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

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

08/31/2026

Let’s talk about this trend of using bands or KT tape to get riders to “correct“ their position in the saddle.

First off, remember that these “tools” are just that, tools. They can be used well, AND they can be used poorly.

The way I see it, there are five things that typically build into our effectiveness as a rider. Strength, mobility, endurance, body awareness/control, and skill.

Typically, using bands or K tape to help facilitate a rider into a more symmetrical or effective position addresses the "body awareness" component. By strategically challenging the rider’s awareness of a certain area, or bringing their attention to it, we can help facilitate them to correct any positional “fault”.

The problem is, using these things in isolation ignores the OTHER components. If you don’t have the strength to hold yourself in that position, or the mobility to get yourself in that position in the first place, and you force yourself there with bands or tape, you’re not actually fixing anything. You’re just trying to build a house without a foundation.🤷‍♀️

When these things are applied with intention and a good understanding of how the rider will typically react to them (which will go over and part two), AND the rider has the prerequisite strength, mobility, and control, they can be really useful. But not as a blanket solution without working on those other components through off-horse resistance and mobility work.

And if you need a little help getting started with those other pieces (strength, mobility, power, endurance), you're in the right place! Follow for more training tips, and check the link in my bio to start your 7 day trial for my group training program, TEP Training!

08/30/2026

Let’s bring back this oldie but goodie…

I had someone reach out to me over DM‘s, asking if I could do a video on some exercises to train to be able to mount 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. And, it's I believe it's still good to do occasionally to train your horse to handle it as much as yourself:)

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

First off, we 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, with full knee and hip flexion, and usually some spinal flexion as well. And yes, the shorter you are or taller your horse, the more you need.

Next, we 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.

Plus, 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, we need to have stability & rotational ROM through the upper hip (notice I didn’t say left, because ideally, you should mount from BOTH sides) in order to stabilize us as we swing our leg over.

And that’s just some of the basics.

It’s actually a substantial athletic skill 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-horse strength training.

Like I said, even if we don't mount from the ground regularly, but we ABLE to.

Need help getting started? Check the link in my bio or comment MOUNT for your own free 7 Day trial to my group training program!

LinkDM *037*

08/28/2026

Want to get the most out of your strength work without tanking your performance when you’re deep in competition season?

It all comes down to managing volume (total sets, reps and lifts) so your strength training supports your riding instead of stacking more stress on top.

Off-season or lighter weeks are your window to build a solid foundation and add some more volume. We need this piece to build the surplus of strength, capacity and tissue resilience which will carry us through the year.

In-season, though, ee dial it back. Keep the intensity, but trim the volume. That way, you still get the benefits of lifting (power, coordination, tissue health) without tipping into overload! We’re aiming to maintain or create small gains through a minimal effective dose of resistance work, while leaving enough in the tank for your in-season riding demands.

It’s all about prioritizing your needs based on the season. We need to build at some point, but building (I.e. higher volume training) ALSO stresses the body, and that's not necessarily something we want when we're trying to perform. And if we push too much when other stressors (like show season) are in the picture, we risk pushing over the edge.

In the TEP Training programs, we use a 2+1 format, during the competitive season (or just busy seasons like summer):

✨2 focused strength sessions
✨1 optional lift if the week allows.

Short, intentional workouts designed to maintain and build, without blowing up your nervous system when you’re already balancing high riding volume and show stress.

If you're interested to learn more about how we periodize training, or give your own 7 Day Free Trial a try, check out the link in my bio !

08/27/2026

I hear the story from sooooo many patients. Whether it's arthritis, spondylolisthesis, stenosis, or degenerative disc disease, the go-to suggestion many riders get is some version of "just stop riding."

For most of us, whether we're 14 or 78, that's just not a realistic answer!

And as a physiotherapist, if you're able to keep moving safely, I don't love the idea of pulling someone away from their primary form of physical activity, WHATEVER it is. Movement is medicine, and finding a way to keep doing what you love (while managing the underlying issue) is almost always the goal.

Of course, if your medical team has advised against riding for a specific reason, that guidance comes first. But if you're navigating pain that flares with riding and looking for strategies to work alongside your medical care, here are the pillars I lean on with my own patients:

LOAD MANAGEMENT: joint changes like arthritis or DDD don't usually hurt all the time, just with certain stimuli. The tissue isn't the problem, the load is. So the job becomes finding a tolerable load, starting there, and progressing slowly.

MOBILIZE: when we're in pain, we tend to become protective of an area and start guarding our range of motion. Low load mobility work helps re-expose that range, dampening pain and calming the nervous system's fear response.

STRENGTHEN: building the muscles surrounding a compromised area has multiple benefits. The act of strengthening is pain-relieving on its own, and stronger surrounding muscles can share the load with a joint that would otherwise take the brunt of every impact.

GRADED EXPOSURE: this is the piece where we slowly rebuild tolerance over time, incrementally reintroducing impact, load, and range so the body can meet the demands of riding again.

If you've been dealing with rider pain or a lumbar issue that's holding you back, and your medical team is supportive of you staying active, I'd love to help.

Comment "STRONG" and I'll send you the link to start a free trial of TEP Training. On top of our discipline-specific programs, we also feature progressive low back rehab and mobility programs for when your lumbar area needs a little extra love 🤍

LinkDM *036*

08/25/2026

Comment "TILT" for a link to my FREE GUIDE on APT and pelvic positioning🤘

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

Most people, and women especially, naturally have some degree of APT. But at the same time, research shows no strong evidence linking our preferred pelvic position to pain or poor performance.

More often 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 (MAY) lead to discomfort or overload. Pain is rarely about posture ALONE, and there can be a LOT of varying contributing factors, like doing too much, too fast without allowing your body to adapt, or regularly working beyond your bodies capacity.

When we look at the research, we can debunk quite a few of the APT myths that like to float around...
• 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 (probably because of how much it's talked about on social media). But usually, 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 *035*

08/24/2026

How long do you want to keep riding? For most of us, riding makes up a significant portion of our life. It’s more than just a hobby. It’s our social life, stress outlet, a therapeutic connection to the horse and satisfies our competitive goals.

Many riders I ask tell me they wish to stay in the saddle for as long as possible. But what does that look like?

Do you just leave it up to chance and hope for the best, or do you do everything in your power to ensure you’re still comfortable swinging your leg over the cantle in the next few decades?

It’s no surprise injuries, arthritis, spinal changes and other factors compound as we age. But when I talk to riders, that’s often NOT the reason folks slowly stop riding. It’s the fear of fall or injury, or a lack of stamina/strength, that eventually overcomes us.

But what frustrates me is that so much of that is PREVENTABLE. Sarcopenia and osteopenia (muscle & bone loss) are both highly prevalent conditions in the aging population.

Often, these “diseases of deconditioning” progress over decades, and slowly build simply because we STOP doing things that challenge our body. I’m not denying that it takes more effort to build muscle mass or bone density as we age, but the beautiful thing about being biological is that we NEVER loose the capacity to rebuild and adapt. And on top of that, if we start early enough, we can avoid most of that loss altogether!

Cross training out of the saddle is what allows you to build that muscle mass and bone density when you’re younger, or rebuild it even when we’re older. Unfortunately, riding itself isn’t often enough of a stimulus to build muscle or bone, but if we cross train, we can make those investments into our long term health and ENSURE we give ourselves the best possible chance of still swinging ourselves into the saddle into our seventh, eighth or even ninth decades

Which is why I built something to help. The PLEASURE RIDER program in the TEP Training app is specifically designed for the masters athlete in mind, but all the programs would be suitable to help prevent muscle and bone loss. Interested to learn more? Comment STRONG and I’ll send you all the details!

LinkDM *034*

08/23/2026

The imposter syndrome hits hard sometimes....

Sometimes when I'm watching my lifts back to myself, or even looking at the weight on the bar, I can't help the thoughts creeping in.

I 'should' be able to squat more - I've spent years squatting, and there are women out there who can just show up to the gym after months off, throw a couple 45's on, and get under it! Meanwhile, I'm over here still working on my technique and struggling with 120lbs and my long ass femurs...

And it keeps going...

I 'should' have a full chin up by now...
My technique 'should' be better...
I 'should' be confident around a 3'6" course...
I 'should' be able to run a 5k in under 30 min...

But the reality is, SHOULD has nothing to do with it!

There's a phrase I love from , and it simply goes... EFFORT > OUTCOME.

Our bodies learn and adapt at their own pace. We gain strength and build muscle at whatever rate our training, recovery and genetics dictate. We grow our skills through time and repetition. But in all these areas, there will always be those who are more 'natural', seem to adapt better, learn faster, or get stronger more quickly than the rest of us.

And THAT'S OK! There's a lot of things we can't control... genetics, age, some environmental or social factors... but what we can control is the EFFORT we show up with.

Saying you "should" have reached a certain level or accomplished something by some arbitrary timeline means nothing in the grand scheme of things. You have very little control over how fast you pick things up or gain strength or skill... but you do have control over the effort you put into building that strength or skill. Lean into that. Celebrate your effort, not the arbitrary achievement.

What "should" do you struggle with? Comment it below and lets chat⬇️

08/21/2026

A super common comment I get when doing intakes with new 1:1 clients, when I ask about their goals, or what they feel is “lacking” in their performance. The answer almost inevitably has something to do with “core strength”.

And while there’s no denying that core strength is absolutely a necessary component of riding, it is not THE ONLY component that needs to be addressed when looking at performance impairments.

There is SO👏 MUCH 👏 MORE👏 that goes into an effective rider than core strength.

If you’re dealing with an issue in the saddle, you have to look at the WHOLE picture and ask yourself where you might be falling short.

• Do you have sufficient strength in the muscle groups required to be effective in the saddle?

• Do you have the mobility to effectively GET your body to the position it needs to be in, and control it there?

• Do you have the awareness to effectively KNOW where your body is in the tack? Where your lower leg is placed and how much weight is in each seatbone? And on top of that, do you have the capacity to CONTROL it?

• Do you have the POWER (strength x speed) to get your body where it needs to be in the time you have? In a 15 second barrel run, or split second to ask for a flying change, can you effectively provide the aid or stability you need to achieve that?

• Do you have the ENDURANCE to hold your body where it needs to be, and sustain the output required? Whether that be for a 15 second pattern, 8 minute dressage test, 10 minute cross country course or 8 hour endurance race?

• And lastly (and this is the only one that can exclusively be trained in the saddle), do you have the SKILL to predict the horses movement? To feel what’s going on beneath you and respond? To know how to time your aids or master that movement?

Yes, not saying core strength isn’t important here... but there’s a lot more to being an effective rider than just rock hard abs🤷‍♀️

08/21/2026

A super common comment I get when doing intakes with new 1:1 clients, when I ask about their goals, or what they feel is "lacking" in their performance. The answer almost inevitably has something to do with "core strength".

And while there's no denying that core strength is absolutely a necessary component of riding, it is not THE ONLY component that needs to be addressed when looking at performance impairments.

There is SO👏 MUCH 👏 MORE👏 that goes into an effective rider than core strength.

If you're dealing with an issue in the saddle, you have to look at the WHOLE picture and ask yourself where you might be falling short.

• Do you have sufficient strength in the muscle groups required to be effective in the saddle?

• Do you have the mobility to effectively GET your body to the position it needs to be in, and control it there?

• Do you have the awareness to effectively KNOW where your body is in the tack? Where your lower leg is placed and how much weight is in each seatbone? And on top of that, do you have the capacity to CONTROL it?

• Do you have the POWER (strength x speed) to get your body where it needs to be in the time you have? In a 15 second barrel run, or split second to ask for a flying change, can you effectively provide the aid or stability you need to achieve that?

• Do you have the ENDURANCE to hold your body where it needs to be, and sustain the output required? Whether that be for a 15 second pattern, 8 minute dressage test, 10 minute cross country course or 8 hour endurance race?

• And lastly (and this is the only one that can exclusively be trained in the saddle), do you have the SKILL to predict the horses movement? To feel what's going on beneath you and respond? To know how to time your aids or master that movement?

Yes, not saying core strength isn't important here... but there's a lot more to being an effective rider than just rock hard abs.

The Equestrian Physio

08/31/2026

08/30/2026

08/28/2026

08/27/2026

08/25/2026

08/24/2026

08/23/2026

08/21/2026

08/21/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request