Creating a Stronger, Supportive and Safer Equine Industry

Welcome to the Coach Mentorship Work Experience Program. The goal of this program is create a more knowledgeable equine industry, with coaches who are aware of horse welfare, rider and horse safety and dealing with different types of learning abilities.

Starting Your Coaching Journey

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The first step in the Coach Mentorship Program is our work experience program.  This program is for ages 14* to 55.  Participants will attend a weekly work shift alongside a coach where they will be instructing our 10-week Introductory Riding Program.
*Ages 12 and 13 can join the program with a coach recommendation

Work experience duties & learning experiences will include:

• Catching horses for the lesson, getting to know the barn, pens and horses, dealing with inclement weather
• Weekly lesson planning
• Assisting with student tack-up and tack-fit, learning saddle fit and problem solving tack issues
• Supervised coaching and feedback of weekly theory or riding lesson plan
• Dealing with challenging students and horses
• After lesson clean-up and horse care
• Preparing student and horse reports, as well as accident reports
• Horse care, first-aid and training rides on Sagehill lesson horses in training (for participants not in the lesson program, must be willing to take a private lesson(s) to determine riding level ability and suitability for riding specific training horses)

Program Details

Qualifications

• Ages 14 to 55
  • those aged 14 to 15 must provide a provincial Young Workers Readiness Certificate Course
• Equine Canada Level 3 (English or Western) OR proof of comparable riding level and theory knowledge from a similar program or from lesson and/or show experience (may need to provide a reference from a coach or program certificate)
• Ability to commit to a weekly work shift for 10 weeks, including mandatory Coach Mentorship Program meetings as required
• Willingness to be able to sub for fellow coach mentorship program participants as the need arises and as your schedule allows

Cost

The program is FREE for students enrolled in the EDP program.  For participants not enrolled in weekly lessons at our facility, a fee of $150+GST per session is required.

Program Start Dates

The program runs 4 x a year following our weekly lesson program schedule.  Approximate work experience times (not including prep times and meetings) are as follows:

• Fall Session (minimum 3 hrs 1x a week for 10 weeks Sept. to Nov, weekday evening or weekend lesson)
• Winter Session (minimum 3 hrs 1x a week for 10 weeks Jan to March weekday evening or weekend lesson)
• Spring Session (minimum 3 hrs 1x a week for 10 weeks April to June, weekday evening or weekend lesson)
• Summer Session (2 weeks Monday through Friday 9am to 12pm, July to August, 10 camp mornings, or, minimum 3 hrs 1x a week for 8 weeks July and August weekday evening or weekend lesson)

Benefits

• For every 6 hours of work, coach mentors will get a free semi-private lesson, OR, for everyone 8 hrs get a free private lesson
• Participants will gain confidence in coaching, problem solving the needs of different learner types, solutions for dealing with anxious riders and problem solving horse issues
• Participants will be part of our coaching team at Sagehill and learn our program policies for coaching, horse welfare, accidents and student safety
• Participants will meet other coaches and participants in the program
• Participants will have the opportunity to put training rides (as many as they can fit in their schedule, and depending on horse availability) on our Sagehill lesson horses in training

• Participants have the opportunity to be hired as a coach in our lesson program! 
  • The number of sessions a participant must complete before they can be hired varies from participant to participant and will depend on the recommendation from your assigned coach mentor.  However, we recommend you do a minimum of 2 sessions under different coach mentors to learn different coaching styles and strengths 
  • If you are looking for a coaching job at another facility, this program will be an excellent reference and we will provide a reference after each session completed, including written feedback from your coach mentor. 
  • Note: minimum age for working as a coach at Sagehill is 16

Questions?  Want to join?

Please email us at [email protected] if you have questions or would like to join the program!  Spots in the program are limited based on our lesson registration each session, so we will take qualified applicants on a first come first serve basis, with a waiting list.

Continuing the Journey

Once coaches are hired at Sagehill, the Coach Mentorship Program is ongoing, offering continued mentorship, as well as opportunities for staff to engage in riding and training. Please contact us for more details if you feel you are already qualified to work as a coach and want to join our Coaching Team!