21/06/2026
As I was flying home tonight, I found myself doing what I always do after a coaching trip…
A debrief.
What went well?
What was challenging?
What could I have explained better?
What would I do differently next time?
One thing that kept coming back to me was how often riders and coaches can be looking at the same lesson through completely different lenses.
A rider might leave thinking:
“We didn’t jump bigger today.”
Meanwhile, I’m thinking:
“We finally got the canter where it needed to be.”
“We fixed the drifting.”
“We improved the straightness.”
“We found the reason the distances keep disappearing.”
The purpose of a lesson isn’t to show me what you can do.
It’s to identify what’s stopping you from doing the things you want to do consistently.
And sometimes that means the lesson isn’t about the bigger jump, the next height, or riding the full course.
Sometimes it’s about addressing the piece that’s missing.
It also got me thinking about the importance of partnership in coaching.
I can’t read minds.
I don’t always know whether your priority is confidence, moving up a level, staying on, qualifying for something, or simply enjoying your riding more. I can ask the questions- but even then I’m not sure .. because I’m not sure my rider is sure!
Likewise you might not always know why I’m choosing to focus on a transition, a circle, a pole on the ground, or a seemingly simple exercise.
The key? communication.
When riders are clear about what they are wanting to achieve.
And coaches are clear about why they’re taking the approach they’re taking.
There’s also a lot of trust involved 🤷♀️
Because at the end of the day, confidence isn’t built by avoiding weaknesses, it’s built by understanding them and improving them.
Clarity followed by consistency.
Consistency creates confidence.
Thanks Christchurch! For sideways wind, cold rain, and learning opportunities for all 😎👌🏼😂
