ERIN CRAIN
RIDER PERFORMANCE COACH
RIDER FIRST ESSENTIALS
Stop riding from a checklist. Start understanding how the pieces actually work together.
You’ve heard the corrections.
More leg. Sit up. Relax. Engage your core. Half halt. Keep the canter. Wait for the jump. Soften your hands.
But knowing WHAT to do isn’t the same as understanding WHY it works, HOW to actually do it, and what it should FEEL like.
Rider First Essentials is a self-paced foundational riding program designed to finally make those pieces make sense.
Short, bite-sized lessons released over 5 weeks • Lifetime access
You probably don't need more riding information.
You might already have 47 riding corrections running through your head at any given moment.
Leg on.
Don't grip.
Sit up.
But relax.
Use your core.
Soften your hands.
Keep the canter.
Don't chase the distance.
And somehow you're supposed to do all of that at the same time. 😂
The problem isn't necessarily that you haven't been taught enough. It's that no one has helped you understand how all of those pieces fit together.
So instead of riding from a giant mental checklist, I want to help you understand the system underneath it.
Because when riding makes sense, you can make better decisions instead of just trying harder.
I explain riding differently.
Rider First Essentials isn't a collection of exercises or another list of things to fix.
We're going underneath the corrections.
For every concept, we're going to look at:
WHAT are we actually trying to accomplish?
WHY does it matter to the horse?
HOW does your body create it?
FEEL — what are you actually looking for in the saddle?
Then you'll take it to the barn with a simple experiment designed to help you recognize that feeling for yourself.
Because riding changes when you stop simply memorizing instructions... and start understanding the conversation happening underneath you.
Rider First Essentials is for you if...
-
You've ridden long enough to know the basics, but riding somehow feels more complicated the more you learn.
-
You hear the same corrections in lessons but struggle to make them happen consistently.
-
You understand what your trainer is asking intellectually, but can't always translate it into your body.
-
You tend to overthink and try to fix everything at once.
-
You want to understand what your horse is feeling and why they respond the way they do.
-
You want riding to feel clearer, quieter and more connected—not like you're constantly working harder.
You don't need to know more things.
You need the things you already know to start making sense together.
Here's what we're going to make sense of together.
01 — ORGANIZE THE RIDER
We'll start with you. Understand relaxation, unnecessary tension, rider stability, and how to support your own body without gripping, bracing or interfering with your horse.
02 — UNDERSTAND THE ENERGY
What does “forward” actually mean? Understand impulsion vs. speed, where your horse’s energy comes from, and what riders actually mean when they talk about riding back to front.
03 — LEARN TO REGULATE IT
Make concepts like the half halt and transitions actually make sense. Learn how your body can organize and rebalance the horse—without relying on your hands to control everything.
04 — TAKE IT TO THE JUMP
Understand why the quality of the canter changes the jump, how a better canter gives you more options, and what it really means to let your horse jump the jump.
05 — PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
This is where we connect the dots. Instead of treating every riding problem like a separate correction, you'll learn to step back, recognize the bigger picture, and ask:
What is actually driving what I'm feeling?
Imagine riding without 47 corrections running through your head.
The goal of Essentials isn't perfect riding. It's being able to think through your ride.
To feel something change underneath you and have some idea why.
To understand which pieces matter most instead of trying to fix everything.
To communicate more clearly with your horse.
To know when you need more energy—and when you actually need better balance.
To understand why soft hands start with more than your hands.
To recognize that a jumping problem might have started several strides before the jump.
And ultimately:
To go from “I know all the things I'm supposed to do” to
“I understand what I'm trying to create.”
This is what happens when riding starts making sense.
Riders tell me all the time: “You explain riding differently.”
And Essentials riders are already taking it to the barn.
“My horse has never gone better than the past 2–3 weeks!”
“She is more calm and relaxed. I’ve spent almost two years trying to slow her down and all of a sudden it’s like a switch has flipped.”
“Your videos are so helpful because your analogies always provide a sort of ‘light bulb’ moment for me. I can finally imagine in my body what it’s supposed to feel like and then I can get on my horse and try to implement it.”
— Rider First Essentials Founding Rider
This is the goal.
Not memorizing more corrections.
Understanding your riding well enough that you can feel it, experiment with it, and create change in the saddle yourself.
That’s Rider First Essentials.
What does Essentials actually look like?
Built to fit into your riding — and your brain.
SHORT, DIGESTIBLE LESSONS
No hour-long lectures. Each concept is broken into small lessons you can actually absorb and revisit when you need them.
WHY → HOW → FEEL
Understand why the concept matters, how your body creates it, and what you're actually looking to feel in the saddle.
TAKE IT TO THE BARN
Each lesson gives you a simple experiment so you can take the idea into your ride without adding another giant checklist.
LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE
Work through the lessons as they're released, then come back to them whenever you need them. You have lifetime access.
You’re not just buying another riding course.
You’re learning a system you can keep coming back to.
Rider First Essentials is designed to help you understand how the pieces of riding work together — so instead of collecting more corrections, you can start recognizing what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what to change first.
And this isn’t something you have to race through.
Learn at your own pace. Take one idea to the barn. Experiment with it. Notice what changes. Then come back when you’re ready for the next piece.
Inside Rider First Essentials:
Short, self-paced video lessons
The complete Rider First foundational curriculum
Take It to the Barn application sheets + experiments
WHY → HOW → FEEL teaching throughout
Lifetime access so you can revisit the lessons as your riding changes
Riders around the world are already taking Rider First Essentials to the barn.
Investment: $127
Hi, I'm Erin.
I'm a horse trainer, instructor and Rider Performance Coach, and I've spent years noticing the same thing:
Riders are given an enormous amount of information about what to do—but aren't always given enough help understanding why it works or how it's supposed to feel.
That's the gap Rider First is designed to fill.
I believe the rider isn't simply another problem to fix.
The rider is one of the greatest opportunities we have to make the conversation with the horse clearer.
When you understand how your body, balance, tension, timing and aids affect the horse underneath you, riding starts to make a whole lot more sense.
And when it makes sense, it can get easier.
That's what I want Rider First Essentials to give you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What level of rider is this for?
Essentials is designed primarily for riders who already understand the basic skills of riding and want a deeper understanding of how the pieces work together. You do not need to be an advanced or competitive rider.
Is this only for jumping riders?
No. Many of the concepts in Essentials—relaxation, balance, impulsion, connection, transitions and rider organization—are foundational across disciplines. There is also a section specifically applying those concepts to jumping.
Do I need to have my own horse?
No. You can apply the concepts whether you own, lease or ride lesson horses.
Is this personalized coaching?
Essentials is an educational program rather than individualized riding instruction. If you want support specific to your own riding, a Rider First Audit, Reset, or virtual coaching may be a better fit — or a great next step after Essentials.
What is the refund policy?
Try your first week of Essentials and take the first Rider First experiment to the barn. If you decide Essentials isn’t the right fit, contact me within 7 days of your purchase for a refund. Because this is a digital program with access to educational materials, refunds aren’t available after that 7-day period.
I’ve already done a Ride Audit or Reset with you. Is Essentials different?
Yes. A Ride Audit looks specifically at your riding and helps identify what’s driving the picture I see. A Reset helps you work through a specific pattern that keeps showing up in the saddle. Essentials is different: it teaches you the foundational Rider First system so you understand how the pieces of riding work together in the first place. Audit = I analyze your riding. Reset = we work through your pattern. Essentials = I teach you the system.
You don't need another correction to remember.
You need riding to make sense.
Learn the WHY → HOW → FEEL behind the concepts you've been hearing for years—and start seeing how the pieces actually fit together.
Rider First Essentials
Short, self-paced lessons • Take it to the barn experiments
Lifetime access
Price: $127
It can be easier.