Using self-study approach, the author was interested to learn about teaching teachers. The author positioned herself as a novice in the unfamiliar context of learning to ride a horse. Two themes emerged through pattern analysis. The first theme to emerge through the author's early journal entries was empathy for her students’ anxiety and vulnerability when learning a new skill with such high stakes. The second theme was the fact that the author had fallen but got back in the saddle with renewed confidence spoke volumes about learning.