Meet The Latest Member Of Our Content Team, Alison Lincoln!

My name is Alison Lincoln. I am a writer, coach and freelance groom. I have been involved with horses since I was a child coming up through Pony Club and competing at Affiliated Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing. Having spent many years training and competing I realised I needed to learn more about the science behind equine sports so enrolled in a degree in Equine Sports Coaching, completing it in 2004. As a mature, part time student working full time in sales to fund my study I decided it was time for a career change and became a lecturer in horse and human sports science.

The next 3 years were spent working in various colleges across the UK teaching higher education modules in Equine and Human Sports Performance, Sports Psychology, Coaching and Exercise Physiology including managing the distance learning foundation degree course at Warwickshire College.

Following a move to Scotland in 2007 I spent the next 12 months writing a book, “Equine Sports Coaching,” which was published in 2008 and has remained on the British Horse Society’s recommended reading list for their coaching qualifications ever since.

We have now moved (1 husband, 1 cat and 2 horses) back down south into a lovely DIY livery yard - quite a culture shock after having our own stables and land up north! My 2 boys are loving the better weather and the absence of midges. Arty is a 21 year old, retired Irish Sport Horse who I have had since 3 years old and backed myself. Although, to be honest, he had pretty much read the book on how to be a riding horse and taught me more than I taught him!

Leo is a 7 year old Irish Sport Horse who I have had for 3 years. Hopefully he will turn his hand to eventing, although so far he has proved himself both accident / illness prone, with a greater inclination to stand in his stable and eat than gallop up and down hills. But that’s the joy of horses, seeing where their talents and inclinations lie and working in partnership to reach their and my potential.

I love riding and training horses. I love reading about riding and training horses and I love learning. My writing aim is to make the science of training, coaching and psychology accessible to all. Most of us don’t have regular access to high quality coaches, sports psychologists or exercise physiologists. There is a lot of information available on the net and via social media but not all of it is tried and tested or (to borrow a currently well used phrase) based on science. As riders we can spend many hours training independently and I believe we can become our own equine sports coaches - sounds like the title of my next book! - developing highly personalised strategies and techniques to be the best rider / trainer / coach in whatever discipline you choose and whatever your ambition.

I’m really looking forward to working with Horsemart to share my thoughts and ideas and also love being asked interesting and often important questions on coaching, psychology and sports science so please do ask away. I can’t promise to have all the answers but I’ll often know who to ask or where to find them.

Got a question for Alison, or simply want to find out more about her and her coaching work?

Website: https://www.alisonlincoln.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/equinesportscoaching/