Pedagogy

The Science, or Profession, of Teaching. From the Greek "Paedagogicus" (pais/paidos [child] + agein [to lead])

Pedagogy is both a Science and an Art.
• Science because it is based upon precise factors.
• Art because it depends upon how the teacher makes use of those factors.

A true pedagogue is one who knows how to implement methods, techniques and procedures that are conducive to the imparting of knowledge that leads to complete understanding and the ability for self motivation and independent thought .

To be a "pedagogue" [teacher], an educator must be coherent and adaptable, dealing only with what is happening rather than what he/she would like to have happen, for it is the teacher who makes the manner of instruction [pedagogy] through his/her capability for adaptation, imagination, creativity and style of imparting knowledge in a manner [language] that can be fully understood.

Instruction, to whomsoever it is directed, should be a broadening experience that contributes to the overall development of the student, as much intellectually as physically, allowing them to increase their personal abilities, capabilities, confidence, independence and self image as a result of the process.

Since the Equestrian learning environment is made up of both people and horses, it should be considered "tri-partate" because it more often than not involves three separate entities : the horse, the rider and the educator.

To ensure that a horse remains reliable and predictably safe, it must be adequately "educated" so that it can fulfill its role of "professor" in the learning environment of Equestrian sport, his mental processes fully understood, his intelligence and individual character never underestimated, overlooked or neglected.

An erudite pedagogue will know how to impart this knowledge of horses to his/her student(s) - in co-peration with the horse - by stressing the fact that horses, as creatures of flight, are extremely receptive to even the slightest input, that any person who works with them in any way is automatically teaching the horse something, be it consciously or otherwise, that if an instructor cannot reach the intellect of the rider, he/she cannot "get through" to the horse, since all instruction must be transmitted through the rider before a desired result can be evidenced in the horse.

In any type of equestrian education, the growth of the rider depends not only upon the pedagogy of the educator, but in the fact that it is actually the horse itself who will ultimately dictate the success or failure of an educational process .

• The central personality in the learning process is the Rider.
• The actual "teacher" is the horse.
• The "pedagogue" orchestrates the instruction by knowing and providing :        - Logical Progressions
       - Successive objectives
       - Planned programs
       - Personalization for student preference
       - Adaptability
       - Motivation
       - Variety in environment/subject matter
       - Leadership
       - Dynamism
       - Successes
       - Safety
       - Objectivity
       - Involvement