An Interview with Equestrian Coach Dawn Britnell BHS Senior Accredited Professional Coach

Dawn Britnell has been using OnForm for several months and is one of our early adopters and most engaged users. We asked her to share her experiences with OnForm so other's can learn how a seasoned coach managed to adopt new technology with their coaching business. The following interview was conducted via email.
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Tell us about yourself (disciplines you coach, how long, successes etc)

• I am a BHS Senior Professional Coach, a Centre 10 Elite Coach and a dressage judge. I have been coaching for over 40 years and still love it. I work with Pony Club riders in all disciplines and Tests right the way through to international riders in dressage and eventing including my own son who competes at FEI5*. I rode competitively to PSG and Intermediate. I am also a WOW Saddle fitter and retailer. I feel passionately that all horses deserve to be ridden as well and as harmoniously as possible.

How did you hear about OnForm and how did you get started with it?

• David competed in the Event Rider Masters series which was supported by the team from Equiratings. I follow everything they do so it was natural that I would look at the new coaching app being talked about on their Facebook page. It’s an ill wind that blows no good because had it not been for the Covid-19 lockdown I would not have had the time to download it, play and get excited by what it, and therefore I, can do. I have to say it took a leap of faith to buy an iPad-Pro as I have an android phone but I am glad I did!

Have you used video in your coaching in the past?

• All the time and for donkeys years! Do you remember the video cameras that were the size of an overnight case? I used one of those whilst I was coaching and stood with the rider with them peering at the tiny screen to see what I meant when I said they were tipping forward. More recently I would WhatsApp the video across to them so they could see it and work on what they remembered I said. OnForm has changed all that!

What features do you find most useful?

• The voiceover function is ground-breaking, especially when the rider does it first before you overlay your coaching point of view! Slowing the video down so I can spot when they did a quick fix! Freezing the video and drawing on it to highlight a point – your leg would work better here, your half-halts would be easier if your hand normally looked like this or hey, look how well your horse is carrying HIMSELF! Just look at the muscle definition here, here and there!

The main video analysis screen used to create voice-overs, markup video with drawings and annotations as well as slow motion playback for careful review of any video.

What are the main things you use with the app?

• All of it, though I am no artist, so it can sometimes look like a child has had a party! And I need a lot of practice to get the side by side thing to work. In fact Gear, I feel a Zoom session coming on please? [happy to jump on Zoom and guide you through it! - Gear]

What do your clients think about using it?

• Some are nervous and shy to begin thinking they are not good enough. Then they are intrigued and they analyse videos and get thoroughly excited by it when they see what it can do. I even have two riders on the same yard making a fun competition out of it’s usage….

How is it helping?

• The incredible feedback loop!
  ​It doesn’t just work how Sam says it will with competition rounds and coaching sessions though. I have riders inventing ways to make it work for themselves over what I have already offered. One has sent me a video of herself coaching to critique to work towards her coaching assessment. Another has sent me videos of her horse when she thought the saddle needed a refit – it is easier to see in slo-mo. One nervous child likes to learn and analyse things at home at her own pace without the pressure of others watching. And they all LOVE IT when I put lines on them and their horses to show straightness or otherwise etc!

Is it opening up new ways of generating income for your coaching business?

• Absolutely and I keep thinking of more ways to make it work for me and those I work with. At the moment I only have riders I know somehow signed up to my 3 plans but I would love to reach out to others further afield whose coach does not use video in this way….. It would also suit anyone who finds regular lessons difficult for some reason or a rider who has become frustrated by a lack of progress leading to despondency. I know I can add huge value to ANY riders learning experience using OnForm and make it fun and exciting again. All you need is a video and we can interact within the app for free to begin with! It should also be great when all the arenas in the Chilterns are frozen or under snow. We can revisit July videos and dream……

Do you have suggestions for others getting started with it?

• Don’t be afraid – if a slight technophobe like me can have fun with the app you can. Find a guinea-pig or two and practice on them for free for a while before offering it up professionally. I probably came to the market earlier than I would have done to try to get some form of income during lockdown but it helped me out and a fair few people had my work for free for a while as I practiced!

Has there been anything surprising you've found while using it?

• Yes, I pride myself on missing very little whilst coaching but, when you use the slo-mo part of the app it is surprising how you spot that little sneaky indirect rein aid or a postural que from the horse which a couple of strides later became a loss of balance. It is helping me to refine my eye still further and the riders love the wholeness and self-awareness of the experience. They come to me much more often between lessons on the app or on Messenger to say “Hey, guess what I just did for the 1st time without you there!” and that makes me feel amazing.

What features do you wish it had?

• The ability to write text onto paused video would be wonderful as I am very left handed and need to use the clear facility alarmingly often. The facility to upload video direct to the app in realtime whilst with the client would be great as it would save time. I would also love to be able to pop stills in though I get round that by videoing the picture for a second or two.

Have you used it to prescribe workouts?

• Oh yes, often including jumping, flat, on foot and mindset exercises. Riders have then sent the completed videos of their first attempts at experimentation back to me before we get to work proper on it in our next coaching sessions. The fact that this is all saved when I pay for them to be a premium subscriber through my account gives us both access to all their and their horses progression. Already I have riders looking back at their first videos and saying “Look how much better we are at that transition!” This is incredibly empowering and fits right at home with many of my mantras including “Better is always good enough.” and “Practice, reflect, rest, prepare & repeat, only better!”

Any other comments or suggestions?

• Thank you for inventing your app right when I needed it. I didn’t know I needed it but I did. And so did my riders and their horses and those I have yet to meet. Also thank you for your support in getting to grips with the app, answering my probably very daft questions quickly, effectively and with good humour. It is great to know that I, or my riders, can email or Zoom a face to face with Gear to clear up a tricky iphone security question, for example, even though he lives on another continent. I have paid my first year’s subscription with no qualms as I have met and know the people involved in Equiratings and therefore OnForm and I have met Gear online. I really can’t wait to see where it leads me in terms of adaptability, accessibility and profitability.

Thank you Dawn for taking the time to answer all my pesky questions!
​- Gear  

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If any reader would like to reach out to Dawn for riding instructions, or otherwise, you can contact her via her website: https://dawnbritnellequine.com/ or through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawnbritnellequine/