What Makes a Great Equestrian Coach?
A good coach should always exude positivity, be optimistic, trusting and supportive, be enthusiastic, very observant, and knowledgeable.
Be able to make his/her riders believe in themselves. A good coach should be able to build the self-esteem of his/her riders, inspire them to do more than they think they can do, build them up and help them stretch the limits of their beliefs.
Be passionate about his/her job. Passion has always been a very strong motivation and driving force to do something and achieve the most significant results in life.
Have integrity and display honesty. A good coach should have core values such as integrity and honesty as being a teacher puts him/her in a position to be emulated by his/her riders.
Have empathy. Being able to feel and understand the emotions of your riders is important in coaching as your riders get to trust you and are able to open up to you.
Incorporate fun! It is easier for riders to learn and attain peak performance when they are relaxed, and integrating fun into their lessons will help in achieving this.
Be well-rounded. A good coach should never be satisfied with the knowledge he/she has acquired and should understand that he/she can always learn new and better ways of doing things, be willing to come out of his/her comfort zone as a professional and be open-minded like a beginner.
Getting your riders to trust you, being there to offer your support and encouragement, being kind and inspiring, never failing to correct your riders when they make mistakes, and praising and applauding their efforts when they do something right makes you a good coach.
At Spring Gap Farm, our coaches/instructors fit this profile. 😉