Ever wondered why your feedback isn't "sticking"?

We spend hours refining our coaching vocabulary, searching for the perfect way to describe a half-halt or a leg yield. Yet, research suggests that the way we deliver feedback might actually be hindering our riders' ability to learn. If you find yourself repeating the same corrections week after week, you might be falling into the "Feedback Trap."

In sports pedagogy, there is a vital distinction between Performance and Learning. Performance is what you see in the moment - the rider fixes the fault because you told them to. Learning is the permanent change in ability that stays when you aren't there.

A study by Wulf and Prinz on Attentional Focus reveals that "Internal Focus" instructions (e.g., "Keep your heels down") are actually less effective than "External Focus" instructions (e.g., "Push the stirrups toward the horse’s ears").

Furthermore, "Concurrent Feedback" - talking while the rider is in the middle of a movement—can create a dependency. The rider becomes "addicted" to your voice to regulate their horse, meaning they never develop the internal "feel" required to self-correct. To create independent athletes, we need to master the art of the Feedback Delay.

The Solution

The 5-Second Rule: After a rider finishes a transition, wait at least five seconds before speaking. This allows their own sensory feedback system to process what just happened.

Externalise Your Cues: Instead of talking about their body parts, talk about the effect on the horse or the environment.

Free Guide: The Coach’s Language Audit. Ready to stop repeating yourself? Download our PDF report on "The Power of External Focus." We’ve compiled a "Translation Guide" that turns common internal instructions into high-impact external cues, plus a tracker to audit your own feedback frequency.

Fill out the form for the PDF on the Blog Homepage!