HORSEMENS

Growing up in Western Australia gave horse mad kids like me and my sisters wonderful opportunities to ride and mix it with like-minded friends.  My elder sister started riding when I was about 8 and I started at age 10, firstly on riding school horses and when I was 12, I got my first horse.

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In the early days our family lived in a suburb of Perth, my two sisters had horses, my mother and father had a couple of racehorses, and I also had a horse. It did not take long for the horse numbers to grow and when I was 14, we moved to a rural property at Serpentine an hour south of Perth where rural life allowed us all to pursue our love of horses and we had many happy times together.

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As a young rider, I had a penchant for learning and was inspired by the coaches that I was fortunate to have lessons with, and to this day appreciate the support and guidance I received from all of them.  I was encouraged to obtain my EA Coaching accreditation, so at 18, I obtained my EA Level 1 General, which enabled me to coach at the Serpentine Horse & Pony Club where I had been member at for many years.  Jan Goodwin was the chief coach and I learned so much from her.  I still make a point of returning to the club each year for the annual awards night, and donate a trophy in honour of my mother who was a life member of the Club.

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From the early days, I was drawn to a life with horses and horse people and I have followed my dream.  I am now an EA Level 2 General Coach and Coach Educator and get a great deal of satisfaction (and positive feedback) from my work coaching at Adult Riding Clubs and for the private students who tap into my specialist interest in dressage and eventing.  I aim to inspire my students to be positive and enjoy riding, as I believe that it is important for riders to keep in mind that we work with wonderful equine partners and are responsible for their physical and mental welfare. The training must be systematic and thorough. Horses are the common interest, how lucky are we?

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I believe that a good coach will have developed finely tuned skills of observation, as we must be able to see the good and bad, then formulate strategies to help each combination to work more effectively and take advantage of the positives.  A good coach must have excellent communication skills and be able to explan what they see and what changes are needed, then wrap this up with positive and encouraging instruction, treating every client as a peer.

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“If you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life!”.  Being around horses started as a way of having fun, and is still what I love to do.  As a coach, I have to follow the rules and guidelines, but always try to keep it relaxed, fun and fulfilling.  I would encourage people like the young-me to follow their dream and do the study required to become an equestrian coach.

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Nominated as Equestrian Australia's coach of the month for December 2023