Single-Leg Strength for Riders: Benefits, Exercises and Progressions

Single-leg exercises train one side at a time. For horse riders, that makes them useful for building leg and hip strength while revealing differences that a two-legged squat can hide.

They are not automatically better than bilateral exercises. A systematic review of 14 studies involving 392 participants aged 16–26 found a task-specific pattern: unilateral training was better for unilateral jumping, while bilateral training was better for bilateral strength. The findings do not prove a direct improvement in riding, but they support a practical rule: train on one leg when you want to become more capable and controlled on one leg, while retaining two-legged strength work too (International Journal of Sports Medicine).

The useful benefits for riders

One side cannot quietly hand the work to the other

In a regular squat, a stronger leg can contribute more without the difference being obvious. A split squat, step-up or single-leg sit-to-stand lets you compare sides under similar conditions.

Look beyond the number of repetitions. Ask:

• Does one knee drift inward?
• Does one hip drop or rotate?
• Do you push harder through one foot?
• Can you lower at the same speed on both sides?
• Does one side need more hand support?

These observations do not diagnose an injury or prove what happens in the saddle. They give you a repeatable starting point for training.

Strength and balance develop in the same drill

Reducing the base of support increases the demand on balance and postural control. That does not mean wobbling is the goal. The useful challenge is to keep the pelvis, trunk and standing leg organised while the limb produces force.

Balance is trainable. A systematic review found improvements across several measures of balance after balance training, although its participants were healthy adults aged 65 or older rather than riders (Sports Medicine). The NHS recommends building balance work gradually and using a wall or stable chair when needed (NHS balance exercises).

You can compare control in rider-relevant positions

Single-leg work can expose loss of control when you bend through the hip, knee and ankle—the same joints involved in mounting and rising trot. The exercise does not reproduce riding, but it can strengthen part of the physical task.

Rider-biomechanics research remains limited in scope and quality, with most studies using small convenience samples and cross-sectional designs. A recent narrative review nevertheless found recurring associations among pelvic orientation, dynamic trunk control, symmetrical weight distribution, saddle-pressure patterns and equine gait (Frontiers in Veterinary Science). Treat off-horse work as preparation, then assess any position change with an instructor on a suitable horse.

Four single-leg exercises, from stable to demanding

Start with a support beside you. A fingertip on a wall is a training tool, not a failure: it lets you practise alignment before balance becomes the limiting factor.

1. Supported split squat

Setup: Stand in a staggered stance with both feet facing forward. Keep the feet about hip-width apart rather than placing them on one tight line. Rest one hand lightly on a wall or stable chair.

Action: Lower straight down by bending both knees. Keep most of the work in the front leg, then press through the whole front foot to stand.

Checkpoint: Your front knee follows the direction of your middle toes, and your pelvis stays facing ahead. Shorten the range if you have to twist or push heavily with the back foot.

Riding connection: Builds strength through the hip and thigh with a relatively secure base. It is a useful first step toward the leg control needed to lower and lift your body without collapsing through one hip.

2. Low step-up

Setup: Use a solid, non-slip step near a railing or wall. Place the whole working foot on top.

Action: Lean slightly forward from the hip, press through the raised foot and stand on the step. Lower slowly instead of dropping to the floor.

Checkpoint: The trailing foot provides minimal push. If you need to spring off it, choose a lower step.

Riding connection: The controlled rise resembles one component of stepping onto a mounting block and lifting your body. For the complete mounted task and its safety considerations, see mounting a horse.

3. Supported single-leg Romanian deadlift

Setup: Stand on one leg with the knee softly bent. Hold a wall with one hand. Let the other leg extend behind you.

Action: Push your hips backward and tip your trunk forward as one unit. Stop before your pelvis opens to the side, then drive the standing foot into the floor and return upright.

Checkpoint: Imagine both hip bones pointing at the floor. You should feel the back of the standing thigh and the buttock working, not strain in the lower back.

Riding connection: Trains hip control while the trunk changes angle—useful preparation for maintaining an organised pelvis and torso in a light seat. It is not a cue to hinge forward while sitting in the saddle.

4. Single-leg sit-to-stand

Setup: Sit near the front of a firm, stable chair. Place one foot flat on the floor and extend the other heel lightly forward. Use a higher seat or fingertip support at first.

Action: Lean forward from the hips, stand through the planted leg, then lower to the chair over two or three seconds.

Checkpoint: Keep the pelvis level and touch down quietly. Stop the set when you begin dropping onto the chair, swinging for momentum or pushing the knee inward.

Riding connection: This is a clear test of one-sided force and control. It can help you compare the legs that support you during mounting and other off-horse tasks, without treating the result as a verdict on your riding symmetry.

A simple twice-weekly plan

Choose two or three exercises and perform them after a short warm-up:

1. Supported split squat: 2 sets of 8–10 per side
2. Low step-up: 2 sets of 6–10 per side
3. Supported single-leg Romanian deadlift: 2 sets of 6–8 per side
4. Single-leg sit-to-stand: 2 sets of 5–8 per side

Rest enough to keep the next set controlled. Begin with your less coordinated side, then perform the same number of good repetitions on the other side. Do not punish the weaker side with a large amount of extra work.

The NHS suggests strengthening all major muscle groups on at least two days each week, commonly using 8–12 repetitions and building up gradually (NHS strength guidance). Those are broad public-health guidelines, not a rider-specific prescription. Keep this work within a balanced off-horse rider fitness programme that also includes trunk, upper-body and two-legged exercises.

Progress only one variable at a time:

• use less hand support;
• increase the range of motion;
• slow the lowering phase;
• add repetitions within the stated range;
• add a small external load.

More wobble is not a meaningful progression if alignment deteriorates. Record the support, step or chair height, repetitions and load so that comparisons between sides—and between weeks—are fair.

Stop if an exercise causes sharp pain, dizziness, numbness or a feeling that the joint may give way. Persistent pain or a large, unexplained side-to-side change warrants assessment by an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. Off-horse strength work can improve your physical options, but new riding positions still need to be developed with qualified mounted instruction.