Author Biography
Heather Sansom is a certified Personal Fitness Trainer and equestrian Coach through the Canadian national equestrian federation, Equine Canada, as well as a Level 1 Centered Riding Instructor. In the mid 2000 s she developed expertise in fitness and biomechanics for riders, leading this field in North America. In 2007 she launched her coaching business Equifitt.com and has since published over 200 articles on rider fitness in national and international equestrian magazines including Dressage Today. Her six ebooks on fitness and conditioning sell worldwide. Her writing has influenced this field, which has seen a growth in rider fitness practitioners and published articles since. She has spoken and conducted workshops at regional, national and international equine symposia on rider fitness and athlete development, including Equine Canada convention and CHA International Conference. She taught and coached fitness for riders at the University of Guelph (Kemptville). She has coached Olympic and elite riders in multiple disciplines in their fitness and conditioning. Through Equifitt.com, she offers riding and biomechanics clinics, riding instruction and personal training, and online personal training for equestrians, worldwide. From a broader perspective, Heather also does wellness coaching and is completing her PhD in youth resilience through equine based physical activity. She does organizational consulting, project management and research in sport and public health, recreation, and equine based activity for psycho-social learning and development. Passionate about horses for over 40 years, Heather s main personal focus is classical dressage. She counts polo, mounted games, foxhunting, horse trials, competitive trail, skijoring, barrel-racing, trick and liberty training, and driving among her other equestrian experiences.
