EquiSports LLC.

08/11/2026

07/25/2026

❌Contact doesn’t equal support.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see in riding is the idea that you should have most of your weight in your thighs to take weight off the horse’s back.

The problem is that contact and support aren’t the same thing.

Your thighs are incredibly important. They stabilise your leg, help absorb movement and communicate with the horse. But they’re not the primary pathway through which your body weight is supported.

Your seat bones transfer body weight into the saddle. When you ride with stirrups, your feet provide a second support pathway, sharing some of that load.

Think about it from a physics perspective. Gravity acts vertically- your legs hang down from your hips. They can’t ‘take weight’ unless the foot or knee is against an external surface to transfer body weight into.

This isn’t just theory either. Research on sitting consistently shows that body weight is primarily supported beneath the seat bones. If researchers want the thighs to support more load, they have to redesign the seat to off load the seat bones. But do that in a saddle and all you do is then load the front pelvic structure…not the thigh.

The only way to ‘lighten’ the seat is to transfer more weight into the feet.

Unless you want to press your legs against the horses to lift your body weight up- and I have no idea why you would to do that when you have stirrups which were literally designed for transferring body weight to 🤷‍♀️.

This is why I believe we should question some of the traditional phrases used in riding. They’re often well intentioned, but they don’t always reflect how the human body actually works.

Want to understand your position through the lens of anatomy, biomechanics and physics? Have a look at the Riding Ready online courses, where I explain the science behind rider position, movement and balance, so you understand why things work- not just what you’re told to do.

07/24/2026

What we got going on …… and more

07/23/2026

The horse professionals I respect the most are also the least likely to tell you how much they know and how good they are. They were trained by multiple experts across their lifetime. They spent decades learning their trade. They entered the horse world with a longing to learn and improve, seeking o...

07/16/2026

🔥 Wildfire Smoke & Horse Health 🐴💨

As wildfire season heats up, so does the risk of poor air quality — not just for us, but for our horses too. Smoke from wildfires can irritate a horse's respiratory system and cause fatigue, coughing, difficulty breathing, etc.

You can monitor air quality at www.airnow.gov. During periods of poor air quality, you can protect your horse by:
🐎 Limiting exercise
💧 Providing fresh water
💦 Controlling dust such as watering dry lots and soaking or feeding dust-free hay
🕰 Allowing time for recovery: airway damage from wildfire smoke takes 4 to 6 weeks to heal after air quality returns to normal.

07/16/2026

🔥 Wildfire Smoke & Horse Health 🐴💨

Poor air quality can be harmful not only to us but our horses too. Smoke from wildfires can irritate a horse's respiratory system and cause fatigue, coughing, difficulty breathing, etc.

You can monitor local air quality at www.airnow.gov. During periods of poor air quality, you can protect your horse's health by:

🐎 Limiting or avoiding exercise.
💧 Providing free access to fresh water.
💦 Controlling dust such as watering dry lots and soaking or feeding dust-free hay.
🕰 Allowing time for recovery: airway damage from wildfire smoke takes 4 to 6 weeks to heal after air quality returns to normal.
☎️ Consult your vet if you notice signs of smoke irritation.

For more information visit: ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/wildfire-smoke-and-horses

07/16/2026