As riders we use our body every time we sit on our horse, but often our own fitness, motion and movement gets passed over. It’s easy to invest in our horses’s bodywork and ignore own own! This month Solange speaks with Ifa Simmonds, a professional fitness coach who specializes in equestrians. As the creator of EFA, the Equestrian Fitness Academy, Ifa is the perfect person to talk about all things rider bodies!

Horses in the Morning Stable Riding with Solange Episode 3871:

1. Host: Solange of Stable Riding
2. Sponsor: Stable Riding
3. Guest: Ifa Simmonds from IfaFit

Time Stamps:

00:41 - Rider vs. Horse Wellness: Solange discusses the industry’s focus on horse soundness over rider fitness.

03:00 -Psychology of the Rider: Addressing why many female riders are dismissive or adversarial toward their own bodies.

06:50 - Interview with Ifa Simmons: Ifa shares his background in exercise science and his transition to training equestrians.

09:30 - The Ideal Body Type Myth: A discussion on "fence and dancer" body types and how traditional instruction can fail different frames.

12:20 - The Lab vs. The Arena: Solange explains the benefits of teaching rider mechanics on an "equisizer" rather than a live horse.

16:45 - The "Not-So-Secret" Secret: Ifa shares his frustration with riders who only want to talk about their horses during fitness assessments.

19:00- The Reality of Rider Injuries: A look at the high percentage of lower back injuries in the equestrian community.

23:15 - Virtual vs. Online Coaching: A breakdown of Ifa’s different training tiers (EFA Ultimate and EFA Elite).

27:10 - Rider Homework - The Dead Bug: Ifa provides a step-by-step guide to a core-stabilizing exercise designed specifically for riders.

31:00 - Final Encouragement: Solange reflects on the importance of being a "professional encourager" for both humans and horses.