Remote coaching at USDF shows

[SadieRidingHorses]

I’m looking for folks who can tell me about the mechanics of having a coach conduct a remote warm-up at shows. I’ve seen people doing this with phones/head phones, and I’ve heard about people using pivos to do the same. Any suggestions on how to make it successful? Is it better to just find (in advance, obviously) a coach attending the show who is willing to pinch hit to warm you up in person?

Also, even though my day job is checking/applying rules (in the most basic sense), I haven’t checked the USDF rules on this and am assuming it’s legal (because it’s Sunday and I’m off the clock!). Happy to be corrected.

[Zevida]

I do think the easiest is finding a coach who will be at the show - but that only works if your time doesn’t conflict with their ride times or other students. I assume if you aren’t a regular client you won’t get prioritized.

With Pivo, the coach can control the camera remotely which is nice. I’d say the challenge will be ensuring you can find a spot on the rail to put the Pivo that won’t be in the way and will have a good view of the warmup. You also will have to ensure you remove your headphones and don’t have them on your person when you go into the arena, so either a grounds person to take them or you have to drop them or get off and put them somewhere.

For rules I don’t know - certainly there aren’t rules against headphones in warm-up since almost everyone does that nowadays.

[SillyHorse]

Having someone pinch hit (not pitch hit) can backfire if they don’t know you and try to alter your riding and/or your horse’s way of going. Also, as Zevida mentioned, you won’t be a priority.

You might think about working on your warmup during a few lessons so you know what to do, and try going it on your own. I think sometimes we don’t know how much we can really do on our own until we try it.

[Janet]

Relevant rules:

DR120.5. Electronic Communication Devices. The use of earphones and/or other electronic communication devices is
strictly prohibited while competing and such usage is penalized by elimination. There is no penalty for having cell
phones or other electronic devices worn or carried in clothing while competing as long as they are not in use.
Electronic devices that transmit and/or receive information may be used in the stabling area and in warm up
areas. The unsafe use of electronic devices, as determined by the competition Technical Delegate in their sole
discretion, including cell phones, with or without earphones/buds, while mounted is prohibited in all areas
designated for schooling and exercise, and while lungeing horses on competition grounds. Exception: medical
devices, such as hearing aids are allowed to be used for the medical condition for which they are prescribed.

and

7. Earphones and/or other electronic communication devices are strictly prohibited, such usage is penalized by
   elimination.
   …
   Earphones
   or similar devices are however permitted during training and warm-up.

[SadieRidingHorses]

Thank you both! @Zevida, excellent point about priority/pecking order. I had thought about trying to ship in for lessons with someone to get a more established relationship/make sure they don’t interfere with our way of going.

I’ve shown successfully (or at least, successfully enough) in the past year without a coach at recognized shows, and I’ve spent this winter working on nailing down some warm up exercises that work for us. We can certainly continue with that plan this year - a beauty of dressage shows has been the feeling of independence and confidence they’ve given me with my horse.

BUT I know how much better we go with feedback from a good set of eyes on the ground, so it feels silly to keep flying solo if there’s a way to get some good feedback before entering the ring.

[SadieRidingHorses]

Thanks @Janet! Good to know it’s legal for warm up.

[Bogey2]

I have done warmup with people don’t usually train with and it has always been very helpful! As you said eyes on the ground is always a good idea! I know a lot of the trainers in my area so usually ask in advance if they will be at a show and give them my times in the event they can fit me in.

[CobJockey]

I’ve done it a couple of times, most notably when my coach I always showed with in-person chose to go to a different show with the rest of her students when I went to National Dressage Pony Cup that weekend. This coach and I were doing weekly lessons virtually at the time, and I’d ship in to her monthly for an in-person, then we would typically show together.

While I’ve done Pivo for lessons, I would never do it at a show. They struggle to track a single horse among many, and they’re also just quirky enough about working or not working that it would be one more stressor on top of many to worry about whether it was going to work or not. Both times I’ve done it, I had a friend hold the phone and we used Skype or WhatsApp.

I’ve found that with virtual lessons in general, it’s almost a totally different skill set for the coaches than in-person lessons, and the coach would need to be comfortable with it already before I’d ask them to do a show warmup. Some are really good at it, but not all of them. This one is very good at it, and actually she herself gets virtual warmups at shows from her coach (at a much higher level than I show!), so it gives her a good perspective on how to do it well.

[Knubbsy]

I’ve been the human pivo for my trainer, similar to what @CobJockey describes. My trainer could get some helpful comments from me but the biggest help was us both wearing an earbud and I’d whatsapp a mutual trainer. I could hear if he wanted me to zoom in or anticipate something and she could get live feedback from someone who knew what they were talking about. As long as all devices were charged and you had cell service, it worked well (So Devon = good, East Complex at VHC = bad)

[CobJockey]

+1, both wearing one earbud is key. Both for the reasons @Knubbsy mentioned and so that you have awareness for what’s going on around you.

[Long_Time_Lurker]

@SillyHorse

Having someone pinch hit (not pitch hit) can backfire if they don’t know you and try to alter your riding and/or your horse’s way of going. Also, as Zevida mentioned, you won’t be a priority.

This. I did this once, will not do it again. This person had me spend most of my warmup time working on what was our weakest movement, but not a short term fix.

My regular coach is also a judge, so is often judging elsewhere when her students are showing locally. What has worked for us is to go to the warmup with each other and play “What would Coach say?” Things like “use your corner” and “a little more forward”. Even the relative novices in the group can tell whether a halt is square, but there are also upper level amateurs in the group who can be trusted to tell you whether a change is clean or whether there is enough bend in the half pass. Coach has also worked with us on warmup plans in our lessons and everyone has at least some show experience and knows the basic drill. Knowing you (do you get show nerves? how much physical stamina do you have?) and your horse is something a substitute coach does NOT bring to the table, but your barn mates may.

Even when I am completely alone (fairly rare) I am now confident at least with my current horse that I know what to do in the warm up, and can tell when I have done enough of each thing. The trickiest thing is managing time if the show is running significantly behind. You don’t want to wear out your horse. If its almost your ride time but there are still 3 horses ahead of you its best to take a long walk break and pick up again to do your last few things when the horse ahead of you goes into the ring. Also tricky is how much to modify your plan or decide whether to scratch if weather and/or footing is poor. All of this comes with experience, and knowing your horse.

[SadieRidingHorses]

Very helpful, thank you. I’d thought about splitting the earbuds for this reason - glad to know it works!

[rothmpp]

@CobJockey

+1, both wearing one earbud is key. Both for the reasons @Knubbsy mentioned and so that you have awareness for what’s going on around you.

+2 on one ear bud only - I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen almost crashes or out and out crashes in the warmup and it turns out the offender/s were wearing 2 earbuds. You NEED to have situational awareness that is hard to come by if you are wearing essentially two noise reduction devices.