Equine physiotherapist Jenny Adamson recommends ground-based exercises to strengthen horses' cores without riding. These routines, which take just minutes, can prevent injuries and improve posture. Owners can incorporate them into daily stable tasks for noticeable benefits.
Jenny Adamson, an equine physiotherapist with 14 years of experience, emphasizes the value of non-ridden exercises for building horse muscles. She developed her approach through rehabilitating horses, including her own 20-year-old Dutch warmblood, Azuro, following his kissing spines surgery. "When I started these exercises daily, I saw horses transform really quite quickly," Adamson says, noting improvements in crookedness, core strength, posture, and movement organization.
Stable-based routines offer practical advantages, fitting easily alongside grooming or tacking up. They enhance long-term soundness, enlarge the multifidus muscles along the spine, and lower the risk of kissing spines. Adamson observes that such exercises activate horses before warm-ups, leading to freer and more balanced work. To address owner concerns about technique, she provides online video courses demonstrating proper methods.
Three accessible exercises highlight her methods. The backward weight shift involves placing a hand on the horse's sternum and gently rocking its weight back an inch, repeating 10 times without limb movement. This loosens the thoracic sling and engages deeper core stabilizers. "This exercise is small, but multi-tasking!" Adamson explains.
The thoracic lift requires rubbing upward behind the girth for a subtle spinal elevation, repeated three times. Performed gently, it mobilizes the mid-back and promotes release. "Go very gently until you know your horse is happy with you touching them in this area," she advises, stressing smooth movements and rewards to build confidence.
Backing up entails applying light pressure to the noseband for 10 straight steps, ideally using a wall or fence for guidance. This engages the pelvis, core, and thoracic sling. "It asks the horse to tilt the pelvis, engage the core, push the back up, then draw the thoracic sling up and back," Adamson notes, recommending a cavesson for precise cues.
Over time, consistent practice yields stronger backs, lighter forehands, and greater symmetry. "All it takes is learning how to do it and giving it a go – your horse will thank you!" Adamson concludes.