pains, for...
07/09/2025

Cross country day at Defender Burghley Horse Trials - a busy day in the physio cabin but only minor aches and pains, fortunately nothing serious 😎

This is Emma Thomas and Icarus flying over the Leafpit - I treated Emma everyday last year for a nasty injury she’d sustained just before the show; this year it was wonderful to see her in top fitness, not needing any physio at all 🤩

Clare Howard

Address

Bishop’s Waltham
Southampton
SO321BQ

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 8pm
Wednesday 11am - 8pm
Thursday 11am - 8pm
Friday 11am - 8pm

Telephone

07792569476

Website

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