5 Ways a Good Coach Can Improve Your Mindset
Unexpected ways an equestrian coach can help you.
It’s 2020 and your life plans have been put on hold with the dreaded word – Corona virus. The distant
dream of the holiday life by the pool, the celebratory nights out with friends, the competition goals you have set for you and your horse, now seem a million miles away as you hear murmurs of a second wave and more restrictions being enforced.
However, it is not all doom and gloom!
One thing the majority of us now have is a little more time on our hands. And this time can be used wisely. You can still make plans with your horse, still set goal (albeit different ones) and any travel restrictions which may be enforced, will not stop you!
Not everyone will have access to an excellent coach in their locality, maybe not even in the same county… however, there is EquiCoach Online. This online training platform allows you to set goals, train and have a consistent
coach without having to leave the yard…. SCORE!
This was my reality. A recent graduate who was finally finished with education after many years away from home and the equine life.
I began coaching with Sarah Elebert and I soon started to realize the unexpected benefits coaching
had not only for my riding, but also my mindset and motivation. With all the uncertainty this year,
these benefits helped immensely, and I fully believe all riders out there can improve greatly from an
excellent coach.
Let’s have a look at some of the benefits coaching has provided for me.
1. Creating A Plan / Schedule
As commuting is a thing of the past with many people now working from home you may find
yourself with an extra 2-3 hours you would have spent on the road.
Free hours plus global pandemic could only mean one thing… extra time for thinking! What does an
overthinking mind often need? … a plan! With our brains in overdrive, it can be difficult to create a
routine that will benefit both you and your horse. This is where a coach can help. Virtually or in
person, a coach can help you create a plan and provide an outside perspective on your road to
success.
A coach will help you create a focused plan & schedule that suits your needs and schedule. Creating a plan not
only benefits your equestrian life but can also help you create healthy habits for your everyday life.
2.Goal Setting
Lets be honest, the goals we all had for 2020 (however small), have most likely been postponed or cancelled.
It’s tough. You have spend endless hours you training and preparing and now you ponder thoughts of giving up
your equestrian goals and retiring to the hacking life. Having worked so hard to have the end goal
cancelled can be draining (we all feel for the poor Olympic riders!). However, these times require a
shift in perspective in all areas and this is where a coach can help adapt and create new goals.
Hiring a professional coach allows you to readjust your aims to those that are possible, achievable, realistic.
The goal may only be to refine & polish the finer details such as your jumping position, but in the long run, this
will be a huge asset for when you decide to get back out there. This pandemic may have shaken our plans but I think it has forced us to become more adaptable in our lives. Quality coaching can support us and help us during these strange times where flexibility and openness to change, is now an everyday skill which we must learn.
3. Accountability
You now have your plan and you have your goals, but it’s been raining for the last five days and your
motivation is on a downhill spiral. Accountability is one of the most underrated keys to success.
Having a coach that knows you, your plans, and your goals will help you stay on track. Knowing that
you have booked a lesson or planned to upload a training video, provides you with weekly and
monthly targets to work towards.
A caring and professional coach will understand your goals and be there to provide you with that
motivation that is often lost. A good coach will understand your life situations and will help you
adapt and overcome challenges that arise. Having accountability does not mean extra pressure or
judgment, it simply means having someone that helps you stay on track! Creating the habit of having
accountability is also a great addition to all areas of your life including work, fitness and health.
4. Building Relationships
Good relationships are something we all need in life to increase our overall happiness and well being. A good coach often turns into a great friend. They see you at your worst, riding in the rain,
sweating, and have often seen you shed a tear. They will to build you up when
you do not believe in yourself and are doubting your abilities & they will also be honest with you and criticize constructively, discuss and bring you down to earth if you need it. Balance.
On top of all that, they may often be the person to pick you up from the ground… literally! A good
relationship consists of shared goals, life stories, and challenges, the exact things a client/coach
relationship is built on. A good coach can turn the frustrations into laughs, all the while helping to expand our
knowledge.
As times are ever-changing, some relationships have transitioned to the virtual world and
EquiCoach Online allows for the same benefits of in-person coaching. Through regular sessions, a
relationship can be formed as the coach becomes familiar with you and your horse. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork
5. Share Your Wins
We are all guilty of putting ourselves down and diminishing our hard work, playing down an achievement with “only” and “just” being words often used. Do any of these statements ring a bell?
Rider: “I went for a hack, just a short one though”
Coach; “Yes, but you did it on your own!”
Rider: “I jumped a course of fences. Only 80cms though.”
Coach: “The height isn’t what is important right now, you maintained a rhythm and balance!”
Have you ever heard the phrase, “you may need to look back to see how far you have come”. We are all guilty of being super self critical at times, even to the point of being blind to any progress. A good coach will help to keep you on the ladder of progress and remind you to celebrate your wins, however small. If you feel you don’t have a win to celebrate… take a look back to where you started. Having someone to help keep us focused on the positives, opening our eyes to our small wins and not giving up on our goals too soon, will benefit our overall success and bring us closer to where we want to be.
In this blog, I have only covered a few of the benefits a coach can bring to our equestrian goals and
overall life habits. From creating a plan to building better relationships, a coach can provide
guidance and support when we need it most. Luckily, through online coaching, these benefits are still available to us despite today’s challenges and regardless of individual circumstances.
As a client of EquiCoach Online, I have found the coaching with Sarah Elebert to be of
great benefit to my equestrian and personal life. If there was ever a time to hire some help to keep
you on track (and sane), it is now!
Browse the Equicoach Online website here where you will find more interesting Blog Posts, Training Videos / Demonstrations all for FREE!!!
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Thank you for reading,
Ciara Culleton – Recent College Graduate with a passion for Horses and Mindset.
