Willing assistants please!!

R

ruth83

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 November 2007
Messages
1,437
Location
South Yorkshire
Visit site
One of the goals very high up on my list for 2009 is to pass my BHS Intermediate Teaching Test. This is something I should have done 2 years ago but hey ho, I'm onto it now!!!

Parts of the new syllabus for 2009 have brought the BHS in line with the new UK coaching certificates (which are nationwide and apply to almost all sports) and therefore I need some willing volunteers to help me with my presentation preperation. Its all pretty straightforward stuff that I'm asking for but the explanations and questions MIGHT get a bit long, please bear with me!!!

All I am asking is that ANYONE of ANY LEVEL in ANY DISCIPLINE or non discipline for that matter (eg happy hackers, non riders) who feels they can offer a little input to any or all of these questions, wether it be 3 words or 3 paragraphs please put your two penneth in. If you would rather PM me (in strict confidence obviously) please feel free. Everything will be greatly appreciated.

1) How does your instructor (if applicable) give feedback? What thoughts do you have on this method of feedback? If you could choose how to recieve feedback/ask for a different kind of feedback what would this be? Would you be interested in electronic means of feedback (e.g video recordings, gait analysis)? Do yuo give your instructor feedback? What do you feel makes good (not necessarily positive but useful) feedback?

2) As a coach I should give my pupils the power (empower them) to be able to work on problems/movements etc when I am not there, how do you feel this is best achieved? Are there any barriers to this? (for example not having the confidence without an instructor, unclear guidance, fear of causing further problems?) What methods and techniques might help empower you?

3) Do you ever do specific mental or physical preperation for riding? (eg a warm up, a matra, a superstision?)

4) What motivates and demotivates you? Both in riding/handling in general and in coaching sessions? Are you more motivated by the carrot or the stick?

5) What qualities do you look for in a coach/trainer/mentor? What differences (if any) di you think there are between a coach/trainer/mentor?

6) Nervous riders - what (if you can identify it) is the basis for your nerves? (e.g. fear of injury/falling off, fear of inability to achieve, fear of horse). How can your instructor best help you with this? What might your instructor do that might worsen the situation?

7) Those of you working towards specific goals, e.g. a certain dressage test, jump height, BHS exam. Do you have a specific plan on how to work towards this? What do you find most difficult about the goal?

Thank you sooooooo much to anyone who replies, be it as little or as much as you can put!!

Anyone who is relatively local to me (Maidenhead, Berks) and fancies some very cheap lessons (as in enough to cover my petrol cost!) IF I can fit it in around work please contact me, having worked as a show groom for the last 18months I need to get back into practise!!!
 
Will PM you after The Hills (on MTV) cos it is the Finale and I don't have time at the sec!

grin.gif

x
 
1) My instructor gives feedback whilst i am riding. And then she normally summarises at the end of each lesson what i need to work on before our next. This method works for me best because i retain the memory of the lesson and any corrections. I think a one-off gait analysis would be beneficial so i can see how my girlie moves

2)I'm not too sure about this one - sorry

3) No, but i think you should. I'm a sport science student and have learnt over the past year how benficial warm up is - i do muck out before? I don't have any superstitions.

4) I'm more the carrot girl

5) Friendly, knowledgeable, supportive, genuinely interested in mine and my horses advancement.

6) Nervous riders - fear of what could happen, i think especially as people get older they seem more self aware.

7) I always have a plan for tests,events etc. I find goals difficult to achieve for many diff reasons e.g time constraints, weather, how the horse is going,setbacks with injuries.

Hope some of that may help x
 
Will try to answer, but I am also a trainer.
1. In great detail, explaining the theory behind everything, with videos etc. My instructor is more a trainer and we discuss everything.
2.By making absolutely sure they understand why things happen, how to analyse problems and deal with them as they arise. With correct guidance confidence grows, as an older rider, I rarely lack confidence in how to deal with a problem, but I was taught long ago, if you are unsure how to react, go around the problem, finish on a good note and then go and think it through. Always have an aim when you are training, but never aim to achieve it today.
3. Always think through the last training period, the advances and the problems, how you aim to build on the last lesson, extend it, encourage the horse to build his confidence and offer you more. The mistakes you made and the exercise you can do to improve them. I also like to do this as I go through the lesson at each stage when I let the horse rest in a free walk on a long rein.
4. As a rider, I like a bit of both, Pammy Hutton style!
5. Not sure I worry about the labels people use, I think of all my teachers as trainers. Good trainers do all 3. Just riding the horse motivates me! Aiming to improve the understanding each day.
5. Have taught many nervous riders, Im not, I think the key is to listen to them, ask them questions and to admit, yes, riding IS dangerous.
6. I always have a goal with a horse or a rider, be it to trot in a straight line or stand when I mount, to walk around the school with someone nervous, chatting until they forget they were so nervous they couldnt breath at first!! My goals are training goals, never competing, plans for me are flexible and have always been, but I am older now and have a lot more patience as well. Goals are wonderful to inspire you but can also be really difficult, it is better to set achievable goals for students, little by little.
Ok Im not much use to you I think, but I really hope you get many many replies and the very best of luck in the exams eh!
 
My instructor gives me feedback at th end of each lesson and regularly we discuss where to go next, the next stage of our training etc. This is really benefficial as too are the video recordings we have taken of our lessons etc as I can see where we have improved (or where we haven't
smile.gif
) and seeing it makes it so much clearer. I do give my instructor feedback but I know that as an instructor at a BHS Where to Train Yard and being well qualified and as she is checked regularly at work - I know she knows her stuff! I feel good feedback is being constructively honest and advising how to improve on certain things.

The way my instructor empowers me is to give me homework which is usually a variation on what we have worked on during a lesson. Though i am fairly ok with things like distances with jumps, poles etc, i double check with her so that I know I am doing it correctly. She will set me a slightly simpler exercise for my homework, say trot or canter poles but will then progress it into a harder exercise, for example a small grid, and so on.

My warm up exercises generally involve mucking out a couple of horses before my lesson
grin.gif
but have been known to do the occassional stretch.... looking into pilates at the moment!

I find that some instructors over praise their students if that makes sense, one at our yard compliments her 60 year old pupil who has been riding her whole life, on doing a "good corner" ...if I couldn;t ride a corner after 40 odd years, i think I'd give up so this sort of praise to me is worthless. When i get a compliment on me or my horse, I know we've done well as my instructor though both encouraging and enthusiastic does not for want of a better expression, blow smoke up my backside!!!

The qualities I look for in an instructor is talking the talk and walking the walk, I have seen my instructor ride and she's happy to get on my horse if needed. She is well qualified and experienced and I trust her implicitly which I believe is so important, I get nervous when jumping but trust her judgement and give it my best. If the fence looks huge to me, i remind myself that she wouldn't ask me unless she thought we could both do it. She has built my confidence by believing in me. as a student she put me on a variety of horses, progressing onto more challenging rides very gradually and this improved my confidence and ability. With my own horse she has set me goals and helped me to achieve them by pushing towards them gradually but purposefully!! My fears have lessened as my confidence has improved and the realtionship with me and my horse has grown and strengthened. Pushing to quickly would have been detrimental but so would not pushing me enough.

We always have a goal, and though sometimes you have to amend the goal due to set backs, you simply set a different one. Everyone needs a goal, even if its simply to hack your horse out on its own or doing something more demanding like a one day event, I always have to have a goal, it gives me focus. The difficulty is sometimes knowing how to amend the plan and this is where an instructor is key. If particular issues arise, say behaviourial or fittening, it's great to have someone to bounce ideas off.

I am lucky that I have known my instructor for years and she gives my email and text support and advice if needed - bless her! I value her opinion and though some may say she's very tough, I prefer a bit of brutal honesty as long as it's followed by encouragement and a plan of action!

Oh my god i have waffled so much, hope this helps and PM me if you want any more babbling PS if my instructor ever knew this was about her, she wouldn't be able to get her head through my stable door ! ha ha ha ha ha
grin.gif


Good luck with your exam !
 
Answers to each of the questions by number ref, hope it helps..
1) Mine provides verbal feedback during the period of instruction, and then what could be described as a de-brief after the lesson over a coffee...suits me, and becomes a mutual feedback with what if we do it this way instead type of comments. As for other methods, if it's something niggly that isn't getting into my head, then video recording and playback has been used, an excellent tool for picking up the problems you can't always see when on the horse!
Feedback is most useful when it directly relates to a particular issue or problem, so feedback on each of the issues seperately I think, works better than over lesson feedback.
We do have 2 way, if I feel the need to comment on any part of the lesson she welcomes it... and knows it's there on my mind!

2)...Instructor provides one or two areas to concentrate on until the next lesson, it's kept pretty specific and always something that can be worked on without an instructor present, however feedback and comments from other persons watching are always welcomed and advised.
The practice points are always clear and straightforward - and sometimes followed up by email as a gentle reminder.

3) Nothing in particular, although I do like to get my horse in and working about 30mins before the lesson, just to get rid of any giddy spells and get horsey listening to me!
More for him than for me, but it does help focus the mind.

4) Motivated by pushing my limits... there needs to be something to keep it fresh, don't mind repeating things, but it needs to be combined with something new! De-motivated by a fall...or repetitive work over more than 3 lessons.

5) The ideal situation is the one I seem to be in, more friends but with a working relationship.

6) Doesn't apply anymore...however used to have a fear of the canter... took a while to beat it, but I'm not sure what changed. Words of encouragement helped no end, and the knoweldge she had faith in me to beat it!

7) My only goal is to keep improving, thats understood by the instructor, and her aim is to improve overall riding standard across all levels. If thats achieved a little on each lesson, we're both content!
 
Oh, what fabulous questions! Will do my best.

[ QUOTE ]

1) How does your instructor (if applicable) give feedback? What thoughts do you have on this method of feedback? If you could choose how to recieve feedback/ask for a different kind of feedback what would this be? Would you be interested in electronic means of feedback (e.g video recordings, gait analysis)? Do yuo give your instructor feedback? What do you feel makes good (not necessarily positive but useful) feedback?


[/ QUOTE ]
I have several instructors. Most feedback happens during the lesson, as immediate loud vocal commentary/instructions.

One instructor has video-ed a lesson, and given us the video along with commentary. This is in a group lesson of fairly competent riders.

I have the other instructor for a schooling lesson, which is a much smaller group of students, generally working fairly independently within the lesson. During the lesson, the instructor may work with each student individually, or may draw the whole group together to work on a single exercise. After the lesson, we generally have a re-hash over coffee, where we can ask further questions.
[ QUOTE ]

2) As a coach I should give my pupils the power (empower them) to be able to work on problems/movements etc when I am not there, how do you feel this is best achieved? Are there any barriers to this? (for example not having the confidence without an instructor, unclear guidance, fear of causing further problems?) What methods and techniques might help empower you?


[/ QUOTE ]
At a certain level, if the students have their own horses, you can give them homework. Certainly, at that level, the students should be schooling at home. Watch them for a bit, then ask them what they're trying to do and how it is going, and then make suggestions as to how to achieve it.

I'd say the biggest barrier is the student not being advanced enough to ride unsupervised, and the student not having a horse to work with outside the lesson. You should take care to explain why each exercise is being applied. Once the students are more secure, you can then let them do their own warm-up or put out some poles for them to use as they choose, and save your comments until they've worked for a while. That way, they should gain the confidence to apply the exercises that they've learned.
[ QUOTE ]

3) Do you ever do specific mental or physical preperation for riding? (eg a warm up, a matra, a superstision?)


[/ QUOTE ]
I warm up the horse. If I have a dressage test to ride or a course to jump, I visualise the pattern/difficult places.
[ QUOTE ]

4) What motivates and demotivates you? Both in riding/handling in general and in coaching sessions? Are you more motivated by the carrot or the stick?


[/ QUOTE ]
I'm most motivated by encouraging honesty. Constant praise leaves me feeling like I can't trust the instructor and like I don't know how I'm really doing. On the other hand, if I've done something difficult correctly, I want to be told. I don't mind being shouted at if it serves a purpose, but constant verbal abuse undermines my confidence. Swearing at me is not verbal abuse. Telling me that I'm stupid and that an 8-yo could do better...that gets under my skin.
[ QUOTE ]

5) What qualities do you look for in a coach/trainer/mentor? What differences (if any) di you think there are between a coach/trainer/mentor?


[/ QUOTE ]
I'd say a coach is someone you work with on occasion, or as part of a team. A trainer is someone you work with regularly, on an individual basis. A mentor is someone who has taken a very personal interest in furthering you, specifically, in preference to other students.

For all three, I would look for someone who was very competent in their field, who knew how to convey this competence to me, who was honest with me in regards to my abilities and potential, and who was supportive of my goals within the bounds of my abilities.
[ QUOTE ]

6) Nervous riders - what (if you can identify it) is the basis for your nerves? (e.g. fear of injury/falling off, fear of inability to achieve, fear of horse). How can your instructor best help you with this? What might your instructor do that might worsen the situation?


[/ QUOTE ]
My biggest worries are damaging either the horse or someone/thing else, and the horse stopping infront of a jump. Generally, I'd attribute these to a fear of loss of control. The best way for an instructor to help me with this is for him to build up a level of trust that he knows my abilities, and then for him to shout at me until I do the exercise that's worrying me, successfully. He might worsen the situation by causing me to doubt myself; say, by overfacing me or the horse, and then not admitting his mistake.
[ QUOTE ]

7) Those of you working towards specific goals, e.g. a certain dressage test, jump height, BHS exam. Do you have a specific plan on how to work towards this? What do you find most difficult about the goal?


[/ QUOTE ]
I try to be frank with my instructors about what I'd like to achieve, and then set goals. The most difficult thing is that you have to be flexible, because the horse may have different ideas!

I hope this is usefel; cheers!
 
1) My instructor gives verbal feedback both during and after my lesson. We have discussed her taking pictures of my riding so I can see what I am feeling. I give feedback to her in that we discuss my lesson, before, during and after - she gives her feedback and I give mine. If I can’t have a lesson for whatever reason she will text me to see how I have got on that week.

2) My instructor gives me homework! My mare is being reschooled and I am given achieveable goals to work to during the week in between lessons, things which will not challenge my confidence etc. She encourages me and makes me feel good about the progress I am making however small.

3) I lunge my horse before my lesson and get my back protector on (am naughty and ride my old boy without...)

4) I have found my instructor has both coaxed me and told me off! Sometimes she has asked me to do something and I have really not felt confident enough to do it, however once I give in and do it she has always been right and I have been really pleased after. I now trust her enough to know that she knows what my mare and I are capable of together. She knows how I ride and will shout if she sees me about to do something wrong to snap me out of doing it!

5) Not sure, someone who I click with who gives me confidence to get on with the job and isn’t afraid to tell me what they think even if I may not like it…

6) I’m afraid of coming off and getting badly hurt on both my horses, with my old gelding I get a bit worried about going fast out hacking as I have decided it hurts much more if you come off going fast (and I don’t jump anymore). I bought my mare as a reschool but later found out she was reputed to be a total fruit loop. Despite her not showing this behaviour to me it knocked my confidence overnight and I would stand on the mounting block shaking. My instructor took things very slowly with me, first lesson consisted of my being led and lunged only in walk on my mare. When things have gone wrong and I’ve gotten upset she has taken me back to my comfort level and even stopped me jumping off when something has gone wrong and I’ve had a total breakdown in confidence.

7) My goal, set by me and backed by my instructor, is to take my girl to a walk trot dressage test before this year is out. I also want our ridden relationship to be good enough to go for short hacks in company during the summer but feel that until I have things going well in the school then we are safest off the roads (I am taking her out in hand to get her used to traffic, leaving the field etc). What I find most difficult about my goal is all the factors going against me! I’m having to learn to ride all over again to suit my mare, she doesn’t load and is very spooky. I’ve got a lot of work to do before we think about entering that dressage arena (roll on summer!)
 


1. Usually I just get verbal feedback during lessons. I find it most helpful when the instructor catches the specific moment when the horse is doing what it should. One instructor i have went through dressage scoring the the associated words and will say "there, now you have done x that is an 8 trot". I quite like that as it quanitifies things a bit. In the past i have had poor feeback e.g. at the end of one lesson the instructor said "it would have been better if you had pushed for a more active trot" even though she hadn't mentioned it at all during the lesson. I would be interested in watching videos of lessons etc, i think that would be useful. Probably better if you could watch short clips of yourself during the lesson. useful feedback = at the right time and specific about what is good/bad.

2) As a coach I should give my pupils the power (empower them) to be able to work on problems/movements etc when I am not there, how do you feel this is best achieved? Are there any barriers to this? (for example not having the confidence without an instructor, unclear guidance, fear of causing further problems?) What methods and techniques might help empower you?

2. I think it is quite hard to work on things without an instructor when you are used to one! During lessons having to assess the horse after warming up and suggesting excercises you would do to improve it has helped me to start thinking for myself. Also being encouraged to go away and try different things and not worry if things go wrong. I think in the early stages of working alone i would also find it helpful to be given a rough timetable e.g. spend 15 min warming up, work one one issue for 10 min then another for 10 then cool down for 10, as when i first started i would be a bit aimless! Often i think it is difficult to decide where to start and what to work on and to know how much improvement to aim for/expect.

3)erm no!


4) Any improvement motivates me. Sometimes this might be quite small and the instructor has to make me believe it is a true improvement! I don't mind carrot or stick, as long as there isn't major shouting!

5) I think in the strictest sense there are differences between trainer/coach/mentor etc but most riding instructors i have met seem to do a bit of each. I look for an instructor that pushes me to do more than i can do on my own/have done previously and who seems to believe in me. I like instructors who encourage questions and ask how i think things are going /what i would like to do/what i might try to improve something. I want an instructor who seems to want to help me and doesn't make me feel like just another client they don't really want to teach. I had an expensive lesson with someone once and she said that what we were all paying for was the trust that she knew what she was talking about!

6) Erm i'm not that nervous really. A bit nervous jumping, i think mainly i worry about hurting or unsettling the horse.

7) I have worked towards a couple of BHS exams. I do make a rough timetable and plan what i need to get experience doing etc. I find having enough money the most difficult thing!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top