I qualified as a MEM EA L1 coach in 2001, which means I have been coaching for 19 years. Having said that, it makes me feel very old!

Seeing as today is Teacher’s Day,  I have made a short list below, of things I have learnt over the years.

Things I have learnt

1. Pick a coach / teacher that you trust and believe in. He or she must have similar principles to yours and you need to have the belief that when they push you out of your comfort zone, you trust enough to follow through
2. Always keep an open mind. You may not always agree or something someone tries to teach you, may not be suitable for you at that time, but you will always learn something
3. Your horse will always be one of your best teachers. He is your mirror. He will tell you what you are doing wrong.. you just have to listen / learn to decipher the message
4. Strive to keep learning. The more you know, the more you realise you don’t know
5. The more you learn, the better you will teach / coach
6. Don’t blame your coach – be it horse or human, for your failures
7. Pick a coach that suits your goals. Sometimes going to a top performance coach may not be the best fit if you only want to ride well enough to hack around on weekends.. plus it may be harder on your pocket

I have been lucky and blessed to have so many good coaches, horse and human, throughout the years. To each and everyone of them, I want to say a huge thank you for making me the person I am today. Happy Teacher’s Day!