Trunk control
Transfer force between upper and lower body without unnecessary rigidity.
RIDER PERFORMANCE · STRONGER IN THE SADDLE
You train your horse with purpose. Your body deserves the same.
Personal off-horse coaching for ambitious riders who want to develop strength, trunk control, mobility, balance and repeatable capacity—digitally, personally and around their riding schedule.
OFF-HORSE · 12 WEEKS · 1:1 · DIGITAL IN ENGLISH OR GERMAN
The short answer
What is Rider Performance?
Rider Performance is Kisaya's personal online coaching route for riders. Training takes place off the horse and complements riding through individually planned strength, trunk control, mobility, balanced physical capacity and conditioning. It does not replace riding instruction, medical care or physiotherapy.
TWO ATHLETES. OFTEN ONLY ONE TRAINING PLAN.
Two athletes. Often only one training plan.
The horse's week, priorities, load and recovery are often planned carefully. Many riders, meanwhile, rely on riding alone to develop everything their own body needs in the saddle.
Yet a rider's body is constantly asked to:
- absorb movement without becoming unstable;
- give aids without unnecessary holding;
- use the pelvis and hips with mobility;
- control the trunk without becoming rigid;
- distribute load with awareness;
- repeat quality as fatigue develops.
Rider Performance therefore looks beyond how often you ride. It asks which physical qualities support your riding and which can be developed more precisely away from the horse.
KISAYA KNOWS THE SADDLE BEYOND THEORY
Kisaya knows the saddle beyond theory
As an ambitious rider, Kisaya knows the particular relationship between stability and mobility from lived experience.
Riders do not need maximum tension everywhere. They need a body that can differentiate: stabilise where control is required, release and follow where movement must be absorbed, and apply strength without becoming coarse.
Kisaya connects that perspective with her experience in strength training, Pilates and yoga. The result is not a riding lesson. It is complementary physical training for the rider.
WHAT THE CURRENT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS
What the current evidence suggests
Research on rider-specific conditioning remains smaller than the evidence base in many other sports. Existing studies nevertheless suggest that posture, dynamic trunk control, pelvic control and more balanced loading are relevant to quality in the saddle.
Overall the available evidence remains limited: small samples, varied methods and few studies. It supports cautious interpretation, but no guaranteed outcomes—neither for seat and riding performance nor for the horse's wellbeing.
For Kisaya's coaching, the implication is simple: use off-horse training with purpose, without selling exaggerated performance or horse-welfare claims.
SIX PHYSICAL QUALITIES
Six physical qualities
The priorities depend on the rider's starting point, riding load, goal and available training time.
Hip and pelvic mobility
Allow movement where the seat needs to follow while retaining orientation and control.
Balanced strength
Notice side-to-side differences and develop capacity on both sides without promising perfect symmetry.
Shoulder and upper-body control
Organise the upper body without creating unnecessary tension through shoulders, arms or hands.
Breathing and bracing
Coordinate breath and trunk tension so that stability is not confused with constant holding.
Repeatable capacity
Maintain physical quality more effectively across a session and throughout a training week.
THE OFF-HORSE ASSESSMENT
The off-horse assessment
Coaching does not begin with a random collection of “exercises for riders”.
Within a fitness-oriented scope, Kisaya considers:
- previous strength and movement experience;
- riding frequency and physical stable work;
- available time and equipment;
- movement quality in selected patterns;
- controllable trunk and hip function;
- notable side-to-side differences as training information, not diagnosis;
- endurance and fatigue in the individual context;
- goals in the saddle, without guaranteeing riding performance.
Pain, neurological symptoms, acute injury or treatment needs require medical or physiotherapy assessment.
WHAT A COACHING FOCUS MIGHT LOOK LIKE
What a coaching focus might look like
Strength session A
Lower body, trunk control and unilateral stability with appropriate progression.
Strength session B
Push/pull patterns, posterior chain, shoulder control and robust whole-body coordination.
Short complement
Targeted mobility, breathing or controlled movement for individually relevant areas.
Integration into the riding week
Sessions are not simply added beside demanding riding days. Volume and weekly placement take account of riding, stable work, recovery and other physical load.
MOBILITY OR STABILITY? THE BETTER QUESTION IS USUALLY: WHERE, WHEN AND HOW MUCH?
Mobility or stability? The better question is usually: where, when and how much?
A rider may be mobile in one area and poorly controlled in another. One side may feel “tight” even when more stretching is not the decisive answer. Kisaya therefore avoids universal labels such as “weak core” or “not mobile enough”.
Coaching asks which quality is missing or fatiguing for a specific task, and whether strength, mobility, control, coordination or a combination should be trained.
The result is not a label but a clear priority: building the quality that most improves your seat, resilience, and movement control.
WHAT RIDER PERFORMANCE CAN DO
What Rider Performance can do
What Rider Performance can do
- train your body more consciously as part of the riding system;
- build strength and trunk control away from the horse;
- develop mobility with purpose rather than at random;
- address side-to-side differences in fitness training more consciously;
- place your additional training sensibly within the riding week;
- organise physical quality better even under repeated load.
What Rider Performance is not
- riding instruction;
- seat analysis that replaces a qualified trainer working with horse and rider;
- saddle, horse or lameness assessment;
- physiotherapy or pain treatment;
- a promise of perfect symmetry;
- a guarantee of sporting results.
PERSONAL COACHING ROUTE
Personal coaching route
Rider Performance uses the high-touch structure of KISAYA PRIVATE.
Investment starts at €1,490 for 12 weeks. Your specific coaching setup is defined after the Rider Performance fit check.
- an assessment covering riding and fitness context;
- an individual 12-week training plan;
- three personal progress sessions;
- weekly check-ins and adaptations;
- flexible nutrition guidance;
- personal support within the agreed scope.
Current evidence
Research on rider-specific conditioning is developing but remains limited. Strength, trunk and pelvic control, mobility and considered load management may support the physical prerequisites of riding. Individual results, riding performance, medical effects or effects on the horse are not guaranteed.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is Rider Performance only for dressage riders?＋
No. Strength, trunk control, mobility and capacity are relevant in varied equestrian contexts. The actual plan must still account for riding discipline, weekly load, goals and individual needs.
Do I need a gym?＋
Not necessarily. The plan is built around the goal and available equipment. Some strength goals may benefit from additional equipment, which is discussed during assessment.
Will Kisaya analyse my riding position?＋
The primary focus is off-horse fitness. Riding footage may add context but does not replace riding instruction or detailed in-person technical assessment. The exact scope must be agreed before coaching.
Can coaching treat back pain?＋
No. Pain and symptoms require medical or physiotherapy assessment. Following appropriate clearance, fitness training may support general strength and capacity but does not treat a diagnosis.
How is off-horse training combined with riding?＋
Kisaya considers riding days, intensity, stable work, other exercise and recovery, then places the fitness structure within the total load.
Can improved fitness improve my seat?＋
Strength, control, mobility and capacity can support physical prerequisites in the saddle. The individual effect on seat or performance cannot be guaranteed.
Next step
Your horse feels how you organise yourself. Begin by training your own body with the same intention.
Request a Rider Performance fit check
Personally reviewed · off-horse focus · no riding or medical diagnosis