Offering equine & equestrian sports physical therapy, as well as rehabilitation boarding. If you or
Dr. Emily Shields spent decades working in large hospital environments providing physical therapy solutions to human athletes. Now, as a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner, she's taking her experience to equine and equestrian athletes alike. Dr. Shields offers one-on-one mounted and unmounted physical therapy assessments, as well as clinics focusing on educating equestrians as to how their biomechanics are impacting their horse's performance. Don't settle for the generic online equestrian exercise program or pseudo-scientific performance enhancements. Find the root of your riding problems and develop comprehensive long-term solutions with Dr. Shields' help.
11/05/2025
Why so many fitness programs don’t work for equestrians…
There are so many fitness programs out there, but they often miss the rider-specific movement patterns that matter most.
If exercises don’t target the core, hips, shoulders, and balance in a rider-specific way, you might get stronger - but your riding won't improve.
Physical therapy focuses on your individual movement patterns, identifying your restrictions or imbalances and prescribing exercises that actually help you ride better.
If you’re curious whether your current program is hitting the mark comment or DM me “FITNESS CHECK” and let’s chat.
11/03/2025
Ever feel like your horse is a bit ‘off’, but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is?
I hate to say it, but sometimes it’s not your horse – it’s your body! 😅
Even small imbalances, tight muscles, or posture issues can make your horse move differently, get tense, or lose rhythm.
Sometimes these things are so slight that you don’t notice them.
But as a Doctor of Physical Therapy and certified equine rehab practitioner, I help riders identify the root cause of their tension, limitations or alignment issues.
With targeted assessments and rider-specific exercises, we can:
🥕 Correct imbalances that are affecting your ride
🥕 Improve your flexibility, strength, and coordination
🥕 Help you and your horse move together effortlessly
It’s time to stop guessing and start improving!
(Obviously, always consult your vet if you need to, this is a post about how our bodies can affect our horses way of going)
Comment or DM me “CHECK” to find out how I can help you ride more comfortably and in sync with your horse this fall. 🍂
11/02/2025
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10/31/2025
Have you lost count how many times your instructor has told you to do something like 'keep your leg back’ or 'hands down'?
Don’t worry if you’re like me and you’ve lost count how many times you’ve tried to perfect a position but failed!
Legs not being exactly where they should be, elbows that don’t sit in quite the right place or an ankle that just won’t turn your toes in, no matter how much you try - they’re not your fault!
You might have a restriction or an old injury that means no matter how hard you try, your leg is never going to sit where you want it to.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t be aware, understand why and then build agility and control.💪
When you understand your body’s limits and strengths, you begin to have control over the way your body influences your horse's movements.
And that’s when the magic happens and you start to see progress.
DM or comment STRENGTH and let's chat
10/29/2025
If you find yourself out of breath when you’re riding, it could be a sign you need to work on your rider conditioning and fitness.
Improving your strength, endurance, and flexibility can make riding more comfortable, and you might find you’re more in sync with your horse’s movement.
A few minutes of core work, light cardio, or mobility exercises can pay off big time when you’re back in the saddle.
What’s your go-to exercise for staying fit for riding? Comment below – I’d love to hear it!
10/28/2025
Ever feel like you’re fighting your horse instead of moving together?
That’s where rider biomechanics come in! 🐴💪
Physical therapy isn’t just about ‘fixing’ pain – it’s about optimizing your performance.
From improving strength and flexibility to correcting imbalances, physical therapy helps you ride more effectively with less frustration.
What’s one thing you wish you could improve in your riding? Comment below – I’d love to hear it!
10/24/2025
Sore muscles after a chilly morning ride? 🥶
Tight hips, achy shoulders, or a stiff back are common as the weather cools down, but don’t worry! A quick stretch or targeted movement can make a huge difference. 👇
🥕 Keep warm post-ride
Layer up and move around after dismounting. Cold muscles stiffen quickly so light activity can help maintain flexibility.
🥕 Target tight spots with mini-mobility exercises
Shoulder rolls, cat-cow stretches, and hip circles can help improve circulation and reduce stiffness.
🥕 Hydrate and recover
Just like your horse, your muscles need fluids and nutrients to recover efficiently, especially in cooler weather.
If you’re experiencing stiffness regardless of the weather, physical therapy helps pinpoint what’s causing that stiffness so you can ride more comfortably.
If you’re ready to ride in better comfort, drop me a DM or comment the word PINPOINT
10/22/2025
When you hear your instructor shout ‘engage your core,’ do you think they’re talking about your stomach muscles?
If so, I promise you’re not alone – so many riders think the same, but that’s only a small part of it! 😅
Your core includes everything from your pelvic floor to your shoulders, including your spine, hips and of course, the abs. All these muscles work together to help you stay stable yet flexible in the saddle, move fluidly with your horse, and avoid tension or stiffness.
Focusing only on your stomach won’t improve your riding. You need to focus on your functional core strength with exercises that engage your whole body in a rider-specific way.
Want a few simple rider-specific core exercises you can do off the horse? DM me “CORE” and I’ll share my favourites that actually work for riding.
10/21/2025
Sometimes it feels like your horse purposely picked the worst day to test your balance. 🤣
A few small tweaks in your core, posture, and balance can make those surprise moments easier to handle – and save your lower back!
Try these exercises to help improve your balance:
🥕 Single-Leg Stand
Stand on one leg with your knee slightly bent. Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch sides. Close your eyes or lift your arms overhead for an extra challenge.
🥕 Core-Engaged Hip Shifts
Sit or stand tall, engage your core, and gently shift your hips side to side without moving your shoulders.
Want tips for staying upright when your horse decides to be extra spirited?
DM me “BALANCE” for more simple exercises that actually help.
10/17/2025
Being an effective rider takes more than just technique.
It’s a mix of mind, body and awareness. Here’s what I think some of the key “ingredients” are of a rider who rides confidently, comfortably, and in harmony with their horse:
🥕 Balance and posture – staying aligned lets you move with your horse instead of against them
🥕 Strength and core engagement – it’s not just your abs, it's your whole body
🥕 Flexibility and mobility – tight muscles = restricted movement, which your horse feels instantly
🥕 Rhythmic breathing – helps you stay relaxed, fluid, and in sync.
🥕 Awareness and adaptability – every horse, every day, every ride – they’re never identical
Combine all these, and you’ll ride more effectively, reduce tension for you and your horse, and finally feel like your body is working with your horse instead of against them.
But don’t overwhelm yourself, just focus on one thing each ride.
DM me if you’d like a customized check of your “rider ingredients” 😃
10/15/2025
The change of season is definitely noticeable now, isn’t it? 🍂
Which means fall is the perfect time to check in on your fitness, flexibility, and balance – for you and your horse.
The cooler weather and shorter days can lead to stiffer muscles and impact how you and your horse move together.
But just a few small adjustments now can save frustration and soreness later!
🍂 Warm up your body before mounting
Even 3-5 minutes of dynamic stretches for shoulders, hips, and core can improve your mobility and prevent stiffness.
🍂 Check your posture from the ground
Roll your shoulders back, engage your core lightly, and release tension before you get on.
🍂 Keep joints moving post-ride
Gentle stretches for hips, hamstrings, and shoulders help reduce soreness and maintain flexibility after riding.
How do you stay loose and ready to ride in the fall? Tell me your tips in the comments!
09/19/2025
It doesn’t matter what age you are, what level rider or what discipline you’ve chosen, rider biomechanics is alwasy important.
As a physical therapist, I understand the dynamic relationship between you and your horse and can prescribe personalized exercises that will help you become more balanced in the saddle.
In a physical therapy biomechanics assessment, I’m looking for movement patterns that have become painful while riding. Or identifying movement patterns that could lead to increased risk of injury.
I take what I observ while you’re riding and compare it to your functional movements on the ground so I can pinpoint the root cause of any musculoskeletal issues (there’s a bit more to it, but in a nutshell it gives you the idea).
Unfortunately, not all exercises are ideal for all riders.
You’ve probably seen online fitness programs that promise you’ll become a better partner for your horse in no time. Unfortunately, they’re often generic and don’t work the muscles in an equestrian-specific way.
If you’re interested in how physical therapy can help you improve your comfort and performance, send me a DM.
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The Equestrian Sport is a sophisticated relationship between a horse and rider which demands physical and mental stamina, agility, and soundness in order to move in synchronous strength. All disciplines of horseback riding, however, have their own distinctive, risky, and highly unpredictable relationship between these two athletes leading to injury or poor performance. Through training, conditioning, and biomechanical analysis a comprehensive program can be created for both the equine and equestrian athlete to address optimal training performance.
A Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) is highly trained in the art of Performance Rehabilitation which focuses on improving athletic performance, recovering from injury, and to prevent future injuries. A DPT who specializes in the Equestrian Sports has been trained in common mechanisms of injury, diagnoses, differential diagnoses, prognoses, and treatments for specific injuries encountered in both rider and horse. They have developed the critical reasoning skills to determine what can be utilized from a tool box to facilitate normal movement patterns to help you optimize riding performance.
Equine Rehabilitation is based on evidenced based protocols, tissue healing parameters, horse’s response to treatment, and consistently reassesses interventions to determine effectiveness of treatment strategies. At Physio Equine Solutions, a DPT who is a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner (CERP) will discuss and collaborate with your horse’s DVM to develop an individualized rehabilitation care plan to be implemented utilizing objective measures to monitor interventions to determine effectiveness of treatment strategies. Physio Equine Solutions is here to help! Contact Us: Call or Text 443-883-0724
Not sure if we can help? Would like to ask questions first?
Emily would be happy to listen to you to ensure she can help you, the horse, or both just give us a call!
Serving Maryland at your barn, home, or show grounds!
