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Want to improve your balance in the saddle? Try these simple but not easy international eventer-approved exercises on the flat, with poles and over fences

Training exercises that target a rider’s balance on the horse will reap dividends. As part of a series on rider technique for H&H subscribers, international event rider Alex Postolowsky sets out three exercises to improve your stability in the saddle
Bethany Stone Bethany Stone

    • It’s never a bad idea to add targeted training exercises for rider balance into your schooling, but the good news is that it’s quite straight forward to take working on your balance in the saddle that step further.

    Five-star eventer Alex Postolwsky says that working on your balance little and often, both on and off the horse, is something every one can make time for.

    “It can feel impossible to fit in a half-hour workout, especially for someone with a full-time job as well as horses,” she admits.

    “But you can take the pressure off by making balance part your routine. I have one of those balance pods, about six inches in diameter, next to my kettle. I stand on it while I make a cup of tea just to target my ankle mobility and balance, or I’ll sit on an exercise ball while I watch telly.

    “Five minutes here and there doesn’t seem as daunting as a 30-minute session.”

    A wobble cushion is useful exercise for improving rider balance

    A balance pod – or wobble cushion – is useful around the house to improve your balance when you have an idle moment. Credit: Alamy

    Homework taken care of, what can you do on the horse? According to Alex, incorporating training exercises for rider balance into your sessions isn’t just simple; it’s also important.

    “I still feel I should dedicate more time to it, and I ride several horses every day!” she says.

    Alex talks us through some easy training exercises for rider balance on the flat, using poles and over fences.

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