Equestrian Workouts You Can Do At Home

In the spotlight, Life as a Globetrotter

Preparing for a horse riding holiday (or just working on your saddle fitness) but not riding as often as you’d like? You can still get your body ready to ride by working out at home. Both you and your horse will feel the benefits! And you’ve got the perfect motivation: just picture mounting up on day 1 of your Globetrotting adventure, fit and ready for action. No wobbly moments to distract you from enjoying every minute in the saddle, and no soreness that night, either!

The following online resources will guide you through every aspect of off-the-horse fitness, from workout programs to anatomy lessons. Most are free, although some require an investment. Whatever you choose to read, learn from and put into practice, the important thing is having a go.

Dressage Rider Training
This site deserves the first mention because it has SO many amazing resources that apply to all equestrians – not just dressage riders. There’s a huge library of free articles, a free downloadable fitness guide, and if you feel like taking things further, a comprehensive 12 week Dressage Rider Training Program. This article about workouts to improve your riding is the perfect starting point.

Strides for Success Equestrian Fitness Challenge
Now we haven’t personally done this challenge, but it’s free, has great reviews, and your guide is Irish equestrian coach Lorna Leeson. You’ll work on your fitness and mindset with one simple workout each day, five days a week, and a short daily video to help bring you into the best possible mindset for riding.

Workout walk-throughs
A while back, spoke to equestrian fitness guru Kelly Altschwager about all things rider fitness and to be honest, it was mindblowing. Check out the video and article here: Equestrian Fitness with Kelly from Western Workouts. Kelly has also written two great articles for Horse and Rider: 30 Small Fitness Changes to Improve Your Riding and Out of (Saddle) Shape.
Over at the U.S. Eventing Association, John Sanford has written a great muscle-by-muscle exercise guide for riders.
We also love this workout walk-through with American equitation star Taylor St. Jacques. Some exercises require a piece of equipment or two, but most of Taylor’s routine could definitely be done at home.

Western Workouts
If you’re ready to take it to the next level or have specific requirements, goals or injuries that you want to account for in your training, head to Western Workouts to work directly with Kelly Altschwager on a personalised program designed especially for you. And yes, English riders are welcome too!

Ridely
At Globetrotting, we’re HUGE fans of Ridely and often use the app while riding at home. Ridely offers dozens of fantastic training programs to choose from, often featuring Olympic-level riders, including a handful of programs focused specifically on rider training. With a 7-day free trial, it’s worth putting the app through its paces.

Equestrain
This app takes equestrian fitness to the next level by personalising your off-the-horse workout program according to your goals, preferences, and how much time you have each week. It’s all based on sports science and developed by experts, so you know you’ll get results. There is a 7-day free trial, and the subscription cost sure beats paying a personal trainer!

Fit & Focused in 52
Fit & Focused in 52 is the title of equestrian coach Daniel Stewart’s book, a week-by-week companion for horse riders to help train both the mind and body. Think of it as a year’s worth of coaching from Daniel, in book form. There are some excerpts available to give you an idea of what to expect, and there’s also an online taster featuring trot pole squats.

The Rider’s Fitness Program
Another book recommendation! This book features 74 exercises and 18 workouts designed for many different equestrian disciplines and suitable for riders of all fitness levels. You will need a bit of gym equipment, but it’s a great book to consult while figuring out or adapting your workout routine, if you prefer books to the web. Here is the link to the Goodreads page – a quick Google search and you’ll find this book in dozens of online stores.

Haybales & Barbells
Haybales & Barbells is the brainchild of Jamie Graham, a qualified expert in fitness and passionate dressage rider. She offers fitness challenges throughout the year, cheap downloadable workout guides if you’d love to create your own workout plan or go at your own pace, and on-demand workout programs if you prefer to follow along with a set routine and see fast results.

The Strong Rider
The Strong Rider is run by Nardine Oakes, an athletic performance coach and lifelong equestrian who provides simple, effective exercise programs tailored specifically to riders. She offers both personalised programs and coaching, and a pre-made 4-week Saddle Confidence program, all run through her own app. You can find The Strong Rider on Facebook and Instagram, or reach out through the website.

Rider Pilates Club
Pilates is undoubtedly one of the very best ways to improve your saddle fitness off the horse. Rider Pilates Club has some very targeted videos on YouTube such as routines for your core, strengthening and straightening your seat, and opening your hips. They also run a number of courses and challenges which you can sign up for (or waitlist for, depending on timings) on their website.

YouTube Workouts
The Fit Equestrian also has a fitness video on YouTube – check it out here. For rider-targeted yoga, there’s a 30-minute class by Yoga with Adriene and two 30-minute yoga practices for dressage riders here and here. We also found some awesome videos on the FEI’s Health & Fitness playlist, lots of Pilates exercises on the Kerrits channel, a five-exercise at-home workout, and a quick yoga-inspired workout.

We had so much fun compiling this collection for you, globetrotters, and we hope it supports and inspires you to get riding fit at home! And if you have a horseback vacation lined up once we’re all free to travel again, be sure to check out our articles How to Get Saddle Fit for a Riding Holiday and Equestrian Fitness with Kelly from Western Workouts.