Certification Process

Once you have determined the coaching stream that suits you and your skills, the first step is to contact the Equestrian Nova Scotia at [email protected] to register as a coach candidate. Please provide your name, Equestrian NS number (if available), and the certification in which you wish to register. Once we receive your registration, we will set up an Equestrian NS coaching file to track your progress toward certification. As you complete your coaching pre-requisites please submit them for your file.  There is no fee to register, and no timeline for which to complete your certification.

Whether you plan to move toward evaluation very soon, or years down the road, putting your name forward as a candidate will allow us to notify you of clinics, workshops, mentoring days and evaluations scheduled in your geographic area.

Upon completion of your first NCCP training or evaluation prerequisites, you will be assigned a personal electronic file in a system called "The Locker '' where you will be assigned an NCCP coach number. Any further NCCP coursework you complete will be added to the our data system and your NCCP portfolio, which will update your "Locker '' transcript . Your NCCP portfolio will track all of your NCCP coach training; including training you may do in other sports and/or other provinces across Canada.

Every coach level has specific pre-evaluation prerequisites.  We have simplified these prerequisites in a chart.  Click on the Coach Type in the Resources Area at the bottom of the page to download a copy of this chart for your records.

Courses

All levels of coach certification require that you complete the following courses and online evaluations:

Making Head Way in Sport: This NCCP module has been designed to help coaches gain the knowledge and skills required to ensure the safety of their athletes, including recognizing and managing concussions. Participants will learn to identify, assess and determine appropriate care and return-to-play guidelines for concussions in sport athletes. Please note that we have specific concussion and return­-to-play guidelines that are available as a further resource.

Making Ethical Decisions: Learn how to identify legal, moral and ethical implications to challenging coaching situations. After taking this course and completing the online evaluation, you will be able to apply the NCCP Ethical Decision-Making Module to properly respond to situations in a way that is consistent with the NCCP Code of Ethics.

Additional Training

At every level of coaching certification there are several opportunities for training through the NCCP, Equestrian Canada and the Equestrian Nova Scotia.  Multi-sport and sport specific  training is highly recommended for preparation and will improve your skills as a coach candidate.  The NCCP Equestrian Theory workshops are highly recommended and are facilitated by Equestrian NS.

All scheduled coach training and education events are listed on the our online event calendar and are published in our weekly e-news. Click here to view the online calendar.

Once you have completed all required documents and training, you are ready to book your evaluation. You can review the events calendar on our website to see a list of all of the upcoming evaluations. If you find a scheduled evaluation that works for you, simply register for that event using the appropriate form indicating that you have met all necessary prerequisites.

Evaluations are typically conducted with a maximum of four people at a time, and run for approximately eight hours (including your lessons, written  test and interview/debrief). Ensure you come prepared with your lunch, water and snacks, as well as any equipment you may need to complete your evaluation, including pens and pencils. Please remember the following:

• You are not required to ride but should present yourself as you would as a professional coach or instructor
• You will be notified of the location of the host facility and are welcome to arrange a visit in advance
• The host facility will provide the demonstration horses and riders for you to teach for most contests.
• It is your responsibility to bring any other equipment you require (cones, lunging whip and line, side reins, equine first aid kit, etc.)
• Please bring two copies of all of your lesson plans (topics assigned by  evaluators  prior to evaluation), emergency action plans and training plans, if they are required.

Download your copy of the Required Documents Checklist (in the resources section below) to be prepared for Coaching Certification (note: requirements are the same for  both English and  Western Disciplines )

On Evaluation day, you will be teaching lessons and performing specific tasks.  Each stream has specific criteria.

Download your copy of the Teaching Lessons and Tasks (in the resources section below) in order to come prepared for your evaluation.

At the conclusion of your evaluation, a de-briefing will take place with you and the evaluator to review your day.  You MUST meet the standard all outcomes of the evaluation to be granted certification.  Only those unsuccessful outcomes will need to be reattempted.  The evaluator will assist you in developing an action plan for next steps.

As safety is of utmost importance, failure to address ANY safety issue during any of the evaluations will result in an automatic failure of that module.