Showgrounds Equestrian Centre

🐴 One of the most common questions we get in lessons is:

“What can I do at home to improve my riding when I’m not actually on the horse?”

And honestly… quite a lot. 👀

Riding fitness isn’t just about strength — it’s balance, coordination, mobility, posture, and body awareness. Even a few minutes at home working on those things can make a HUGE difference once you’re back in the saddle.

We’re posting a video below to help get you started. 💚

Amalia Dempsey 🐴 Horsemanship & Physiotherapist 1.3K likes, 49 comments. "Equestrian Rider Specific Exercises Workout | Easy at home 30 minute workout for equestrians 🏇🏼💪🏼"

🐴 Top Tip Tuesday 🐴

Your lower leg is basically the Wi-Fi connection between you and the horse.
If it’s swinging around like a windscreen wiper, the signal gets VERY confusing. 😅

One of the most common things riders do when learning is grip with the knees — and honestly, that’s completely normal. When we feel unbalanced or insecure, our instinct is to pinch to stay on.

The problem is, gripping with the knee actually lifts you out of the saddle, makes your lower leg less stable, and often causes it to swing backwards. Then the horse gets mixed messages from the leg aids, and the rider feels even less secure.

✨ Instead, try to:

- Let your weight drop softly into your heels
- Relax through the knee
- Allow your calf to rest quietly against the horse

A quiet lower leg creates a quieter rider… and usually a happier horse too. 💚🐎

Check out this article by Gillian Higgins

https://www.horsesinsideout.com/post/how-does-the-rider-s-position-in-the-saddle-affect-the-horse-s-musculoskeletal-health?srsltid=AfmBOoqkfJSmgLQdQQB0DaC1l4cFvenRAxJbR6UVRsNm0uaPWHMshKst

🐴 FRIDAY REMINDER 🐴

Not every riding lesson has to end with:
✔️ A perfect canter
✔️ A clear round
✔️ The right diagonal
✔️ A ribbon
✔️ A “good” ride

Sometimes a successful lesson looks like:
💚 Getting on when you were nervous
💚 Sitting that spooky moment and laughing afterwards
💚 Asking questions
💚 Patting your horse instead of getting frustrated
💚 Trying again after a hard week
💚 Simply showing up

Horses are very good at teaching us that progress isn’t always loud.

Some days are confidence days.
Some days are learning days.
Some days are just horse therapy with extra steps.

And honestly? All of those days count 🐎✨

🐴 TOP TIP TUESDAY 🐴

Hay first. Happier horses. 💚

One of the kindest things you can do for a horse in a stable is make sure they have access to hay.

Horses are designed to eat little amounts almost constantly throughout the day. In the wild, they spend hours grazing and moving — not standing with an empty stomach waiting for their lesson.

When horses stand without forage for long periods, we can start to see:
❌ Stress and frustration
❌ Grumpy behaviour
❌ Ulcer risk increasing
❌ Horses becoming unsettled when ridden

That’s one reason we love horses having hay before they work. A horse with a comfortable stomach is usually a happier, softer and more relaxed horse to ride.

If your lesson horse is tied up waiting and you feel confident to do so:
✔️ Grab them a hay bag
✔️ Top up an empty net
✔️ Help them relax before their lesson

It might seem like a little thing… but to the horse, it’s a BIG thing 💚

Happy stomach = happier horse 🐎