Core Stability For Dressage Riders

Learn how your Transverse Abdominals (TVA) effect your core stability, and how to train them.

If you’ve ever been told to “engage your core” or “just sit taller” in the saddle — but weren’t quite sure what that actually means in your body — you’re not alone.

For dressage riders, true core stability isn’t about holding tension or bracing rigidly. It’s about developing deep, adaptable support that allows you to sit quietly, follow your horse’s movement, and apply clear, effective aids.

At the centre of this system is a muscle many riders haven’t heard of — the transverse abdominis, often referred to as the TVA.

Understanding how this muscle works — and how to train it correctly — can make a profound difference to your balance, posture, and confidence in the saddle.

What Is the Transverse Abdominis (TVA)?

The transverse abdominis is the deepest layer of your abdominal muscles. Unlike the superficial “six-pack” muscles, the TVA wraps horizontally around your torso, connecting from the ribs to the pelvis.

Because of this structure, it’s often described as the corset of the abdominals.

Rather than creating movement, the TVA contributes to trunk and pelvic stability. It works as part of a deeper stabilising system alongside the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and spinal stabilisers to help manage forces acting on the body.

For riders, this matters enormously.

Here is a great video from Ken Hub, explaining more about the anatomy of the TVA.

Why Core Stability Matters for Dressage Riders

When you ride, your body is constantly adapting to:

• the horse’s movement
• changes in rhythm and balance
• transitions, lateral work, and collection
• asymmetries between reins, seat bones, or stirrups

A well-functioning core helps you:

• stay balanced without gripping
• sit deeper without collapsing
• apply aids without bracing
• absorb movement rather than resisting it

Importantly, core stability is not about being stiff.

It’s about having enough internal support that you don’t need to over-hold your body to feel secure.

The TVA’s Role in Pelvic Control and Posture

When the deep core system isn’t coordinating efficiently, riders may notice:

• excessive arching or flattening of the lower back
• difficulty sitting evenly
• fatigue through the back or hips
• instability in sitting trot or canter

This doesn’t mean anything is “wrong” with your body.

It usually means the deep stabilising system — including the TVA — needs better coordination, endurance, and load tolerance.

Targeted strength training can help restore that support.

Bracing vs Hollowing: What Riders Need to Know

Many riders have been taught to “pull the belly button in” to engage the core. This hollowing strategy often reduces breathing efficiency and creates unnecessary tension.

Instead, we want bracing.

Bracing means:

• gently firming the abdominal wall
• maintaining normal breathing
• creating support without stiffness
• Think of it as quiet strength rather than tension.

This allows the core to respond dynamically — tightening when needed and softening when appropriate — which mirrors the demands of good riding.

Core Stability Exercises for Dressage Riders

The goal of these exercises isn’t to exhaust your abs. It’s to teach your body how to create support without restriction, and to maintain that support while your limbs move.

Each exercise builds on the same foundation: controlled abdominal bracing, steady breathing, and the ability to resist unwanted movement.

1. Leg Lowers (Supine Core Control)

Lie on your back with your legs raised so your hips and knees are bent at 90 degrees. Gently brace your core so your ribs feel stacked over your pelvis.

Slowly lower one or both legs toward the floor, stopping before your lower back arches or control is lost. Return with control and reset before the next repetition.

Only lower as far as you can maintain abdominal support — range is secondary to control.

Leg lowers train the core to resist spinal extension, which helps riders avoid excessive arching and instability when riding forward, powerful horses or during transitions and canter work.

2. Banded Dead Bug

Lie on your back with arms extended toward the ceiling and hips and knees bent to 90 degrees. Hold a light resistance band anchored overhead.

Brace your core and slowly extend arms over chest against the band while extending the opposite leg forward. Return with control and switch sides.

Move slowly and keep the torso steady.

The banded dead bug increases demand on cross-body coordination and trunk stability. This directly supports diagonal aids, straightness, and the ability to stay organised when one side of the body works harder than the other.

3. Bird Dog

Start in a tabletop position with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Brace your core gently.

Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back, keeping your hips level and spine steady. Pause briefly, then return and repeat on the other side.

Avoid shifting weight or arching through the lower back.

Bird dogs improve pelvic control, spinal stability, and glute–core integration. They’re particularly helpful for riders who feel uneven in the saddle or struggle to sit evenly through both seat bones.

4. Suitcase March

Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand by your side. Stand tall with ribs stacked over pelvis.

Brace your core and slowly march one knee up at a time while resisting any side-bending or shifting. Switch the weight to the other hand after each set.

Move slowly and deliberately.

Suitcase marches train lateral core stability and pelvic control under load. This helps riders stay upright and balanced, particularly when one rein or one side of the body feels dominant.

5. Rotating Side Plank

Start in a side plank position on your forearm, knees bent or legs straight depending on ability.

Brace your core and rotate your upper body slightly, reaching the top arm under and then opening back up toward the ceiling. Move slowly and stay controlled throughout.

Keep hips lifted and stacked.

Rotating side planks train the obliques and deep core to control rotation — essential for lateral work, turning aids, and maintaining balance through bending exercises without collapsing or over-twisting.

6. Pallof Press

Stand or kneel sideways to a resistance band or cable anchored at chest height. Hold the band close to your chest.

Brace your core and press the band straight out in front of you, resisting the pull to rotate. Return slowly and repeat before switching sides.

Maintain steady breathing throughout.

Pallof presses build anti-rotation strength and improve trunk control. They help riders maintain alignment when one side of the body is under more demand — such as during lateral work, transitions, or when correcting crookedness.

A strong, responsive core allows:

• the pelvis to move freely with the horse
• the spine to absorb motion smoothly
• the seat to remain connected without gripping

When riders combine:

• targeted core stability training
• appropriate hip mobility
• progressive, rider-specific strength work

they don’t just improve posture — they improve feel, timing, and harmony.

Ready to Build Rider-Specific Core Stability?

If you want a structured, progressive approach to building real core stability for riding — not generic “ab workouts” — the DRT Core Stability Program is designed specifically for dressage riders.

Inside the program you’ll find:

• rider-specific core training
• intelligent progressions
• short, effective sessions
• exercises that translate directly to the saddle

👉 Explore the DRT Core Stability Program and start building the kind of support that allows your seat to soften, your posture to organise itself, and your riding to feel more effortless.