What People say about our courses

In the course of extensive travels in the equestrian world as well as an intensive international competition career I have had the opportunity to compare and contrast many programs intended to improve and often certify riders, trainers, competitors, judges, officials and administrators. Some of these programs have official sanction, others are less formal. Most have strong points, all have weak points.

A program which I have particularly come to admire is one sanctioned by the Australian Horse Riding Centres (AHRC) as well as the Equestrian Federation of Australia (EFA). The Horseriding Coach program, authored by Bert and Marion Hartog, fills a gap in both form and content which many other systems leave unfilled.

The form is manageable and the content understandable. Competency based training materials are often, in my experience, so simplified as to be largely incapable of creating competency in fields of any complexity. The Hartogs have provided simplicity without simple-mindedness. This is not an easy task in as complex a task as dealing with horses and people.

One of the greatest strengths of this program is its stress on safety without caving in to the need to avoid litigation by teaching next to nothing at all. Another is its cogent conceptualisation of steps needed to form the pattern of habits which will make safety uppermost but without sacrificing the need to think and evaluate. This is extremely important as almost every situation with animals is a new combination of almost infinite variables. Therefore regardless of how automatic some desirable patterns must become, the need to evaluate cannot be left out of any procedure.

Focus on an often neglected area of equestrian expertise, that of the teacher of the beginner rider and manager of a riding school, is another strong point of the program. While it lays a foundation for later entry to competition or to coaching of competitive riders, it stresses the basic needs of simple but well-rounded stable management, only imparts basic but standard accounting, and enforces strict standards of quality pedagogy aimed at entry-level riders. It is truly admirable how clearly the program lays foundations suitable for all levels and for running all aspects of a business, while many programs, seduced by the glamour of competition, aim higher without establishing a solid base.

Christine Doan.
Level III Dressage Coach, Olympic Dressage Competitor, Horse Trainer
Web: http://cdoanhorses.clearwater.com.au/

What students say:

• The best thing I’ve done in my life! I am enjoying my studies tremendously.
• The information is well set out and very helpful. I may as well tell you also that I find the course great. Easy to understand and beneficial to my future of - hopefully - starting some form of riding school.
• Thank you for your prompt service. It is a delight to receive such good customer service.
• Thank you for giving me some much needed motivation and a feeling of purpose in my life again!
• I am currently very busy on my property with my horses and ponies, and I must say that what I have done with your course has been instrumental in the success that I am having. Combined with the lessons from my instructor I feel I have passed all my expectations I had when I started this course. I really feel that by doing the course and applying the theory into practice each day allows me to absorb all the material. I would like to take the time to thank you for your encouragement and comments on my assignments as this again is a helpful learning tool and keeps me on the right track.As you know I am a true believer that training and qualifications are the way of the future and if we don’t take control then we will have them forced upon us regardless, so we really appreciate your pioneer work in this regards.
• I would like to tell you also that I find the course great. Easy to understand and beneficial to my future of - hopefully - starting some form of riding school. I also particularly like the drawings.

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