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Correct Rider Movement + Better Communication = Happy Horse

Better rides through fixed movement patterns so that your horse understands your aids

Move Like A Rider is designed to improve your overall fitness, balance, strength, and coordination in the saddle by helping you assess and correct your individual motor patterns and weaknesses.

We understand that everyone learns differently, some people enjoy online courses that they can take at their leisure from the comfort of their home. While others prefer that one-to-one consultative approach to augment their online learning.

That's why we have created a series of courses, programs, and subscriptions that are suitable for all fitness and riding levels or disciplines. They are customizable to meet your specific needs and goals.

Understanding HOW YOUR BODY moves and fixing imbalances, crookedness, and misalignments will ultimately create a better riding experience for you and your horse!

We'll teach you the skills you need to fix what isn't working and maintain correct movement so that you can enjoy the rides you've only dreamed of.

We help riders just like you, get the results you want

You don't need to ride a string of horses or go to the gym for hours each day to find security, confidence, and balance in the saddle!

With Move Like A Rider, you will learn how to ...

  • speak your horse's language by correctly and accurately using your body
  • be secure in the saddle when the unexpected comes
  • have the confidence you want to progress to new levels or try new riding activities

But the most important reason to learn the Move Like A Rider approach is the joy you'll have in building the trusting relationship you have with your horse.

You will understand the changes you need to make in your motor patterns to improve your riding and develop deeper communication and connection with your horse.

But how?

You think the best way to become a better rider is to take more lessons or ride more horses.

It's not uncommon to think that riding more horses will fix all your problems.

Unfortunately, if you have poor mottor patterns, riding more horses will only make those patterns worse. After a while, you may not even be able to feel that you are sitting crookedly in the saddle or weighting one seatbone more heavily than the other.

Move Like A Rider will help identify those patterns that cause miscommunication with your horse and make you feel like you've forgotten how to ride your horse!

Riders are often given bad instruction that doesn't fix the problem.

It’s hard to know what you don’t know

You don’t think of yourself as an athlete

You aren’t alone in your journey

You are in the right place!

Learn the Move Like A Rider Approach and Achieve the Body Awareness and Motor Patterns You Need to have the Effortless Rides of Your Dreams.

Muscle recruitment (motor patterns) is akin to symphony. The muscles (instruments) need to play at the right strength, timing, and interplay with the other instruments to create music (movement).

This is where I live and work, in the synergy, the timing.

Move Like A Rider teaches the way behind the how, fostering harmony, communication, and understanding between rider and horse.

My proven step-by-step online programs and private coaching sessions will help you correct your poor motor patterns so that you can ride better and have a better relationship with your horse.




Summary of Our Services, Subscriptions, and Courses

Move Like A Rider 8-Week Online Course


A proven, step-by-step training program specifically designed for riders.

  • All mobile videos are in an easy-to-follow format:
    • Rider Checklists
    • Mounted rider BEFORE assessment
    • Includes an off-the-horse assessment that you can easily follow at home
    • a motor pattern fix for you to replicate throughout your day
    • an AFTER example in the saddle


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Move Like A Rider Monthly 

Silver-Level Subscription



  • Monthly One-on-one video or in-person assessment
  • Weekly Live Zoom/FB Q & A
  • Private Facebook Group
  • Horse assessment One-on-one or in-person - Includes video analysis and excerise recommendations for the horse
  • Consultation with Trainer - Video or in-person, we will discuss my assessment of their rider/horse team





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Move Like A Rider Monthly

Gold-Level Subscription



  • Monthly One-on-one video or in-person assessment
  • Weekly Live Zoom/FB Q & A
  • Private Facebook Group
  • Monthly Video Analysis
  • Mastermind Group-twice Monthly
  • Horse assessment-in-person - Includes video analysis and excerise recommendations for the horse
  • Consultation with Trainer - Video or in-person, we will discuss my assessment of their rider/horse team
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Move Like A Rider Virtual

Monthly Maintenance

Subscription



  • Monthly Video Analysis Subscriber submits up to 4 videos per month, 3-5 minutes total
  • Direct video feedback using submitted video to identify trouble areas
  • Visual feedback given to the rider through biomechanical feedback from video Analyze rider form
  • Improvement Strategies provided to improve performance






























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Move Like A Rider Private Group Coaching Clinics




  • Minimum of 5 riders 90 minutes per rider. 60 minutes off the horse, 30 minutes riding
  • Non-riding assessment for each rider (off-horse) discussing injury history, riding challenges, and goals for the private group session.
  • Rider function assessment assess each riders strength, mobility, movement patterens, as well as areas of weakness, stiffness, and movement patterns for improvement. And, how And, how they affect communication with the horse and riding performance.
  • Improvement Strategies focus on rider excerises and activities to use to improve their riding skills.
  • On-horse riding session - The goal of the riding session is to reinforce what was covered in the non-riding assessment. I help the rider use their improved body awareness and movement patterns to better communicate with their horse. Exercises specific to the horse/rider team will be given to improve riding performance and address the riding goals discussed in the non-riding assessment.



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Move Like A Rider

Problem-solving Consultations (Rider Only)


A private consultation with you, the rider, to address your riding challenges and concerns. These can be consistent difficulties when riding, issues with riding performance, pain, or fear/confidence lost after a fall or scare while riding.

  • Examples of conditions addressed in problem-solving consultations:
    • Pain when riding: hip pain while riding, ankle pain while standing in stirrups, back pain while riding, shoulder pain, neck pain
    • Pain after riding
    • Consistent performance issues when riding, such as difficulty turning in one direction more than the other, transitions, sitting the trot, feeling secure when riding, fear/loss of confidence after a fall, or a scary riding experience.













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You Want Someone Who Understands Your Frustration
in the Saddle and Can Fix it.

As an Equestrian and Doctor of Physical Therapy, I Know How to Correct
Your Physical Problems and Make You a Better Rider.

I’m Tonya Olson, Doctor of Physical Therapy, human and equine functional anatomy expert, business owner, and horsewoman. I’ve always had a passion for horses, and in my younger years, the barn became a haven to escape the pressures of the outside world.

A path to becoming a veterinarian to work with horses evolved into a desire to connect human movement to people's relationships with their horses. I ultimately chose physical therapy to help riders see themselves as athletes and show them how to be the best athletes for their horses.

You can find me and my German Shepherd Alvy in St. Petersburg, Florida, where I own and run Centaur Physical Therapy.

BOX with Qualifications
Dr. Tonya Olson, MSPT, DPT Board Certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Certified Manual Physical Therapist
2007 began practicing
2018 start of Centaur Physical Therapy

Education
Doctoral Candidate, Doctor of Education
Evidence in Motion (Doctorate in Physical Therapy)
Medical University of South Carolina (Master’s degree in Physical Therapy)
Indiana University-Purdue University (Bachelor’s degree in Biology)

How to work with me

How Can I Help You?

  1. Check out the Freebie page and sign up for the Free Mini-Course.
  2. Follow my Move Like A Rider Facebook and Instagram pages. I'll post lots of great advice and tips throughout the week.
  3. Join my Move Like A Rider Facebook Group. Here we can interact. I do FB live videos and you get to be part of a community all working together toward better riding and happier relationships with their horses.
  4. Ready for more? Take a course! Here you get to dive in and work with me and a group online to work through your individual movement pattern problems and how to be fix them.
  5. If you want to work with me directly, I do virtual coaching and in-person coaching in the St. Petersburg, Florida area, fill out the form on the contact page.
  6. Celebrate your riding successes with new friends in your Move Like A Rider community!
Check out the Right course or subscription for you!

Here’s What My Clients Are Saying…

Small tweaks and exercises … made a huge difference in my ability to impact my horse’s movements.

Brianna Cussano - Doctoral Student, rider

Tonya is amazing! She opened my eyes to the source of my riding problems, ones that I didn't even know existed. WIth small tweaks and exercises, she made a huge difference in my ability to impact my horse's movements. You think you know where your body is and what it's doing, but most of us really don't.

Tonya gave me exercises to do on and off the horse. These targeted exercises gave me the ability to practice and strengthen my weaknesses even when it's raining, dark out, or I just have 5 minutes. This has made a huge difference and allowed me to make progress even though I don't ride for a living.

My horse is so happy I know Tonya! She has made me better at doing self check-ins when things don't seem to be going right. Now when my horse doesn't feel even or is diving to one side, I think, "ok, where am I crooked?" Erica Lacher, DVM

I ride pain free... and able to do things that seemed impossible before.

Today, I am much closer to being the rider I want to be. I ride pain free and feel strong and able to do things that seemed impossible before. Tonya was there for me and I don't think I'd be riding today if it weren't for her support.

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