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<\/a>Equestrian Coaches Only!<\/h3>\nBy Glenys Cox and Cristine Hall<\/b><\/p>\n
Do you know what you are doing when you are coaching people with horses?<\/p>\n
Take a moment<\/strong> to think about the last session that you coached.What happened?\u00a0 What did you learn from that experience?\u00a0 Do you take the time to reflect on how you teach your students in those lessons?\u00a0 Consider yourself a student as well.\u00a0 How do you learn from your coaching?\u00a0 And how can you be a better equestrian coach?<\/p>\n Reflective practice has long been recognised as an important phase ofexperiential learning.\u00a0 When John Dewey, philosopher of education, described the impact on learning from an experience, he claimed that the student\u2019s capacity to reflect after an event (such as coaching your lesson!) was most important.\u00a0 This is true, particularly if what happened was well remembered, not what was expected, or was uncomfortable in some way.\u00a0 When you are more open to actively exploring the value of those lived experiences by reflecting,there is more chance of real growth and learning.<\/p>\n Luckily, most people who spend time with horses are open to learning as they choose activities in awell-suited environment.\u00a0 Connecting your experiences with horses to previous knowledge and testing what you already know in the light of a new experience is all part of your learning process.\u00a0 As the education theorist Donald Schon asserts, those who are encouraged to think carefully about what they are doing, either when they are doing it or soon after, are those who learn in a more profound way.<\/p>\n As a reflective equestrian coach, you may reflect in<\/i> action, on<\/i> action, for<\/i> action or with<\/i> action.\u00a0 Reflection can be an ongoing process!\u00a0 Reflection in<\/i> action suggests anequestrian coach who is aware and mindful, constantly analysing the situation, and who engages in reflection and action simultaneously.\u00a0 Do you think on your feet (or seat!) and improvise as you go?\u00a0 Then you are most likely reflecting in<\/i> action.<\/p>\n Reflection on<\/i> action is looking back on previous actions by taking time to review those past experiences, by taking time to think and write down your thoughts.\u00a0 Do you take the time afterwards to think about significant events or instances you remember?<\/p>\n Talking about reflection on<\/i> action \u2026<\/p>\n Do you remember a few weeks ago that we sent an email on Teaching Styles for Equestrian Coaches<\/i>?\u00a0 Did you take action and link through to the survey?\u00a0 Good for you!\u00a0 One of the benefits for completing the survey was that you took a moment to reflect on how you coach.\u00a0 If you did not complete the survey, go there now: \u00a0Equestrian Coaching Styles<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 It may be helpful to you as a reflective exercise.\u00a0 You will also be contributing your voice to further research in coach education.\u00a0\u00a0 As a further incentive, there is also a free gift!<\/p>\n In other forms, reflection for<\/i> action suggests planning forward and selecting the most appropriate action for the future and reflection with<\/i> action means actually taking those future actions.\u00a0 You may already use each of these forms of reflection in your coaching.<\/p>\n Take a moment to think about that.<\/p>\n All forms have the potential to enhance your ability for learning and teaching as a coach, to be a better coach for yourself and your students.<\/p>\n Reflective practice remains an important concept in sports coaching and that includes equestrian sports.\u00a0 Reflective practice is the key to learning from an experience; otherwise there may be little impact.\u00a0 There is value for you as an equestriancoach in knowing and understanding your own actions and the consequences of those actions.<\/p>\n Across all forms of reflective practice, your self-feedback can be focused on fixing problems or it can be more positive by reflecting on the successes and strengths of your experiences in coaching practice.\u00a0 One of the important aspects to consider when reflecting is to do what the education practitioner Tony Ghaye calls success-based or strength-based reflection.\u00a0 Reflecting on strengths or successes rather than what needs to be fixed may not only help you understand your own coaching but improve it going forward in the future.\u00a0 You may find that reflective practice contributes to increasing your level, skill and quality of coaching.\u00a0 Try it!<\/p>\n Reflective practices can help with four kinds of learning that are all regarded as important: affective (emotion), cognitive (thinking), positive action (mindset) and social (interacting).\u00a0 Affective learning uses feelings and emotions to learn, cognitive learning uses thinking skills and creative skills to think about things differently, positive action learning turns feelings into positive and strong action whilst retaining ethical and moral standards, and social learning is learning with and from others.\u00a0 It seems that not only is reflective practice important for coaches, it is also important for the students.\u00a0 Do you encourage your students to reflect on their experience of each lesson?<\/p>\n After completing the survey on Teaching Styles for Equestrian Coaches<\/i><\/strong><\/a>, consider asking yourself the following questions put together by Tony Ghaye.\u00a0 You can use these six questions as a guide to consider how you coach in your current coaching practice.<\/p>\n It would be great to hear your feedback after you have taken the time to consider these questions in the Comment box below.If you have not done so, please complete the survey on Teaching Styles for Equestrian Coaches<\/i><\/strong><\/a>.<\/i>\u00a0 Your comments on the survey or the articles are welcome and your contribution to ongoing research in coach education is greatly appreciated!<\/p>\n References<\/b><\/p>\n Dewey, J. (1997). Experience and education<\/i> (First Touchstone Edition ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster.<\/p>\n Schon, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner<\/i>. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.<\/p>\n Ghaye, T. (2011). Teaching and Learning through reflective practice: A practical guide for positive action (2nd<\/sup> edition). Routledge New York NY<\/p>\n The survey is part of a larger study exploring teaching styles in equestrian sports coaching.\u00a0 For more information on the study contact:\u00a0 Cristine Hall, University of Southern Queensland, Australia Telephone: +61 7 4631 1405 Email: Cristine.hall@usq.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n For the link to the previous article on Teaching Styles for Equestrian Coaches<\/i>, go to (http:\/\/www.onlinehorsecollege.com\/2013\/05\/teaching-styles-in-equestrian-coaching\/<\/strong><\/a>).<\/p>\n For any issues with the conduct of the study contact:\u00a0 Ethics Co-ordinator, University of Southern Queensland, Australia Telephone: +61 7 4631 2690 Email: ethicsofficer@usq.edu.au<\/a> USQ Ethics Clearance Document Number H12REA214<\/span><\/p>\n\n