Does anyone have a coach?

Ambers Echo

Ambers Echo

Still wittering on
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I don't mean an instructor (though the person could also instruct) but someone who coaches you throughout the season: helps you define goals and mini goals along the way, structures the work, creates a progressive plan that focuses on all the different elements to reach each goal: fitness (horse and rider), skill across disciplines, competition prep and schedule etc.

Might feel overkill for an ageing also-ran like me, but coaches exist in other sports at all levels. And I sometimes really struggle to know what to do when. Plus I think I'd also like the emotional support of a coach! I can feel quite lonely as I do pretty much all my competing on my own.

For those who do have a coach, what has your experience been? Good/bad. Unexpected benefits, unintended drawbacks? (I was once on a yard and the YO became the self appointed coach for every rider - and became very narky if you wanted to do something different from what she felt was best! I left in the end as she was just so controlling).

Not for this season but just mulling on next year when - all being well - I want to event a full season and also try and get to the National Amateur Champs SJ.
 
I haven't, but I don't see why not if it is something you think you would enjoy having. If I were to come into some money and have a notion to start competing again then it is something I would would very much want for myself. I'm not great on planning stuff for myself and my own ambitions, so I think a coach would be really valuable.

I don't think you would have the same issues as with a self-appointed yo coach. For starters, if they get irritatingly pushy then you can just fire them.

Are there many coaches available for horse stuff? How would you go about finding someone good?
 
SEL said:
Not me but 2 friends use one. One for riding ambitions & the other support with a horse centric business.
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Are they finding it valuable? I assume coaching can be done online so may be something experienced trainers/competitors can offer alongside more standard clinics/training. I’ve never seen anyone advertising it though.
 
That's an interesting question - I think most people I know work on a plan with their regular instructor. A YO of mine did offer a 'season planning' service for a while, a group of us went for dinner with her and we worked up our individual plans and she mapped out which comps she could take us to, which she'd coach as at etc as well as our targets. It then fizzled out and none of the coaching comps happened (she had a tendency to have good ideas then not follow through..!).

I wonder if a coach who didn't personally know you could offer much more than a plan that you could map out yourself. E.g. you know the qualification requirements, local venues / courses, what suits your horse, how far you're willing to travel etc. You also have your trusted trainers and you know that you're taking a less well-travelled route with training from Joe and your careful building of foundations etc. Could a remote expert weave together all those elements any better than you can? I think it would take someone quite exceptional to do it well from a distance.

Perhaps a more useful coach would be someone who guides you through the relevant thinking and maybe weaves in some mindset work (the latter is definitely useful for me!) rather than someone who puts a plan together for you?
 
Interesting question! Daughter has an instructor who is also our YO, but not at all pushy or anything, very happy for people to have other instructors etc. I would say last year with pony she was in the instructor category, and we were pretty independent, travelled out to our own comps, qualified and stayed away at various champs etc. and never really needed that additional support or guidance having had ponies independently for a couple of years.

Now however, we bought new horse in early November, and I would say her instructor has evolved into more of a coaching role with daughter. She came with us to view the horse and was very supportive of us going ahead with the purchase. We plan to event starting this season at 80 and moving up when ready, and instructor/coach evented herself for 6-8 years. New horse absolutely has scope, brains and talent for it, but is 6 so still inexperienced. Instructor has taken on more of a role in developing the horse and the daughter across the disciplines so that we are ready to start in the next couple of months (with LOW expectations obvs!). We have had good focus across the disciplines at different times, and made plans for every weekend to go out to arena hires or low level UA comps in SJ and dressage or AE for example, so we have seen what the horse is going to do in a range of scenarios. Instructor has been out with us, taught lessons at the facilities, coached warm ups, debriefed in the lorry on the way home etc. She has recommended when she thinks we should go do a clinic or a lesson with another coach/event rider etc. and been clear about what it would add that she is maybe less focused on. She also exercises the horse in the daytime when we are struggling with daylight/weather etc.

She also, and this is a flipping miracle, but she is brilliant at reading my daughter's moods and level of confidence or comfort with things. Daughter is only just 15 and of course everything Mum says is annoying, but her instructor totally gets her, and is able to coach and communicate really really well, and messages her in the week with feedback and tips and next steps planning etc. Her people skills are frankly pretty awesome.

All of this....but she is completely not one bit overbearing or controlling about it. It's pretty marvellous :)

So I would say....yes we have a coach, who is also an instructor, but for us has now become a coach, and the difference between what we get and what we had previously when we just had regular lessons with her is a world apart, and I don't think we'd be ready to event next month had we not had the winter we've had with her.
 
Yes, both my current and previous trainers were more coaches. Previous was very involved and we would plan seasons, goals and how to get there as well as her offering advice on all management of care if wanted. More because she was very invested than that was an offering, I really valued the extra support and interest .

My current is very much set up as you've said and very in to mindset and performance coaching. Breaking down goals in to steps and plans, evaluating where we're at and how things have gone etc. etc. I do find it really helpful, more so than I thought I would. Somethings I don't expect to just hit home or are what I needed to hear or do at that point.
 
I think there are probably elements of this in my Sports Psych sessions, although for me have been more focused on managing nerves when riding. My Sports Psych is also a qualified instructor so brings that perspective too. More recently we have moved towards thinking about quality/performance. Not with a competition element because that's not my goal but I imagine if it was then we would have more of those coaching things in there.
 
The yard we used to be at had a lot of clinics, most weekends there was 1 or 2, and you picked what you were interested in, so one week it might be poles, another week it would be equipilates, another week test riding etc. And we also had our regular weekly lessons with instructor. But it was all sort of 'self-guided' like 'let's have a go at that, or 'he looked good last time', and some were great and some were a bit meh. What we have now is a more structured approach, and it's really helpful. Because a lot of the people who do clinics are really specialists in one thing, and you don't always know how good they will be at being specialists in what you want or need at a given time, you have to try it and see.

And I have also found that a lot of even very good instructors tend to have a focus for a week, and use that for most of their lessons, and for sure they wouldn't do a lesson you actively didn't want or need, but people do often just get sort of carried down a path, if they are not actively discussing what they want or need each week.

I think that's the difference with a coach, is that it is planned and it evolves with you and is absolutely all about you and your horse. Like I say for us it's the same person, but filling a different role now.
 
Back when Pip and i where actually out competing/having fun i found a new dressage coach/instructor. She was fairly local, and was just a breath of fresh air. She gave me fab instruction, and more importantly gave me a push to get out competing. She suggested i compete when she and other clients where out. That way she would warm you up and read the test. She gave advice throughout the whole thing, which tests to do etc etc. She really was wonderful.
When i am ready to get back out i shall be knocking on her door again. I had the best time
 
I think a lot of trainers will do coaching, however I think the confusion is where people expect this to be included in their training session and not pay extra for it.
Not saying this is you OP, just what I've seen in real life 🙂

My jump trainer is happy to be really involved, and you can walk through and plan anything from next competition to your 5 year 'big aim' dream and break it down how to get there and work backwards with competition and training plans, as well as support with the horsemanship, care, fitness etc.
It really needs to be off horse as separate sessions though and not 5 mins tacked on the end of a lesson when you're cooling off.

My flatwork trainer is also happy for this and she is very kind and will go to champs and qualifiers etc. and not charge for it and will support with season planning and longer term aims.
I don't know if it's because I have known her for 20 years, however she doesn't charge me extra and is happy if I pop the horse on the lorry and we discuss it after my lesson.
However I won't have lessons with her really until the youngsters are a bit more established, so probably end of summer.
 
Ambers Echo said:
Are they finding it valuable? I assume coaching can be done online so may be something experienced trainers/competitors can offer alongside more standard clinics/training. I’ve never seen anyone advertising it though.
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Very much so. I've just gone and and checked the name and it is Alex at Coaching for Confidence

My saddle fitter is one of the BHS accredited centre 10 coach and she's dropped into coach mode a couple of times when she's been saddle fitting and I've been going over something in my head or struggling with something - so you can also align coaching alongside teaching if that works for you.

I do think it is coach / individual dependent though. I know another BHS instructor locally who offers 'coaching' and that is definitely more 'telling'!! But works for some people...
 
j1ffy said:
That's an interesting question - I think most people I know work on a plan with their regular instructor. A YO of mine did offer a 'season planning' service for a while, a group of us went for dinner with her and we worked up our individual plans and she mapped out which comps she could take us to, which she'd coach as at etc as well as our targets. It then fizzled out and none of the coaching comps happened (she had a tendency to have good ideas then not follow through..!).

I wonder if a coach who didn't personally know you could offer much more than a plan that you could map out yourself. E.g. you know the qualification requirements, local venues / courses, what suits your horse, how far you're willing to travel etc. You also have your trusted trainers and you know that you're taking a less well-travelled route with training from Joe and your careful building of foundations etc. Could a remote expert weave together all those elements any better than you can? I think it would take someone quite exceptional to do it well from a distance.

Perhaps a more useful coach would be someone who guides you through the relevant thinking and maybe weaves in some mindset work (the latter is definitely useful for me!) rather than someone who puts a plan together for you?
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Yes my intial though was to approach an instructor but none feel quite right - probably because, as you say, I am on a less well travelled route. If I wanted to pursue Western I'd want Joe. (Not sure he coaches but I'd certainly ask!) but that won't really work for eventing.

It='s finding someone who respects my approach instead of telling me to change it (as I think many instructors would try to do) but also has the experience to get me further than I can get alone - even if all I really need is a sounding board, someone who believes in what we are trying to do, and someone to be accountable to.
 
@DeliaRides and @Squeak that sounds exactly what I am after.

I know that with one of my instructors I get the 'Lesson of the Week'. It's good but it's not always what I want. And for clinics I just book into what sounds fun and is local. I need to be more strategic and I don;t know what I don; know. I never really do any gymnastic work for example. Or polework. Do I need to? If so how often? How structured? What focus for the poles etc.

I could work it out for myself, but equaly having a structure and some expertise around that could be very valuable to keep me on track.

@Asha @millitiger that is also what I want. Someone encouraging and supportive!

@SEL thanks for the name. And interesting that it's on offer more generally. I'll have a poke around the internet and see who I can find who sounds like they could be a good fit x
 
Ambers Echo said:
It='s finding someone who respects my approach instead of telling me to change it (as I think many instructors would try to do)
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A new coach is most likely to make or suggest changes because they will assume that you were not satisfied with what you were doing before, and sought for a coach in order to do something different. And also in order to earn their fee.

It is worthg considering whether you need a coach to organise how you spend your schooling session or to teach you a different way of riding? Both can improve both horse and rider, but not in the same way.

If you want to drill and improve what you are already doing, you might consider giving yourself an imaginary lesson, as suggested by Perry Wood in his book Just Riding. I once or twice gave myself a "Mark Rashid" lesson after spectating his clinics.

If you are aiming to compete however, you need to learn about points lost and points gained in the different gaits and dressage movements.
For years Carl Hester's book Down To Earth Dressage: How To Train Your Horse lived by my computer. Read the entry and description on amazon. It is an old book but very user friendly and taught me so much.
 
The 2 jumping trainers I know who offer this (and are very good) are both UKCC qualified and both in the BE trainer list, so perhaps a good place to start?
 
Yes but not by design. One of my long-term trainers is also a qualified mindset and performance coach so yes I do have a coach. I find it invaluable having a 360 approach from somebody who knows me, my horses and my riding. We incorporate elements of our non ridden sessions into the ridden work. I love having structure/processes to follow. She also comes to kick me up the backside for champs/areas.
I am a rank amateur who competes at the lower levels.
 
i am coached rather than instructed - and when I'm 'teaching' I am trying to coach rather than instruct - but I don't think the definition of coach is someone that helps you plan your season or do all the extra stuff. For some of the people I work with regularly I'll gladly input into season planning and the bigger picture stuff - but I don't think this is the distinction of what coaching vs. instruction is
 
I do this for all of my clients, some are liveries on my yard and others come in from outside. It’s something I’ve got more interested in over the last couple of years and I find it much more satisfying than just doing a lesson and walking away.
I’m a Centre 10 accredited coach and fitness instructor so this helps too. I speak to each of my clients individually to make plans and review performance but we also have monthly group meet ups which work really well even if one persons goal is to canter a circle and another’s is a BE90. They are all really supportive of each other and will come and watch and help each other at competitions.
I’ve been wondering about offering this service to a wider audience. Perhaps you could be my guinea pig Amber?!!
 
Im sure ‘coach’ can mean lots of different things to different people so I guess I’d need to be very clear about what I’m looking for. Which is basically as described by various people upthread.

@hottoddy I think it could be a really valuable service! I’d be interested in exploring more if you want to pm me. X
 
I have ad hoc zoom sessions with my local centre 10 coach for this, she doesn't know much about western but can help walk me through my own thoughts/challenges, timescales on things and really helped when I was stuck on warm up strategies in 2024.
 
I bounce ideas off my instructor all the time but I’m pretty content with my plan for Rooni. I do enough micro managing for 5 people lol.
 
hottoddy said:
I do this for all of my clients, some are liveries on my yard and others come in from outside. It’s something I’ve got more interested in over the last couple of years and I find it much more satisfying than just doing a lesson and walking away.
I’m a Centre 10 accredited coach and fitness instructor so this helps too. I speak to each of my clients individually to make plans and review performance but we also have monthly group meet ups which work really well even if one persons goal is to canter a circle and another’s is a BE90. They are all really supportive of each other and will come and watch and help each other at competitions.
I’ve been wondering about offering this service to a wider audience. Perhaps you could be my guinea pig Amber?!!
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The group element of this sounds great! Especially mixing people with different levels of goals. I feel pretty isolated with my riding really, and people who are more connected than me probably hear lots of unhelpful stuff so I can see how a group like this could really help people stay motivated and feel supported.
 
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