ONYA equi

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I train riders in a way the body can actually adapt to. Strength that supports, not locks. Mobility you can use. A nervous system that produces timing instead of tension. A mindset that holds steady. This is riding that works because your body can respond.

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Strength 

Strength is how you hold position under motion without gripping or collapsing. We build the patterns that matter to riders: hip rotation, hip extension, adductors that stabilise instead of squeeze, and a core that supports without bracing. Heavier, well-coached lifting gives you tissue capacity and joint stability. Riding alone is not weight-bearing enough to protect bone, so we train that off the horse, including plyometrics. The result is a body that can follow the movement with clarity instead of tension.

Mobility with Stability

Mobility without stability is flexibility.  Stability without mobility is rigidity.  Either of these scenarios can result in injury. We restore range in the hips, ribs, and ankles, then train those ranges under load so they don’t disappear the moment work begins. This stops the knees from gripping, the back from doing stabilising work it isn’t designed for, and the hands from reacting to instability. The body organises itself — the horse feels the difference.

Central Nervous System Training

Your state determines your riding. When the system runs in stress-drive, you get shallow breath, bracing, and contact that gets loud.  Your system fires and coordinates best when it you can access it. We use 360 breathing and low-threshold coordination work to restore access to rhythm and timing. Pelvis, ribcage, and shoulder mechanics are trained together so movement becomes clear and economical. Energy systems are built with enough recovery to adapt. Hormones are supported instead of fought. This isn’t about emotional soothing — it’s about making clean signals possible.

Mindset and Motivation 

Mindset here isn’t motivational speech. It’s how you maintain consistency. We use what holds in sport: autonomy, competence, and clarity. You understand what we’re doing, why, and exactly how to progress it. We train process, not perfection. Confidence comes from capacity built slowly enough to stick, not from forcing belief. You learn to show up steady, not swinging between “all in” and “burn out.”​

Nutrition

You eat to support work, recovery, and tissue adaptation. Protein for muscle. Carbohydrate for power. Fats for hormones. If recomposition is needed, we do it without starving, shrinking, or losing strength. For riders over 40, or those with RED-S history, perimenopause, or bone density concerns — we fuel to protect muscle, bone, and energy so progress holds. Plans are practical, clear, and built around real life.

Why ?

You don’t need someone to tell you to try harder. You’ve done that. You know where it leads.

You need training that your body can adapt to and a way of riding that your horse understands.

I’ve ridden at a professional level, coached riders for decades, rebuilt my own body after back surgery, reversed early bone loss using strength and impact training, and returned to high-level endurance competition. I’ve seen tension disguised as effort. I’ve seen horses carry riders who are trying their best but don’t have access to the positions and stability their trainers are asking for.

This programme exists so your effort finally means something.

No wasted effort or lessons.
Training that works because your body can respond.​