There is one main element that makes the coach and rider relationship special: each time a rider gets on her horse, she is risking serious injury or death. While there are many other sports that are dangerous, none require a human being to sit on a 600-kg animal that has a mind of his own, much less ask it to jump over or race around obstacles. Riders are in the unique position of accepting the fact that riding is risky and making the choice to do it anyway.

One of the factors that allow a rider to put herself in danger is the trust she has in her coach. It’s not uncommon to hear a rider say, “If my coach thinks I can do it, then I can do it.” Riders rely on coaches to help keep them safe, even if they are not completely conscious of the fact. If our coach says “whoa” we stop, because on some deep level we trust that he/she knows more than us about this animal underneath us and is committed to ensuring our success and even survival.

In many ways, the coach-rider relationship mimics the relationship we had with our primary caregiver back when we were infants and were powerless to protect ourselves. If we had adequate nurturing and support, we developed trust that our needs would be met and we would be safe. Attachment theorists Bowlby (1969), Harlow (1932) and Ainsworth (1978) studied this extensively.

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