Hi Patti,

Thanks for your post! As a rider I think that good inner thigh and abdominal strength plays an important role in being able to move and balance yourself with the horse. I’ve noticed that all of my male clients lack inner thigh strength. Using a ball between the knees for footwork or feet in the straps allows them to cue into their inner thighs. Also doing abdominal work on the BOSU can give them the instability they will experience when on the horse. If he’s an advanced student try having him balance on the BOSU during hundreds or the abdominal series. Standing balance work such as squats (again you could add a ball between the knees) on the BOSU would provide a good challenge for his muscles needed during riding.

To stretch out his back, I would recommend moving his body through flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation. I’ve noticed the biggest difference in my client’s mobility when I have them move their spine through all planes of motion. Mermaid with rotation is great because it incorporates all thes motions into one exercise.

I hope this information helps!

Lynda