Kristen Kolenda is a yoga instructor, horse trainer, and the founder of Kristen Kolenda Yoga and Equitation Education. She has spent the past 16 years teaching riders to move in harmony with their horse from the ground up.

An equestrian studies major (Lake Erie College 07), she began practicing yoga to improve her riding and manage injuries. As a horse trainer with a passion for eventing and show jumping, she recognizes how a tailored yoga practice deeply influences riding skills and longevity in equestrian sports.

Utilizing her unique skills as a trainer, equine body worker, certified advanced yoga teacher, yoga therapist, and yoga and mental health researcher, she teaches riders to improve their physical, mental, and emotional skill through her Rider Training Scale™. By helping riders connect the dots between body, mind, and horse, her students ride longer, bounce back from injury and stress faster, and feel better in and out of the saddle.

Kristen has been featured at Equine Affaire, Noelle Floyd, Equitas, and The Chronicle of the Horse. With online and in-person programs streamlined for groups and personalized for individuals, her students address their own imbalances on the mat, so clear communication and partnership become second nature in the saddle. Her techniques have helped happy hackers, from 5-star` elite athletes, to achieve their riding goals.

Because of the Horse...

I know beauty, strength, comfort, freedom, and the magic of connection. Horses make me feel alive. How lucky I am to live in a world with horses.