Liz Daniels from EquiTeam talks about whether it is beneficial to your riding to have lessons with more than one coach.
I always say that coaching is a three way conversation between you, your coach and your horse; and that your relationship with your coach should be a mutually rewarding journey.
Personally I spent a long time finding a coach who understands me AND my horse, one who will push and challenge me, but who will also listen. And – I know that they care/have my back. That might not be important to everyone, but it’s invaluable for me.
So do I want to cheat on them…? Absolutely not… but do I go for lessons with other coaches…? Occasionally yes!
So I guess you could call it an ‘open relationship’ (words I never thought I would say)! Maybe I need to change my Facebook relationship status to ‘it’s complicated’?
Finding the right coach
First and foremost you need to trust your coach. It’s like any important relationship; if there is no trust, your bond is already compromised, so when it is put under pressure the cracks show and it eventually breaks.
Your coach should inspire you, motivate you, and understand you and your horse. You should feel like you are progressing and have trust in the training process.
A good coach will always be able to explain the process, the why’s, the how to’s, and what to do when it doesn’t go to plan. As a rider, you should never feel like you can’t ask questions.
There are many different methods of coaching and it’s important to realise that not every coach will suit every rider and horse – and this is perfectly OK! This doesn’t make people ‘bad’ coaches, it’s just they might not be the right fit for you, or your horse.
I’ve previously had lessons with the same coach, on two very different horses – the first lesson was amazing, the second lesson was not. For me, having someone who understands my horse is vital.
If you are unsure about what to look for in a coach then write a list of what is important to you, what you want to achieve from your lessons, and then look at finding someone who ticks those boxes with you.
Being a sheep
Within the coaching world we see trends – coaches become fashionable and everyone uses them for a short space of time before moving on to the next person. In my experience this style of swapping and changing coaches on a regular basis isn’t constructive at all – especially if they have very different teaching styles.
And on that note; a new coach a week is about as useful as having no lessons at all.
An example of this being, one coach asking you to ride your horse forwards and another coach telling you to slow down all the time. The chances are that over a period of time you would get to the same end result with both methods – but if you are using both coaches at the same time you get confused and start to question what approach to take.
This often ends up with the work in-between lessons being of a lesser quality and your horse; who likes consistency, being unsure and frustrated. In my humble opinion, this method is a total waste of time and money, and slows down your progression.
This isn’t because the coaches aren’t doing a good job – it’s because quite often coaching is a journey which takes a consecutive block of regular lessons with one person to achieve the outcome.
As a coach you teach what you see in front of you on that day, so keep in mind that a different coach might have seen your horse behaving in a different way and changed the focus. As a rider we have to learn to ride what is underneath us and react accordingly, as a coach we do the same.
So when is cheating on your coach useful?
This is where the open relationship part comes in! Getting an occasional fresh perspective from a different coach who has a similar style to your own regular coach can be so beneficial. A different set of eyes on the ground is really helpful.
A clinic, or camp with a coach who has a great reputation and a similar style to your regular coach is really useful. I occasionally have lessons with the coach who trains my regular coach and it’s like drilling down an extra level but on the same path. This gives me extra things to work on in my own lessons and at home.
It works well because I know that they share the same style and whilst they will choose different things to work on, the building blocks and methods to get there are all the same. I leave feeling inspired and not confused – which is the key!
Lots of people find it really useful going to a clinic day, or to a camp, with a different instructor and I’m completely in favour of this as long as it isn’t every week with someone different. Obviously I am completely biased because we run Equiteam Confidence Camps – but I always make the point that these sessions should be helpful for people to take away the bits that worked for them, to continue on their journey with their regular coach.
You should never be afraid to say to your coach that you are having a lesson with someone else. A good coach won’t feel threatened by that – instead they will also welcome a different perspective.
Expectations
As a coach I think that sometimes riders have slightly skewed expectations. The reality is that riding isn’t always easy and you have to put the time and energy in to progress. It’s not just about time on the horse too! Of course; your fitness, mindset and physical abilities all impact your time in the saddle.
In a world of social media it can be so easy to focus on that one split second of perfection captured in a picture which isn’t actually telling the truthful thousand words. We’ve all seen it many times over… and whilst I love seeing achievements, it’s essential to remember that you shouldn’t compare yourself and more importantly – you shouldn’t change your own expectations to feel like you are meeting those of your peers.
Whilst it’s great to jump a decent sized fence coming out of a grid, as a coach I’m more concerned about how you got your horse to that grid. Did you ride your lines, did you use your corners, were you in a rhythm, were you thinking for yourself, did you keep your balance and ride away from the fence, and can you recreate this without someone on the floor?
Don't forget to consolidate
There will always be lessons when you don’t feel like you have taken a leap forwards, but it is just as important to consolidate as it is to push. Without consolidation, everything is fragile – including confidence, so spend time putting the basics together, even if this doesn’t leave you on an adrenalin high with a social media ready image!
A couple of consolidating lessons isn’t reason enough to go and find a new coach – however you should leave your lessons feeling inspired and wanting to work and practice between sessions.
If you find yourself making no progress, or questioning the methods used then it might be time to have a conversation with your coach. Sometimes communicating new expectations is enough to make those changes and alter the path that you are on; but sometimes it is simply time to move on!
It’s not uncommon for me to hear, ‘I’m not really sure about my coach’, ‘I don’t think what they are telling me is right’ – trust your gut! If you’re not enjoying your lessons, or don’t trust the process then it’s time to move on!
Equally, recently I taught a lady for the first time and I knew within the first 45 seconds that we were not a good fit. I can count on one hand the number of times this has happened, but at the end of the lesson I had a very honest conversation with her and explained that I wasn’t the person for her and the reasons why. She will be much happier with a different style of coaching, and I feel much happier not taking her money for little point.
When you find a new coach - ask questions
I can honestly count on one hand the number of times that I have been asked if I have insurance and this has never been from a private client. Please check that your coach is qualified and insured – you always hope that you won’t need it – but if you do and your coach doesn’t have insurance then it is a little late in the day to be asking!
Remember!
Riding is tricky, the more you progress, the more you need to learn, so you have to want to work hard at it.
As a coach we can spot clients a mile off who have been doing their ‘homework’ and those who haven’t been, so although your coach plays a big part in supporting your journey – you are the one who has to work hard in between lessons.
Liz x
