Welcome to Rookie Riders!

All participants must hold a current Equestrian Canada Coach Status.

Instructor candidates must have completed the Rookie Riders 1 workshop to participate in Rookie Riders 2 and should hold an active NCCP Instructor or Competition Coach Certification. Instructor and Competition Coach Candidates who are currently completing their NCCP certification and have passed Equestrian Canada Learn to Ride English Level 6 or Western Level 4 tests are also eligible to participate in the training. 

Rookie Riders provides an opportunity for children to experience the joy of equestrian sport in a fun-filled program. The program curriculum is specifically designed to create an environment that promotes the development of physical literacy, with a specific emphasis on the fundamental movement skills applicable to all sports and a foundation of knowledge and skills to be able to ride a horse. The program is specifically designed to learn all the skills necessary to safely mount and dismount a horse, before being introduced to a horse for the first time.

The curriculum includes options for delivering the program with and without a horse. It includes:

• Horse inspired activities and games to develop fundamental movement skills and knowledge about how to interact with and move safely around horses
• Ground-based skills that help develop strength, posture and body awareness, and specific movement skills to be able to safely mount and dismount a horse
• A “barrel horse” where skills can be specifically taught and practiced
• An activity bank and sample lesson plan that helps students progress systematically from ground-based skills to mounted skills, to mounted skills on a horse.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/-XaPUI7CmlI

The instructor responsible for any Rookie Riders session must always be present, hold an Equestrian Canada Coach License and an active NCCP Certification (any sport), or be a qualified physical education teacher, in addition to having completed the Rookie Riders 1 instructor training.

Instructor candidates must have completed the Rookie Riders 1 workshop to participate in Rookie Riders 2 and should hold an active NCCP Instructor or Competition Coach Certification. Instructor and Competition Coach Candidates who are currently completing their NCCP certification and have passed Equestrian Canada Learn to Ride English Level 6 or Western Level 4 tests are also eligible to participate in the training. 

For those wishing to assist Instructors with delivering the Rookie Riders Program, they must:

• Be 16 years of age or older
• Complete the Rookie Riders 1 Instructor Training
• Sign the Equestrian Canada Coaching Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics
• Have their Learn to Ride English Level 6 or Western Level 4 if offering a Rookie Riders program that includes riding.