Aspiring Coaches
For riders considering taking their first steps towards coaching.
In Zara's words
Why I Created This Course
Running a riding centre and developing members of our own team into coaches made me think carefully about how we use practical coaching time.
When someone first steps into an arena to learn how to coach, there is already a huge amount for them to take in. They're watching the rider, watching the horse, thinking about safety, communicating clearly and beginning to understand when and how to intervene.
I realised we were also using valuable practical training time to explain some of the basic principles of coaching that didn't actually require a horse, rider or arena to understand.
I wanted to change that.
I wanted our team to have a foundation in the principles of coaching before they stepped into the arena.
That way, practical training could concentrate on the things that genuinely need practical experience: observing riders and horses, communicating, making decisions, adapting exercises, giving feedback and learning how to manage a real coaching session.
That's why I developed the Intro to Horse Riding Coaching programme.
It was initially created to support the development of our own team. We have now made it available to aspiring coaches, riding schools, volunteers, apprentices and equine students who could benefit from the same foundation.
Learn the principles away from the arena, so you can spend your arena time learning how to coach.
The course creator
Meet Zara Myers
Award-Winning Equestrian Coach & Riding Centre Operator
I'm Zara Myers, an equestrian coach and CEO of Cumbria Rural Academy CIC, trading as Harness Change, where I run a busy riding and equine education centre in Cumbria.
I'm a BHS Accredited Professional Coach and was awarded the 2024 BHS Coach of the Year APC Award – Approved Centre.
I also have a Level 5 coaching and business mentoring background, which has influenced the way I think about how people learn and develop, not simply what they need to know.
Running a riding centre means I see coach development from both sides.
As a coach, I want people to understand how to help riders learn.
As someone responsible for developing a team, I also need training to be practical, affordable and achievable alongside the realities of running a busy equestrian centre.
This course grew directly from that experience.
This isn't a course created from theory alone. It was created because we needed it in our own riding centre.
These awards and accreditations relate to Zara Myers and the riding centre. This programme has been designed with the BHS principles in coaching in mind and can lead into the BHS coaching pathways.
The pathway
Theory first. Practice next.
- 1
Learn
Understand the basic principles of horse riding coaching online and at your own pace.
- 2
Observe
Watch experienced coaches with a better understanding of what they're doing and why.
- 3
Practise
Use valuable arena time to develop practical coaching skills under appropriate supervision.
- 4
Develop
Continue building experience and progress towards further training or recognised coaching qualifications if desired.
The course isn't designed to replace practical coach training. It's designed to help you get more from it.
Where it came from
Created From a Real Riding School Need
The programme wasn't originally created simply to become another online equestrian course. It came from a genuine staff-development challenge within a working riding centre.
Experienced coaches are a valuable resource and practical training time is limited.
Some coaching skills need to be developed with a horse and rider in front of you. Other principles can be learned beforehand.
The Intro to Horse Riding Coaching programme provides that foundation so practical training can concentrate on practical skills.
Learn what you can away from the arena. Then make the most of the time you have in it.
Who it's for
Who is the course for?
Riding School Staff
Develop a foundation before assisting with lessons or beginning practical coach development.
Volunteers
Better understand coaching principles and the riding-school environment.
Equine Students & Apprentices
Add introductory coaching knowledge alongside practical equestrian education.
Experienced Riders
Being able to ride doesn't automatically teach you how to help somebody else learn. Begin making the transition from thinking like a rider to thinking like a coach.
Riding School Owners & Managers
Give potential coaches within your team an affordable and consistent foundation before investing valuable senior coaching time in practical development.
For riding schools
Developing Your Next Coach?
Give them the foundations before they step into the arena.
Riding schools can use the programme as an introductory stage in staff and volunteer development, so learners arrive at practical sessions already understanding the principles behind what they are being shown.
- Stage 1Online Foundations
- Stage 2Shadow a Coach
- Stage 3Supervised Practical Development
- Stage 4Further Training & Qualifications
With the foundations covered online, experienced coaches can concentrate their time on developing:
- Observation
- Communication
- Rider feedback
- Exercise selection
- Adaptation
- Safety and risk awareness
- Horse welfare
- Decision-making
- Managing real coaching situations
Develop Your Riding School TeamTeam and multi-learner options available on request.
Be clear
What this course is — and isn't
This course is
An accessible introduction to the knowledge and principles behind horse riding coaching.
It provides a foundation before or alongside supervised practical coach development.
This course isn't
A professional riding instructor qualification.
Completion does not demonstrate practical coaching competence or qualify someone to coach independently.
Practical coaching ability needs to be developed through appropriate experience, supervision and, where required, recognised industry qualifications.
Think of it as the foundation, not the finish line.
Could Coaching Be Your Next Step?
Whether you're considering coaching for the first time, developing staff within a riding school, volunteering in an equestrian environment or preparing for further coach education, start by understanding the foundations.
Learn the principles away from the arena.
Then use practical training time for what it's really valuable for:
Learning how to coach.
This is an introductory training course and does not constitute a regulated or professional equestrian coaching qualification.