WHETHER you are preparing for competition, returning to the saddle or taking your first steps as a rider, CAFRE’s Rider Performance Hub offers an opportunity to improve your skills in a supportive environment.
Horse Sense has seen for itself the fantastic Enniskillen Campus specialist facility, which is open to riders of all abilities, not only CAFRE students. Through a regular diary of short courses, workshops and professional development programmes, beginners, leisure riders, competitors, coaches and equestrian professionals can all benefit from its advanced technology and expert tuition.
At the heart of the Hub are two Racewood Dressage Pro Simulators, a Racewood Eventer Simulator and a Racewood Mark 10 Racing Simulator. They allow riders to experience a range of riding scenarios, while receiving immediate feedback on their performance.
Unlike riding a live horse, simulator sessions allow an exercise to be repeated consistently. Riders can concentrate on their balance, posture, position, coordination and use of the aids without having to manage the many variables that naturally arise in the saddle.
This makes the Hub useful for riders at every stage. A beginner can develop balance and confidence in a controlled setting, while an experienced rider can examine small asymmetries or habits that may be limiting performance. Competitors can search for marginal gains, and coaches can explore new ways of analysing and supporting their riders.
Off-horse exercises
With guidance from experienced staff, participants can identify strengths, address areas for improvement and better understand how their movements influence communication with the horse.
The technology is supported by specialist rider-conditioning equipment. Targeted off-horse exercises can improve mobility, balance, core strength, coordination and postural control, helping riders become more stable and effective in the saddle.
Improving these physical qualities is not simply about better performance. A more balanced and self-aware rider can give clearer aids, move more comfortably with the horse and reduce unnecessary interference. Rider development therefore has an important role to play in supporting horse welfare.
The Rider Performance Hub is used throughout CAFRE’s full-time Higher and Further Education equine programmes, giving students practical experience of rider development, coaching and sport science. However, its benefits extend far beyond the college’s student community.
Specialist technology
CAFRE has delivered rider biomechanics workshops, simulator-based position analysis, coach education, fitness and conditioning sessions, confidence-building programmes and practical clinics covering dressage, jumping and general riding effectiveness.
These opportunities make specialist technology and expertise accessible to a much wider equestrian audience. Riders do not need to be competing at an elite level, studying at CAFRE or even riding regularly to take part. The Hub can support someone rebuilding confidence after a break just as effectively as a competitor seeking to sharpen their performance.
As interest in evidence-based rider training grows, CAFRE plans to expand its programme of courses and workshops for riders, coaches and industry professionals.
By combining innovation with an inclusive approach, the Rider Performance Hub is helping more people understand their bodies, improve their riding and communicate more effectively with their horses.
Applications are also open for CAFRE equine courses beginning in September. To discover upcoming training opportunities or find out how to apply for a course, visit www.cafre.ac.uk.