Covid came as a huge shock to the whole world let alone the equestrian industry!
As Coaches we had to quickly adapt and pivot our businesses, providing services through methods we had pretty much no knowledge in. Previous to COVID I was coaching people only face to face, travelling all over the country and could only see some clients once a month at best because I was travelling so much. Post lockdown it became clear that this was not going to be sustainable or even possible in some cases to support clients that were further a field.
I realised that I wanted to be able to offer these people more support and even more importantly more consistency. We all know that doing things consistently can positively impact anything we want to do.
So I set about setting up memberships so that I could provide consistently for the clients I had, providing them with not only their face to face lessons but monthly unmounted group training too. I wanted to provide a safe learning space on and off the horse , where clients could access me anytime through a variety of methods.
Once this was set up I began to see the benefits in my local clients and wanted to be able to provide this for those who I saw less regularly, or even people I hadn’t met before but may find the content useful.
I started coaching virtually just over a year ago now and there has been so many benefits to me as a
coach but also to the people I help.
As a Coach it has made my life so much easier, it cuts travel time - because there is none! There is less stress and strain on my body and mental health, no more rushing to fit everyone in, or feeling like I have to work a miracle in one session because I don’t know when I can come back to coach this person. From my own office or even between my face to face sessions in my car, I can do the virtual sessions hassle free. From the coach end there is no set up, you just click on the link the client sends you, and it takes you to them. Clients are often concerned in their first session that the PIVO may not track them but From my end on both my phone or my laptop I can take control of the PIVO at their end and control it, making the whole experience pretty smooth!
"I am thrilled with my Pivo pod silver and the Pivo Cast App as it enables me to have virtual lessons with dressage coach Amy Blount. She is based to far away from me for regular face to face lesson's, but she's my choice of coach as her coaching style and methods really suit me and I always come away knowing I'm making progress.
Having lessons virtually has also meant Amy has been able to coach me even when she was self isolating with COVID and when she was resting due to an injury - otherwise those lessons would have been cancelled. I was worried about being technically savvy enough to set it all up initially, but its actually really easy. Once the Pivo is set up on a tripod in the centre of the arena and the call has started, even if it looses me on the tracking Amy is able to remotely control the Pivo from her end. Its also so convenient being able to have lessons at home, saving travel time and expense for both me and Amy."
Kate Overton.
From the riders perspective the set up has been petty good too! The best system we have found is using the app PIVO Cast, with Bluetooth earphones, however those that don’t have Bluetooth earphones, or maybe are working in a bigger space use one phone in the PIVO which we mute, and then the rider calls me on a second phone, using wired or Bluetooth ear phones connected to that phone. If the weather is awful, or for some reason the signal isn’t great on that day, clients are always offered to reschedule as we all know there can be floors with technology, but on the whole people have adapted, or found ways to work with things that may not go to plan, including anchoring the tripod down and adapting a milk bottle for the rain!!
"Living on the small Island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands means that training opportunities are few and far between, especially if you are needing discipline specific coaching. The Pivo and the brilliant program that Amy Blount Dressage offers has meant that I have been able to continue my training throughout the winter when the inclement weather makes travel to the mainland impossible.
I was lucky to be able to receive initial training from Amy in the UK giving her a real “hands on” feel before we started our coaching virtually using the Pivo. We have trained all winter and developed all sorts of weird and wonderful contraptions to hold the tripod stand down, when it is quite literally blowing a gale but we’ve not missed a session. The quality and content wouldn’t be better if Amy was stood there in person. I had reservations when I first purchased the Pivo, would it just be another gadget that gathered dust??? Absolutely not coupled with Amy’s training it is my absolute go to piece of equipment which I quite simply wouldn’t be without."
Ally Torode
The Pivo has made consistency so easy for everyone involved, the rate of progression in these riders has been as good as those I see in person!
Here is what some of my clients have said about how the PIVO has transformed their training.
"I started virtual lessons in lockdown but they are now a regular part of my training. I usually see my coach once a month in person when they are teaching in my area but being able to have virtual lessons in between means I can have sessions more often, and more importantly, if I am not free on the dates Amy is up for in person lessons, being able to have virtual ones on different days means I don’t miss out! My virtual lessons are as good as in person ones and I literally couldn’t live without them! I put Pivo at x and it really is as if Amy is in the arena with me!"
Laura Blount
"Amy and I started using Pivo for remote lessons during lockdown when face to face lessons weren’t possible. We have since carried them on because I have found them to be so beneficial. I have been able to have regularly fortnightly lessons, which has provided me with consistent progress. Before we used Pivo, lessons were more sporadic due to difficulty with aligning diaries and allowing for Amy’s travel time, but by using Pivo we can schedule lessons in easily. My horse and I have come on so much since we started using Pivo, it’s been a real game changer for us and our training."
Meta Paton
I am always grateful to my clients for being so openminded to try new things, which of course has allowed this to be possible! However it does now mean that I can be more flexible in my approach and the services I offer. I am looking forward to what the future holds as the equestrian world as a whole has come on so much through technology in the last 2 years it is exciting to see what the next 2 years may hold!!