THE EQUESTRIAN ATHLETES STORY

Built from frustration. Driven by performance. Created for riders.

WHY I STARTED EQUESTRIAN ATHLETES:

If you’ve ever trained hard, ridden hard & still wondered why things weren’t clicking in the saddle… I’ve been there.

That question: “Why isn’t this working?”  is the reason Equestrian Athletes exists.

I launched Equestrian Athletes in 2021 with one mission: to help riders develop the physical qualities their sport actually demands.

That mission came from my own experience as an athlete & the realisation that the way I was training wasn’t supporting the way I wanted to ride.

THE TURNING POINT:

Years ago, I was in the gym every day. Lifting. Sweating. Working hard.

But niggles kept showing up. Something wasn’t right.

I’ll never forget sitting in a physio appointment, being told I was weak in areas I thought were my strengths.

It didn’t make sense. I was training constantly. I was riding constantly. I was very “fit.” But I wasn’t strong.

I wasn’t training for what riding actually required.

That moment was frustrating, humbling & the start of everything.

FROM CONFUSION TO CLARITY:

I went down a deep rabbit hole; Sports Science, Strength & Conditioning, Performance Nutrition & Athlete Development.

Everything changed.

I realised I wasn’t strength training; I was essentially conditioning.

High reps, low rest, repeated submaximal work. Great for sweating.

Not adequate for building the strength, power, stability & control riders need.

How I train now is completely different to how I trained then.

I don’t want any rider wasting years spinning their wheels like I did.

WHAT STRENGTH REALLY MEANS FOR RIDERS:

When I talk about being strong, explosive & training with intent… I’m talking about performance transfer:

• Being soft in the saddle.

• Precise in your aids.

• Stable, balanced & in control of your posture.

• Breathing easy under pressure.

• Having everything feel far below your maximum so you can focus on your horse.

That’s what physical preparation does. It builds the engine behind the skill.

MY COACHING PHILOSOPHY:

There’s a lot of noise in the equestrian world.

A lot of gimmicks. A lot of “rider-specific” exercises that look clever but don’t build actual athletic qualities.

My approach is simple:

Athlete first.

Science informed.

Principles over gimmicks.

Performance over aesthetics.

Riding is a skill that must be developed on the horse. Strength & Conditioning builds the physical underpinnings that allow that skill to shine.

The art of coaching sits in the grey area, reading the athlete in front of you, adjusting on the fly, communicating clearly & applying principles in a way that makes sense for the person, not the textbook.

BEHIND THE SCENES:

I avoided posting online for years because I’ve always preferred coaching, training & riding over being in the spotlight.

This business has never been about me. It’s about the riders I work with.

But I’m sharing more now because these conversations matter. Riders deserve clarity. You deserve education. You deserve coaching that respects the partnership you have with your horse & the demands of the sport.

RIDERS WHO INSPIRE THIS WORK:

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to coach riders across multiple disciplines & levels, from ambitious amateurs to high-performance athletes.

Watching riders break barriers, build confidence & perform with focus and intent… that’s the best part of my job.

When a rider feels athletic, capable & strong, everything becomes easier for both them & their horse.

WHERE WE ARE GOING:

Equestrian Athletes is more than coaching. It’s a performance movement.

A shift toward:

• Strong, capable, resilient riders.

• Performance-driven training.

• Sport appropriate conditioning.

• A culture where riding skill & physical preparation work together.

READY TO TRAIN WITH PURPOSE?