out & work through.

They also need to remember we are only human (my hors­es & I) & some days it's just not going to happen, no matter how many times its explained or re-ridden!!

I'm also no big on instructors who shout & scream - that's my Mum & Dads job & I'm not mad on them doing it either!

Your instructor needs to be able to be brutally honest with you about your riding, your horses natural abilities, your ringcraft, how you have conditioned & presented both & how & where it can all be improved.

Let's face it, it can always be better!!

For this to work you need to totally trust their abilities & knowledge & that they have your best interests at heart.

Instructors need to be creative.

Nothing is more boring than going around & around in ever decreasing circles for hours, with someone bellowing - "Good, that's good"! & we have all had at least one of 'those' lessons.

It's got to be just as boring for the instructors as it is for us & our horses.

Instructors that challenge us continuously are great for all concerned.

Knowing when we've truly grasped one movement & are ready to move onto the next without overwhelming us or our horses.

Instructor who will come to competitions with you are worth their weight in gold.

You can train as much as you want at home, but once you are at a competition your horse will behave totally differently & present you with a whole new set of problems that need to be sorted out!

It's all very well to try & explain what 'Bucksnort' is doing in certain situations at shows, but if he never does it at home in front of your instructors, its very difficult for them to help you fix.

It's also sometimes just nice to have someone who's 'on your side' at a show, where sometimes just a few knowledge­able words are all that's needed to sort a problem or settle but­terflies - someone that reminds you you can do this you've been training for it and who believes in you, your abilities & your horses - whatever level or discipline you ride at (that isn't your Mum - love you Mum!!)

Also someone to celebrate your achievements with, who knows how hard you have worked to get there!!

As we are all aware the more successful you are in show­ing, the more of a target you will become.

Whether it be screaming loons ringside who didn't win when they thought they should have, or on gossip blogs from anonymous writers, it is hurtful, unnecessary & in nearly all instances totally unfounded & ill-informed.

It's very nice at those times to have an instructor who can bring it all back into perspective for us!

To'remind us of our hard won achievements, point out why these types of people feel the need to spread bad karma & reminding us at the end of the day which horses on the show­ground we would want to take home with us - regardless of the Page 32

colour of ribbon they may or may not have won & of course its always our beautiful, much loved, very frustrating, high main­tenance, four legged babies.

I am very lucky that I have had great instructors, in the past & now & I would like to thank them for all the hard work, dedi­cation, time & support I have received from them over the years (& for putting up with me at times) - you're the best!!

Also thank them for taking on (unintentionally) the rolls of psychiatrist, agony aunt, taxi driver, interpreter, fashion police, vet. & doctor just to name a few!!

Good instructors, whatever they may charge you - earn every cent!!!

Anne Hall, Victoria Who better to ask than some of the men, women and chil­

dren that I instruct!...

• patience and understanding, • sympathetic/empathic, • ability to give clear instructions, • ability to recognise confidence/apprehension of both

horse and rider and modify lesson accordingly, • provide variation in activities to keep lessons interesting

and challenging, • provide challenges without over-extending horse or rider, • gives positive feedback during the lesson, • is mindful of the physical and mental state of both horse

and rider, • takes a genuine interest in the rider/horse achievements

during and outside the lesson time, • uses vocabulary suited to rider's development but is able

to extend the rider's knowledge • appropriate progression to instill confidence in horse and

rider, • acknowledges achievements no matter how small they

seem, • makes it FUN, • ability to keep student focused through more challenging

exercises, • ability to explain 'WHY?' • continuity -reinforces newly acquired skills in future les­

sons, • helps set realistic goals, • encourages good horsemanship not just gives a riding

lesson, Now that is quite a list! AND WHAT QUALITIES DO I MOST ASPIRE TO?

I believe that a great Instructor needs to be fit and healthy so that the last lesson of the day receives the same enthusi­asm and attention as the very first lesson.

Each lesson deserves equal respect and attention.

The Instructor needs to 'know their stuff' and must work dili­gently at being up to date with rules and amendments.

Each lesson should be presented in a manner that suits the learning style(auditory, visual, tactile) and the developmental stage of the individual.

I encourage a wholistic approach to the development of the rider and the horse - the vet, farrier, dentist, judges, clubs,associations, Equestrian Australia,peers/parents/part

ner/siblings etc all can influence the degree of success of an instructor.

Humility and a desire for self improvement rank highly on my list.

Val Mayger, Western Australia If you cast your mind back to the teachers who taught you

at school, the music teachers who endeavoured to make you into a concert performer or the ballet teacher who succeeded or failed, dismally, to create a Rudolf Nureyev or Anna Pavlova out of you - the teachers who you consider were good teach­ers probably would have many of the same qualities.

The only difference would be the subject content that they were imparting to you.

THE RIDING INSTRUCTOR

First of all, he or she must have a passion for their subject and convey this to you through their teaching.

They know their sport inside out but are not afraid to admit that they don't know or are wrong.

They constantly seek more knowledge - they have a real love of learning.

They provide you with experiences which will not only give you more knowledge but will make you eager to discover more.

By providing these experiences they allow you to learn and to discover for yourself.

They are innovative.

Some riding instructors constantly tell their pupils to 'sit up', 'heels down' or 'shorten the reins' etc., after a while the riders rely on these reminders instead of being able to make some corrections for themselves.

A Good Instructor gives the pupil the 'tools' and shows him or her how to use them.

In Australia not many of us have the luxury of having a coach beside us, almost every time we ride, to correct prob­lems as soon as they occur.

Riders have to develop the ability to analyse for them­selves and make corrections.

At the very least, they have to develop the ability to realise that they have a problem and to seek help.

A Good Instructor is consistent and caring.

They don't show favouritism and their riders feel that they are there for them, regardless of their talent

All riders are treated the same, the more talented do not receive more time and effort than the less talented - every pupil is valued, equally.

In my youth I had a singing teacher who was considered to be the best in Perth and was highly regarded by musicians throughout the country.

She .had produced many finalists in the Sun Aria Competition and a number of International singers.

Unfortunately, I never reached these giddy heights and was certainly not really going to enhance her reputation

However, never, at any time, did I receive less attention or assistance than her exceptionally talented students.

I was always very grateful to her for her support and prob­ably achieved more success than either she or I expected.

Good Instructors are good communicators.

They make sure that positive comments outweigh negative comments.

They try not to make negative comments in a public forum.

They are good listeners and they clearly outline their stan­dards and expectations of the rider and what the rider can expect from them.

Most importantly, they are prepared to go the extra mile for their riders. All these attributes engender confidence.

They also inspire the rider to want to improve and to be the best he or she can possibly be - in other words - to be com­mitted.

A Good Instructor inspires the rider to strive for excel­lence not to win at any cost.

A Good Instructor plays by the rules and doesn't look for loopholes which may provide a better chance at winning.

The Good Instructor must like people and if he or she is teaching children, have a genuine love of children.

Finally, the Good Instructor must enjoy the whole experi­ence of teaching - the highs and the lows - watching someone, you have worked with, succeed in competition or achieve something that you or they didn't think possible is a tremen­dous thrill and worth all the hard work.

Karen Fisher, Victoria. I suppose as a primary school teacher for over 20 years I

find teaching just part of my life. Whether you consider teach­ing and coaching the same thing is an interesting thought.

In my mind my role is a similar one - I need to inspire, guide, motivate, encourage, promote, instill confidence, pro­tect, interact and so the list goes on.

I try to read my charges find out some background infor­mation and then do the best I can to help them achieve what they have set out as their own ideals.

We all have our own aspirations and what one rider has in mind may be totally different from anothers.

To take a group and to be able to offer everyone something that is relevant to them and something to go on with is a skill that can be learnt and developed through experience.

Some of our best and knowledgeable riders do not neces­sarily make the best coaches, not everyone has the ability to impart information in a relevant and meaningful way.

To be able to say the same thing in many different ways until the 'light goes on' is a skill that can be moulded and learnt.

No matter what sport it's the same old argument about whether you have to be a top level sports person to coach at the same level. I believe that this is not necessarily true.

If we only allowed the elite of a sport to coach because they are the only ones who could possibly understand the intrica­cies of the sport then we would have very few coaches.

There are not many who make it to the absolute top of any