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Jemma Whitlam Equestrian Coaching, Rothwell (2026)

Build strength, confidence and energy, you’re here to excel, push the limits & play big.

05/09/2026

One of the hardest parts of improving something in your riding is that sometimes it feels like it gets worse before it gets better.

There are a few reasons for that.

Firstly, different often feels wrong.

Even when the change you’re making is technically better, it’s not how you’re used to riding. Your brain and body have got very good at doing things the old way, so the new way can feel awkward, exaggerated or just really weird.

Given half a chance, you can find yourself naturally gravitating back towards what feels familiar.

Second, we often overcorrect.

If you’ve spent years tipping slightly forwards, collapsing through one side, gripping with your knee or doing whatever else you’re trying to change, finding the opposite can initially mean going a little too far the other way.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Sometimes you need to explore both ends of the scale before you can reliably find the sweet spot in the middle.

But there’s a third thing I’ve noticed over years of coaching riders.

Between coaching sessions, people often undercorrect.

They don’t go completely back to where they started, but they gradually drift away from the change we made in the session.

So if we got them to here:

Old pattern –––––––– NEW

They might practise at home and end up here:

Old pattern –––– NEW

And this is often the point where doubt creeps in.

“It worked in my lesson but I can’t do it on my own.”

“Maybe I misunderstood what I was supposed to be doing.”

“Maybe it doesn’t work for me.”

When actually, you’re learning.

You’re trying to replace a movement pattern you’ve potentially repeated thousands of times with a new one. It makes sense that it takes more than one successful attempt for it to become automatic.

This is one of the reasons regular coaching can make such a difference when you’re genuinely trying to change something about your riding.

Your coach isn’t just there to tell you something new every lesson.

Sometimes their job is to keep bringing you back to the new pattern, helping you notice when you’ve drifted towards the old one, and refining it with you until eventually…

The thing that once felt completely alien becomes the way you naturally ride.

25/08/2026

(Watch with the sound if you can). I recommend everyone gets their own mini cheerleaders to take round with them. It does wonders for your ego. Will it last as they get older 🤷🏼‍♀️🤞?

I’ve only jumped this horse a handful of times and it’s a while since the last time (he is an experienced horse though).

It’s been a while since I jumped regularly but with George and Roxy stepping up now and 2 extras in this week to ride who both jumped today I may be getting the bug back and am surprisingly not feeling too rusty overall.

I sometimes forget that there’s this whole other side of my life that my kids haven’t really seen. They know I ride - they see the horses but they’ve never really seen me jump big tracks and compete.

Starting to think it’s time to change that.. what do you think?
Have I still got it? More importantly - I think I’m finally ready to go back to it and properly work at it after a lot of stuff that went on in the background.

Is there anything you’ve let go of as you’ve got older or had kids that you’ve suddenly realised you’re not actually ready to leave behind yet?

Oh - one last thing… this is why off horse training is so important for riders. Would I be able to be so in balance riding so much less than I used to if I hadn’t built that strength off horse (especially after having children destroyed my core and my pelvis)? I’m thinking probably not.

05/06/2026

Schooling/Training Livery Space Available - June & July

I’ve got one rare space available for June and July (Rothwell - Northants).

This would suit someone looking to really improve this summer.

If you’re eventing or showjumping at 90cm or above and looking to move up. Or you’ve got a talented horse but want more consistency, confidence or quality in the work. Or exams, work or life are making it hard to give your horse the time they need right now. I can help you make the progress you want.

This could be schooling livery, training livery, or a combination of the two depending on what you need.

For some people that might mean me riding and producing the horse while they continue lessons alongside.

For others it could mean regular rider training, competition support and coaching, with very little riding from me.

For the right person, it could be a completely bespoke package including horse training, rider coaching, confidence and performance (mindset) coaching, rider strength training and competition preparation.

The aim is simple:

To help you head into the second half of the season feeling more confident, more knowledgeable and more capable than you do now.

I’ve spent 19 years riding professionally, producing horses, coaching riders and helping partnerships progress. I’m a UKCC Level 3 coach and graduate of the National Development Programme for Coaching Excellence.

One thing I’m particularly good at is improving horses in a way that transfers back to their riders. When horses go home, I want them going better for you, not just for me.

I love helping riders understand the process - not just what to do, but why. How to prepare a horse for competition. How to develop confidence and consistency. How to troubleshoot problems. How to keep progressing once the horse goes home.

Horses are treated like one of our own.

Facilities include - arena with mirrors and showjumps, horse walker and turnout.

If you’re serious about improving and would like a package built around you and your horse, send me a message and let’s have a chat.

16/05/2026

George Spam - I think I might actually be getting my mojo back.
He hasn’t been the easiest (understatement) and because of that I wasn’t the most consistent with him until now.
Funnily enough now I’ve actually made him a priority, progress is happening. (Although I will post a couple of bloopers from yesterday too 😂).
There’s a long way to go and a lot of strength and fitness to build as well as more rideability and I don’t want to suddenly get carried away and try and rush him through the foundations just because he can jump.

The crazy thing I realised yesterday is that at the same age as George is now Celia was eventing at Intermediate level.

It’s funny, sometimes I think it’s ok, I’ll just ride for fun now. See where it takes me and what happens.
And other times I think - I’d love to get back up to jumping some 1.30s maybe even bigger.
And I still think Roxy would make a great little eventer.

Would I still have the balls to do it? Only time will tell I guess…

17/04/2026

George spam (or maybe even just horse spam) is back.

I’m finally back in a headspace and have the time where I can give the horses what they need with the aim of getting back out jumping at some point this year (rather than just ticking over).

George is possibly the slowest produced incredibly well bred jumper that ever existed but I’m not here to compare him to the average 8 year old.

First jump for a few weeks again but now I’m committed for the next 5 weeks (until half term) to keeping this up and being consistent with his work aiming that before half term he can pop round a small course at home including a double and related distance.

Let’s see how it goes…

01/04/2026

This Thursday still space due to a couple of cancellations…

Youth Confidence & Performance Workshop

This is a small-group workshop designed to help young athletes (this particular one has quite a few riders involved) feel more confident and perform better under pressure – in sport and in everyday life.

It is for teenagers (13–18) who:
- train hard and care about doing well
- but sometimes struggle with nerves, pressure or self-doubt
- can get frustrated after mistakes or overthink things in competition

It’s not just about understanding it - they’ll leave with tools they can actually use.

By the end of the session, they’ll be able to:
- recognise when pressure is starting to take over
- calm themselves down and think more clearly
- reset after mistakes instead of spiralling
- focus on what to do next
- feel more in control and more confident going into competition

We also cover the basics of training, recovery and lifestyle so they understand how their body and mind work together.

Details
Location: Montsaye School Rothwell
Date: Thursday 2nd April
Time: 10am-1pm
Numbers: Small group (max 10)
Price: £45

With 18 years experience coaching teenagers in sport and working as a personal trainer and mindset coach helping teenagers build confidence, self belief and resilience.

Address

Rothwell
NN14

Website

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