Kate the Coach

Meet Kate. And meet Kate’s riders.

Kate says she became a coach because she saw it as a way to give back – to put time into a worthwhile activity – and to have fun working with the horses too!

You can make a kind gift and help a coach to improve their ability to help riders.

Kate continues. “The right coach can really extend a rider’s skills and encourage them to reach new heights”.

So you can see that a coach really does make a difference.

Did you know that it costs over $10,000 to qualify and train each coach? It seems like a lot of money but with everyone contributing a little bit, you can make it happen.

The value of a coach is enduring. The benefit continues for years into the future.

A coach can support many riders over many years. So that means that your gift can have an impact well into the future.

And now for some more about Kate.

It’s win-win. Kate gets to spend time with horses and to have the rewards of seeing her riders grow and develop new skills.

Tell me about how long you have been a coach?

“I have been coaching with RDA for around seven years now. I started as an Assistant Coach and I did that for nearly five years. And then more recently I became a Group Coach. I’m part time and I’m a volunteer one morning a week.

But I take it seriously so I wanted to be the best coach I could be. Being qualified helps me to do just that.

Volunteer or paid – all of NZRDA’s coaches are dedicated and I have learnt so much from the other coaches at different groups.”

Tell me about why the qualification is necessary – why do groups need a qualified coach?

“I have successfully completed my Level 3 coaching qualification through NZRDA, and had the honour and privilege to receive a Moira Scott coaching scholarship.

Having experience riding helped get me started, but through this course I have grown so much more confident in my ability to provide a safe and quality service for our riders. I have learned about different disabilities and the ways that therapeutic horse riding can assist. My sessions are now more focussed and I can see the difference this makes for our riders.”

Tell me about why it makes a difference for your riders

Kate says that it is so rewarding to work with riders. “Horse-riding is a wonderful experience for anyone, but for someone with a disability it can be truly life-changing.”

Tell me about how much you love the horses at RDA

Kate says horses have been a part of her life since she was small, but seeing horses in an RDA setting was new to her and has shown her how truly remarkable they are.

“Horses have an incredible empathy for the riders they work with, providing a therapeutic experience second to none. Through building a connection with horses I have seen riders grow stronger, more confident and build a sense of self-worth and pride in their achievements while riding.”

A coach can:

• Draw up a plan for a rider
• Chat with a rider about what they want to achieve
• Break this down into achievable, horse-related goals and activities individualised to a rider
• Check in to see if the rider is making progress towards their goals

To keep going, it’s necessary to keep training coaches.

You can help train the people the riders need – the coaches – to ensure they provide the individualised support our riders need.