Unified Equine Physiotherapy

22/03/2026

The horse always comes first 👏

*** RIDER WEIGHT: RIDING HORSES IS A PRIVILEGE AND NOT A RIGHT ***

“I’m a bigger rider…..but I refuse to never sit on the back of a horse again”. A comment that appeared on a rider weight post on FB recently and an incredibly sad reflection of how many people view their horses; they will carry them, no matter what, because they own/feed/pay for them, so it’s their right.

It’s simple. You don’t have a right to sit on the back of a horse if you are too heavy for the horse. The horse should no longer be a beast of burden; we know that putting a heavy rider on an unsuitable horse can induce lameness and will cause discomfort and pain. You don’t see athletes saying that they will run over hurdles but they can’t jump that high, so the hurdles must be lowered as they have a right to get over them. You don’t see larger, unfit people saying that they have a right to run marathons, so marathons must now only be half a mile. So why do people feel they have a “right” to sit on a horse that they are clearly too heavy for?

No, a 16 stone rider can’t “ride light”. However you distribute that weight, it’s 16 stone sitting on the middle of the horse’s spine.

20% is an incredibly generous “rule” (the suggestion that the rider in full riding gear and holding the saddle must not exceed 20% of the horse’s ideal bodyweight). It should be much closer to 15%. If you have medical conditions that mean you can’t lose weight, that sadly still doesn’t mean you aren’t causing your horse pain if you are clearly too heavy to sit on him.

“My mental health will suffer if I don’t ride”. Again, sorry, but that’s not a reason to inflict pain and suffering on a horse. You can groom them/lead out in hand/just “be” with them.

I haven’t posted about rider weight for a while, but some of the comments on that post clearly demonstrate that we are still in the same place now as we were 5 years ago with respect to riders thinking they have the right to get on horses that they are obviously far too heavy for.

Unrelated photo of wonderful Johnnie storming clear around Barbury 4* a few years ago ❤️

23/02/2026

“Rider fitness might just be the most overlooked welfare issue in the sport”
ABSOLUTELY 👏 we must make an effort to do better

🔥 Controversial opinion… but it needs saying. 🔥

We obsess over our horses’ fitness.
❤️Heart rate monitors.
🏋️Interval training.
🧐Feed programs.
🥴Physio.
😀Supplements.

But how many of us can honestly say we are fit to compete?

No… I don’t mean “I ride five horses a day so I must be fit.”
That’s exactly what I used to think.

I trained my horses. I rode them every day. They were fit.
So in theory… I must be fit too, right?

Wrong. Completely wrong.

It wasn’t until I went on a simulator that I had a wake-up call. My muscles were tight. I was using the wrong muscle groups. My back was blocked. My hips were tight. I could do the movements… but I wasn’t doing them correctly.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth I found:
If I’m not physically correct, I’m not training correctly.

I used to get out of breath in sitting trot. Not because I wasn’t “tough enough” but because my fitness and muscle development were wrong. I was compensating instead of functioning properly.

Rider fitness isn’t about how many horses you can ride.
It’s about the quality and correctness of how you ride them.

Since hitting the gym when I can, working on mobility, and being more mindful about what I fuel my body with, the difference has been huge. Not just for me, for my horses. They feel it too.

We look for peak performance from our horses.
But are we holding ourselves to the same standard?

👇 Be honest…
Do you train yourself as seriously as you train your horse?

If this made you think, hit 👍
If you agree, share it.
And if you disagree, I genuinely want to hear why. Let’s have the conversation. 🐎🔥

Because improving rider fitness might just be the most overlooked welfare issue in our sport.

21/02/2026

Nice image from one of our projects illustrating how the riders pelvis is influenced by each gait. Image displaying the forward/backward movement of the riders pelvis when walking, trotting and cantering. Reinforces the need to develop pelvic mobility allowing the rider to follow the movements of the horse, and for each gait. 🤓🤓 Fun night ahead processing more data 🤓🤓

27/09/2025

👏 True 👏 that!
With having had some time off riding, and now started on a new youngster, we’re both weak and wobbly trying to help each other.. time to step it up and do all I can to be the best I can be, to help him be the best he can be!
This is relevant to us all, no matter what we do with our horses.

10/08/2025

One of our sponsored riders doing super job navigating her beautiful horse around the hartpury 2* this weekend 🫶🫶

Amazing partnership forming as he grows in confidence stepping up to this new level!

Congratulations Ashley Edmond Eventing

17/03/2025

Perfect for rehabilitation from injuries, surgeries, or just building up fitness! A great addition to facilities in the area to care for our pride and joys 🐎 🐎
Ashley Edmond Eventing

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DNyEuFGkY/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Located in Somerset our equine water treadmill facility and sea salt room specialises in promoting horse health.

03/03/2025

✨✨✨ Special offer week ✨✨✨

We are offering appointments from Wednesday 5th - Sunday 9th this week at a special price.

First assessment - £45 (down from £60)
Follow up - £30 (down from £45)

Please get in touch via messenger or on my email address [email protected] to book yourself in.

21/08/2024

Exercise programs are what make the truly meaningful difference long term. Our sponsored rider, Ashley Edmond Eventing has injured her shoulder, and we’re on hand with advice, injury management and surgical protocols 💪

So very lucky🍀 to have Unified Equine Physiotherapy just a txt away.

After a few quiet weeks while I’m recovering from a broken collarbone, I just needed a few more exercises to help continue my physio.

After a few conversations, I got sent all of these exercises ready to get going. 💪

Thank you Laura and Siobhan. 😀 🙏

04/07/2024

26/05/2024

Thoughts are with her family and friends. Such sad news ❤️

British event rider Georgie Campbell has died in a fatal fall at Bicton Horse Trials, Devon, today, while competing in the CCI4*-S class

21/03/2024

Thursday thoughts 💭

More and more research is being completed for the comfort and ethics of our lovely for legged friends.

Research released in the Horse & Hound conducted by Alibion (other research is being carried out with Centaur biomechanics and fairfax saddles with similar themes).

Looking at how the fit of the saddle needs to fit the pelvis of the rider as well as the horse! This is the biggest piece of equipment that connects us to the horse!

Highlighting that in other sports the seats are developed to improve performance based on biomechanics, questioning why our sports hasn’t been more focused on this?

“When in the correct seat, the rider is less reliant on the blocks, as more movement is absorbed through the pelvis, enabling the rider to move in time with the horse.” Albion.

What the data said:

💫 86% improvement in synchronisation of the motion between the horse and rider.
💫 when the pelvis is inhibited in range, this blocks the horses natural movement
💫the rider may loose balance either showing instability through legs or overcompensating with upper body
💫 with the amateur rider this was seen by the naked eye

Studies like this highlight the affect the rider has on the horses way of going. Whether it be by the riders asymmetries or weakness or what equipment is used!

This is a small reminder to make sure tack and equipment is checked regularly!



https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/sponsored/albion-unity-saddles-promotion-final-850987?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=commercial

21/03/2024

Thursday thoughts 💭

More and more research is being completed for the comfort and ethics of our lovely for legged friends.

Research released in the Horse & Hound conducted by Alibion (other research is being carried out with Centaur biomechanics and fairfax saddles with similar themes).

Looking at how the fit of the saddle needs to fit the pelvis of the rider as well as the horse! This is the biggest piece of equipment that connects us to the horse!

Highlighting that in other sports the seats are developed to improve performance based on biomechanics, questioning why our sports hasn’t been more focused on this?

“When in the correct seat, the rider is less reliant on the blocks, as more movement is absorbed through the pelvis, enabling the rider to move in time with the horse.” Albion.

What the data said:

💫 86% improvement in synchronisation of the motion between the horse and rider.
💫 when the pelvis is inhibited in range, this blocks the horses natural movement
💫the rider may loose balance either showing instability through legs or overcompensating with upper body
💫 with the amateur rider this was seen by the naked eye

Studies like this highlight the affect the rider has on the horses way of going. Whether it be by the riders asymmetries or weakness or what equipment is used!

This is a small reminder to make sure tack and equipment is checked regularly!

Bicycle seats are developed to enhance rider performance, based on biomechanics. Likewise, rowing and Formula One racing cars. This is true of the most important equipment we use for any sport. So why are we overlooking the most important piece of equipment that connects us with our horse? When most...