

Strength & Conditioning for the real demands of riding & competing
You know what correct looks like.
The challenge is holding it in all conditions.​​​
In dressage, showjumping, and eventing, faults rarely appear in isolation.
They show up when demands stack - fatigue, speed, precision, terrain, pressure.
Balance shifts, aids get messy and position degrades just enough to matter.
Not because you don’t know better - but because your body can’t reliably meet the physical demands of your discipline when it counts.
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Onya Equi is a strength and conditioning method built for the specific physical demands of dressage, showjumping & eventing.
It prepares the body to access correct positions, maintain them under load, and transfer force efficiently under real conditions - where margins are small and consequences are high.
This is not about adding strength for its own sake.
It is about building positional endurance, force absorption, and control so riding stays organised when pressure rises.
As level go higher:
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time under load increases
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forces become harder to absorb and redirect
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precision matters more, not less
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small physical weaknesses carry bigger consequences
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perception and decision making needs to be faster
Onya Equi trains for that reality. When position and aids become automatic, attention shifts to the line, the approach, the timing — rather than managing your body.
That is where competitive margins live.
Different disciplines. Different demands. One coherent performance system.​
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All riding is an athletic skill, and over time it is highly repetitive. Small inefficiencies accumulate, joint positions drift, timing degrades and load shifts into tissues that were never meant to manage it.
You adapt — subtly and persistently.
This is how:
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niggles develop
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asymmetries become ingrained
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balance feels less secure
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aids require more effort than they should
Onya Equi strength and conditioning is designed to intervene before those patterns become limiting.
The focus is on:
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stability and balance that hold under movement
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postural control without stiffness
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hip and trunk function that supports leg and rein aids
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durability and confidence built through physical reliability
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This is off-horse training is designed to translate directly to on-horse performance - not by teaching riding, but by making correct riding physically sustainable.
All Onya Equi programmes apply the Onya Method, adapted specifically to the demands of riding:
Strength that supports rather than locks,
Mobility you can actually use,
A nervous system that produces timing instead of tension.
This is riding that works — because your body can respond.

Core S&C Coaching
120
Every month
+£40 Joining & set-up fee
Strength & Conditioning on-line programme for those seeking independent structured, bespoke coaching with light support.
Valid until canceled
Workouts delivered in the Onya Coaching app
Tailored to your needs, equipment and fitness level
Takes the guesswork out of what, when and how to train
Light touch In App messaging support included

Performance S&C Coaching
220
Every month
+£40 Joining & Set-up Fee
Personalised Strength and Conditioning on-line monthly plan for people who want regular feedback, accountability and support. Best for progressing strength and performance.
Valid until canceled
Strength & conditioning tailored to your demands
Ongoing coaching support and programme refinement
Delivered in the Onya Coaching app
TrainingPeaks included where appropriate
Direct messaging support

Premium Access S&C Coaching
420
Every month
+£60 Joining and set-up fee
Exclusive online coaching with daily oversight and nutrition.
Best for complex goals and high-level support
Valid until canceled
Unlimited training design
Delivered in the Onya app + Training Peaks Premium if needed
Video analysis of technique included
Strength progression monitoring + load guidance
Full performance nutrition support included
Bespoke Annual Training Plan for season
Priority support & training oversight
Limited coaching seats for exclusive access

Nutrition
40
Every month
Nutrition plan in the Onya Coaching App. Add on for monthly training plans.
Valid until canceled
Coaching Levels
Find one that works for you

The Onya Equi coaching philosophy
To build strength and conditioning around the rider, their horse and the real demands of their discipline. To develop secure, durable and quietly effective riders, by training the body that carries them so it serves the riding rather than interfering with it.

horse first
Keep the horse first. The rider is the one being coached, but the work is always for the partnership, and a stronger, quieter rider is a better partner for the horse.
ethics
Coach experienced riders as the capable adults they are. The precise work, the honest reason for it, then it is theirs to apply. Nothing is oversold, and what is promising but unproven is named as such.
longevity
Build riders who last. Strength and mobility that hold under fatigue, speed and pressure, so riding stays secure and sustainable for years, not just for the next event.
Training supports riding
Treat riding as the athletic, repetitive skill it is. Off-horse work that makes correct riding physically sustainable, without ever standing in for the riding itself.

about
Sonya Brotherton Former professional showjumper and dressage rider with over 25 years’ experience in rider training, horse development, and yard management. BHS Stage 4 Senior Coach and Stable Manager (formerly BHSII), UKCC Level 3 Showjumping Coach. Strength & Conditioning Coach (Level 4), Certified Personal Trainer, and trained Life Coach. Qualified Nutritionist specialising in athletic performance, and body recomposition. Team GB Age Group endurance athlete with international experience across long-course triathlon and SUP racing. Background in rehabilitation from L5/S1 nerve injury and foot drop, with a focus on restoring strength, stability, and movement patterning. Specialist in rider biomechanics, myofascial movement, and nervous system-led performance.



