It's mid-July.

The ground is hard. The days are long. And if you're anything like most horse owners right now, you're riding more than you have all year.

Which is wonderful.

But it's also the time of year when your horse's body is working hardest.

And sometimes — if you know what to look for — they start to tell you something. 🦄

Maybe it's the stiffness that takes longer to work through.

The crookedness on that one rein that's crept back in despite your best efforts.

The topline that looked good in spring but seems to have changed with the increased workload.

Or just that general feeling that something isn't quite right — not lame, not obviously wrong — just a little less fluid than you'd like.

Sound familiar? 💚

Here's something most owners don't realise about summer riding.

The harder the ground, the more concussion travels up through your horse's legs and into their spine with every stride.

On soft ground, the earth absorbs some of that impact.

On baked July ground? Very little.

We all know hard ground increases the risk of limb injuries — but what's less talked about is what it does to the back and core. The muscles, ligaments and structures around the spine are working significantly harder just to absorb that concussion — on top of carrying a rider through more frequent, often more demanding sessions than winter.

This is exactly why core strength matters more in summer, not less. ✨

The deep postural muscles that support your horse's spine — the ones we target with core exercises — are your horse's primary shock absorbers.

When they're strong, engaged and working correctly, they protect the spine from the cumulative impact of harder ground and harder work.

When they're weak or switched off — that impact goes somewhere else.

Into the joints.
Into the ligaments.
Into compensatory patterns that show up as stiffness, crookedness and tension. 🐎

And here's the other thing about this time of year.

Horses in harder work need more recovery, not less.

But most owners do the opposite — more riding, same routine, less time for the basics that keep everything working well.

I see it every summer in my clinical work.

A horse that was moving really well in May starts to feel different by July.

Not because anything has suddenly gone wrong.

But because the load has increased and the foundations haven't kept pace with it. ✨

So what can you do right now?

First — do the core activation exercises before every session.

If you've been doing them occasionally, make them non-negotiable. Your horse's body needs that preparation even more when the ground is hard and the sessions are demanding.

Five to ten minutes in the stable before you tack up. Every time.

It genuinely changes the session that follows. 💪

Second — take a look at your horse from the ground.

Not while you're riding. From the ground, before you get on.

How are they standing? Is their weight even? Are they holding tension through the neck or topline?

A quick two minute check before you tack up tells you more than you'd think.

Third — listen when they tell you something.

Stiffness, resistance, crookedness — these aren't personality traits in summer. They're often your horse's way of saying the body needs a little more support right now.💚

If you're not yet doing core activation exercises with your horse — this summer is the time to start.

The Core Exercises Course gives you the exact stable-based routine I use with Azuro — and have done consistently for eight years, through every summer, on hard ground and soft.

Just £9 / $12 — lifetime access.

👉 Click for Core Exercises Course

And if you want something new to work on with your horse this summer — something that could genuinely improve your scores, your feel under saddle, and how your horse uses their body — in-hand work is one of the most valuable things you can add to your routine right now.

Done well, it addresses asymmetry and crookedness in a way that ridden work simply can't reach. And the improvements you make on the ground translate directly into better balance, more even paces, and a horse that feels more through and correct when you're in the saddle.

Whether you're competing or simply want to feel that difference — my In-Hand Exercises Course is the perfect place to start.

Currently half price at just £49.50 / $68 — lifetime access.

👉 Click for In Hand Exercises Course

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