Equestrians ARE Athletes - We Just Don't Measure Them Like It (yet)

"Rider's aren't athletes- they just sit there!" - said by some kid in elementary school

It's an origin story for a lot of young equestrians- we have to advocate for WHY riding is more than just "sitting there". 

And truthfully, I feel like it's something I find we still have to advocate for - at the amateur level, at the pro level, and alongside other sports.

Equestrians are athletes and it's time we treat ourselves like it. 

What Defines an Athlete?

In sports science, an athlete is defined as someone who:

• Performs skilled, sport-specific movement
• Requires strength, coordination, balance, and endurance
• Trains to improve performance
• Is exposed to physical load and injury risk

All disciplines of riding would meet this criteria!

Riders must maintain control on a moving base of support, adapt to continuous external forces, and generate precise, coordinated movement — all while managing fatigue and maintaining consistency.

...and on a moving creature who sometimes thinks that one corner of the arena is housing a big monster... even though they've been by it 10 times already....

The Biomechanics of Riding

From a biomechanics standpoint, riding is a complex motor task.

Research has shown that riders must maintain dynamic stability of the trunk and pelvis while synchronizing with the horse’s movement. This requires a high level of neuromuscular coordination and postural control.

Even small changes in rider position can influence the horse’s movement — including stride symmetry, back motion, and overall efficiency.

The rider's position (and their own asymmetries) actively influences how the horse moves. 

The Missing Piece of Sports Medicine: Objective Measurement

Despite the clear physical demands of the sport, equestrian athletes are rarely measured in the same way as athletes in other disciplines.

In most sports, baseline testing is standard, and can even occur throughout different parts of the season:

• force output
• asymmetry
• strength ratios
• performance benchmarks

In equestrian sport, we still rely heavily on subjective feedback:

• “this side feels weaker”
• “that ride felt off”
• “I think I’m stronger than last year”

But without objective data, it’s extremely difficult to know what is actually changing.

Why Force Output Matters

Strength assessment can be formally assessed by force production.

That can reflect your ability to:

• stabilize your trunk (how upright and aligned can your posture stay)
• control your pelvis (can your pelvis move independent to send the appropriate aide)
• maintain position under load (like when your horse takes a funny spot to a fence)
• absorb and respond to horse's movement throughout a full ride

Those movements all depend on how much force your body can produce — and how evenly you can produce it.

From Guessing to Measuring

This is where force output testing becomes valuable. With force output testing you can determine:

• how much force you produce in key muscle groups
• differences between left and right sides
• how your strength changes over time
• how your body responds to increased riding demands

This allows us to move from guessing what feels weak to actually measuring what is actually happening.

Are you leaning to one side around turns because your hip is not as strong on that side? Or is it related to that old ankle injury that never healed quite right?

And once something is measurable, it becomes a data point that can be followed consistently.

Rider Strength Directly Influences the Horse

Equestrian sport is unique because performance doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens within a movement system.

Research is increasingly showing that the rider’s physical capacity plays a measurable role in how the horse moves.

Studies examining horse–rider interaction have demonstrated that rider stability, symmetry, and coordination can influence:

• stride regularity and timing
• back movement and oscillation
• overall movement symmetry

For example, research in dressage riders has shown that asymmetries in the rider’s pelvis and trunk can alter the horse’s movement patterns, particularly in terms of straightness and rhythm. Additional work on coordination dynamics highlights how a rider’s ability to stay synchronized with the horse improves the efficiency of the entire system. From a biomechanical perspective, this makes sense.

If a rider lacks the strength to:

• stabilize their trunk
• control pelvic motion
• maintain even contact through both sides of the body

then the horse is required to compensate for that variability!

In many cases, what appears to be a “horse issue” — such as uneven contact, difficulty maintaining straightness, or dullness to aides on one side — may be influenced by limitations in the rider’s strength or control.

While rider strength IS a rider issue — it is part of the horse’s performance environment too.

Where the Sport Is Headed

There is a growing shift toward treating riders more like athletes, including:

• integrating cross training and proper strength and conditioning
• using objective testing methods
• addressing asymmetries proactively (not waiting for an injury to work on this!)
• building more healthcare professionals that inately understand the demands of the equestrian athlete.

But compared to other sports, equestrian athletes are still early in this process.

The Bottom Line

Equestrians are athletes.

The demands of the sport meet every scientific definition of athletic performance.

As the sport evolves, incorporating objective data like force output will play a key role in improving rider performance, reducing injury risk, and supporting the horse more effectively.

Because better riders don’t just ride more. They support their body as an individual AND as a part of a movement system.

And they train it accordingly, just like any other athlete would. 

Want to be a better athlete? Let's chat

📚 References

• Clayton, H. M., & Hobbs, S. J. (2017). The role of biomechanical analysis in equestrian sports performance. Equine Veterinary Journal, 49(1), 7–11.
• Clayton, H. M., Hobbs, S. J., & Kaiser, L. J. (2014). The dynamic horse–rider interaction. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 34(1), 1–7.
• Münz, A., Eckardt, F., & Witte, K. (2014). Horse–rider interaction in dressage riding. Human Movement Science, 33, 227–237.
• Lagarde, J., Peham, C., Licka, T., & Kelso, J. A. S. (2005). Coordination dynamics of the horse–rider system. Journal of Motor Behavior, 37(6), 418–424.
• Devienne, M. F., & Guzennec, C. Y. (2000). Energy expenditure of horse riding. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 82(5–6), 499–503.
• Meyers, M. C., Sterling, J. C., & Schneider, R. A. (2000). Injury patterns among equestrian athletes. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(1), 77–82.