By Liz Halliday-Sharp
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.
I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve. I also believe that we need to spend time focusing on our own skills in order to develop more feel and self-awareness, which will make us better competitors in the ring.
Another important aspect of self-coaching is the ability to set and achieve personal goals. Many riders can become discouraged when they don’t see immediate results, but self-coaching helps us to see the bigger picture and stay motivated. It allows us to identify our strengths and weaknesses, set realistic goals and track the progress towards achieving them.
When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for. In my training, I also try to focus on what I am physically doing in addition to what I’m asking the horses to do. I believe that the physics of riding is important and the weight balance from the rider in the saddle is very influential. I often tell my students to think about what part of the horse they are trying to move when training on the flat, or to focus on subtlety in the aids when jumping. Being more self-aware and personally critical is part of what makes riders become better, and focusing on the gradual improvements can help with confidence in the process.
Sometimes the best way to hone your skills as a rider is to be left on your own to work things out without a coach by your side. Of course having lessons with valuable teachers is what gives us new tools and homework to work on, but it’s the hours spent thinking, feeling and being aware of what we do in the saddle that really makes us better.
I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.
The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses! I think it’s important to approach each day with a fresh mind and to be very meticulous and conscious in your riding. Being self-aware and making the decision to try new things is what helps to give us more feel and understanding of our horses and training methods.
This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong. Sometimes it takes being more self-aware and trying something different to ultimately take the right step forward.
While it’s nearly impossible to have lessons from great trainers every day, it is possible to continuously improve your riding skills by being more focused in your training and your own self-coaching. If eventing were an easy sport, then everyone would do it, so never give up on the process and your goals.
Photo by Alex Banks Photography
