Core Strength: The Foundation for Every Horse, in Every Discipline
Core Strength: The Foundation for Every Horse, in Every Discipline
When you hear “core strength for horses,” do you picture rehab cases or horses coming back from injury?
It’s a common belief — but the truth is, core work isn’t just rehab… it’s performance work.
No matter if your horse is a happy hacker, a dressage partner, or a jumper, their core strength is the foundation that allows them to move comfortably, stay balanced, and give you their best.
Why core strength matters
Without a strong core, horses find other ways to hold themselves together: bracing through the neck, overusing the shoulders, or hollowing the back.
The result?
Wobbly transitions
Loss of balance through turns
A tendency to trip or stumble
More wear and tear on joints and ligaments
Just like us, when the deep stabilisers aren’t doing their job, the body cheats — and performance (and comfort) suffers.
What it means for your discipline
💜 Hackers
Fewer stumbles and trips on uneven ground
Better balance and posture on hills
A horse that feels more comfortable and secure under you
🖤 Dressage riders
Improved engagement and self-carriage
Straighter lines, smoother transitions and more even lateral work
The ability to truly move back-to-front instead of front-to-back
💛 Jumpers
Stronger bascule over fences
More lift through the shoulder
Safer, more balanced landings that protect the joints
Core strength doesn’t change what your horse does — it changes how well they can do it.
The science bit (made simple)
Your horse’s core muscles:
Protect the spine
Support the back so it doesn’t hollow or drop
Transfer power efficiently from the hindquarters through to the forehand
👉 Without activation, the back drops, the abdominals switch off, and weight shifts onto the forehand.
👉 With activation, the spine is protected, the back lifts, and the dorsal spinous processes (the bones) are evenly spaced — creating the strength and suppleness needed for every movement.
So how do you build it?
The good news: core strength can be trained from the ground, in simple stable-based exercises.
A few examples:
Asking your horse to back up slowly for 5–10 steps
Encouraging a gentle thoracic sling shift by moving their weight back from the sternum
Targeted baited stretches that encourage lifting through the back
These don’t just “strengthen” — they switch the right muscles on so your horse can carry themselves correctly, with or without a rider.
And when you want to take it a step further, in-hand work is the perfect progression. By training your horse from the ground, without the weight of saddle and rider, you can really help them learn how to engage their core for themselves. That’s where straightness, symmetry, and self-carriage become much more natural.
Ready to strengthen your horse’s foundation?
That’s exactly what I teach in my online programmes:
✨ Core Exercises for Your Horse → practical, proven stable-based exercises to activate and strengthen the deep postural muscles. Currently 80% off.
✨ In Hand Exercises for Your Horse → clear, step-by-step groundwork to build on that foundation, teaching your horse balance, straightness, and correct engagement without rider weight. Currently 50% off (for a limited time).
👉 Click here to grab the Core Exercises course at 80% off
👉 Click here to get the In Hand Exercises course at 50% off
When you put these two approaches together, you create a powerful combination:
A stronger, more stable core
A straighter, more balanced horse
A foundation that supports every discipline, from hacking to dressage to jumping
Because when the foundation is strong, everything else becomes easier.
