Using Positive Instructions to Support the Instructor

You may notice that instructors often tell riders what to do rather than what not to do, and there’s a good reason for that! Positive instructions are clearer, easier to process, and help riders feel more confident. As volunteers, we can help reinforce this by echoing the instructor’s words in a positive way.

For example, instead of saying:

• “Don’t lean forward,” try “Sit tall” or “Shoulders back.”

• “Don’t kick,” try “Gentle legs” or “Quiet legs.

• “Don’t lean into the turn.” try: “Sit centered.”

• "Don’t look down.” try: “Eyes up and looking ahead.”

By keeping our language short, clear, and positive, we help riders understand expectations, reduce confusion, and stay focused, especially for riders who may need extra processing time.

If you’d like to go deeper, there’s a great article from Hoof Falls & Footfalls on this topic. It’s written for instructors, but the concepts are very helpful for everyone supporting our programs: CLICK HERE TO READ IT

Thank you for helping create a calm, consistent, and encouraging learning environment for our riders!