Horses for Courses: Identifying Coaching Capabilities and Contexts in Equestrian Coach Development Pathways

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) aims to improve coaching quality by identifying essential capabilities within different participant contexts. This study focused on the performance development context, examining the specific coaching skills required to tailor coach education effectively. Seven expert performance development coaches (n = 5 females; n = 2 males), identified by the BEF, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach to identify key coaching capabilities. Findings highlighted two major themes. First, expert coaches are coaches with expertise and experience, and effective coaches are empowering, as coaching extends beyond technical and tactical instruction, enabling athletes to become autonomous. Coaches recognized the importance of influencing riders psychologically and emotionally, not just through skill instruction. Coaches are open-minded, as they actively seek transferable skills and value knowledge from expert coaching in other sports, viewing cross-disciplinary learning as beneficial to their development. Secondly, expert coaches are adaptable, working comfortably across multiple contexts rather than exclusively within performance development. They emphasized that most coaching capabilities are required in all contexts, albeit to varying degrees. The pathway to expertise requires a substantial base of declarative and procedural knowledge, alongside extensive coaching, training, and competitive experience. While findings align with broader coaching literature, differences emerged due to the unique nature of equestrian sport, particularly the rider–horse dynamic. Further research into other coaching contexts is needed to develop a holistic understanding, ensuring these findings inform coach education across the equestrian sector.