🐴 The Hidden Signs Your Horse Isn’t Using Their Core

Some of the things you might see — or feel — in your horse are resistance, tension, stiffness through the body, a hollow frame, lack of bend, or movement that just feels… lacking in fluency.

It’s easy to think your horse is being lazy, distracted, or just having an “off day,” but often these are signs that their core isn’t doing its job.
And when that happens, everything else starts to compensate.

Without good core engagement, other areas of the body take the strain — the back tightens, the forehand becomes heavy, and the movement loses lift and freedom.
That’s when you start to see recurring soreness, short strides, or general tension that never quite goes away.

🔍 How to recognise when your horse isn’t using their core

Here are some subtle (but powerful) signs to look out for:

• Resistance or tension when asked to bend or transition.

• A hollow area behind the saddle when they move.

• The back feeling tight to the touch.

• The back feeling inflexible when ridden — as if it can’t swing or lift.

• Hind legs trailing rather than stepping under.

• Stiffness or loss of rhythm in corners or circles.

• Difficulty maintaining a consistent outline or connection.

These are all clues that the deep stabilising muscles aren’t firing properly — and that your horse is compensating elsewhere instead of working through their core.

💡 Why it matters

The horse’s core is their foundation for balance, straightness, and strength.
Without it, the body can’t move freely or absorb shock efficiently — so joints, ligaments, and muscles start to work overtime to compensate.

That’s often how chronic tension and weakness patterns form.
By improving your horse’s core strength, you’re not just improving performance — you’re protecting their long-term comfort and soundness.

🧠 Think about it like this…

If you were unfit, weak, or recovering from injury, you wouldn’t walk into a gym and go straight for the heavy weights.
You’d start small — learning how to move correctly, building alignment and strength gradually.

Your horse is no different.
They need guided, targeted exercises to switch their core muscles on and create stability before you ask for more advanced work.

✅ How to help your horse engage their core

You can start helping your horse today by focusing on gentle, intentional movement:

• In-hand activations to wake up the core before riding.

• Polework and transitions to encourage correct muscle use.

• Observation and awareness — notice how your horse’s way of going changes when they’re engaged versus when they’re not.

If you want a structured, step-by-step plan to build your horse’s core safely, my Core Exercises course is perfect.
It’s the foundational programme I use with all horses — and right now it’s still 80% off at just £9!

👉 Grab your copy here and start building your horse’s core strength today:
Core Exercises Course => CLICK HERE!