Who can coach at Pony Club?
The PCANT handbook outlines the criteria a person must meet in order to coach at each Certificate level at Pony Club. Evidently a coach must possess the appropriate level of horsemanship skills themselves before they are able to coach, however there are also other factors that are critical to effective and safe coaching.
Pony Club is a great place to begin a coaching career, so if you are interested please approach your Club's Chief Instructor. Anyone over 16 years of age can coach at 'O', or pre-D level, under the supervision of a senior coach (such as your CI). You should master the basics of ride management before your get to actually teach, and work closely with your Chief Instructor to formulate a lesson plan. Shadow instructing is also a great way to learn the basics.
In order to progress up the Certificate levels to D/D* and beyond you must gain formal coaching accreditation.
What is the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme?
The NCAS is a nationally recognised programme that covers all horse sports and maintains a safe and consistent method of teaching, allowing the coach to provide accurate, correct and safe coaching to their students. NCAS begins at Preliminary level, which allows you to teach D and D* riders independently. Find more info by clicking on the 'NCAS' button on the left menu above.
Why become accredited?
NCAS Accreditation increases your confidence as a coach by increasing the effectiveness and safety of your coaching, allowing you to teach at an approapriate level. The cource includes a national coaching curriculum that covers all horse sports, as well as applying to other sports (see the ASC website for more). NCAS also covers you and your Pony Club by insurance.
