YOUR HORSE'S TRAINING COMPETITION CONFIDENCE | MINDSET TRAINING
EMMA WHAY recently completed a BSc (Hons) in equine science, management and training through Derby College Group, accredited by the University of Derby. Emma, 34, supports students across various courses at Derby College. She also has a keen interest in organising training and events to support her love of all things equine.
Emma Whay based her studies around her dissertation title of ‘Can mindset coaching improve the equestrian rider's mindset and therefore increase competition results by coaching apprehensive riders to use positive mindset strategies?’
THE RESEARCH IN A NUTSHELL
■ Riders wanting to increase their confidence were recruited localy via social media for the study.
■ The first dressage competition took place at Derby College Equestrian.
■ Five online Zoom sessions for the group were held with NLP coach Tracey Cole, with researcher Emma Whay also in attendance.
■ The second competition was also held at Derby College, using the same British Dressage test and the same judge, Joanne Wilkinson.
■ Riders completed questionnaires before and after the first and second competitions, using the same questions to enable a comparison of the results.
HAVE YOU EVER wondered why professional riders look so calm and confident between the boards? Emma Whay, a rider and student at the University of Derby, certainly did. After completing work experience for British Dressage in events management, Emma discovered that she was particularly interested in observing competitors and how they coped with stress,
