United States Eventing Association

The USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP) exists to provide a certification program for eventing coaches. The objectives of ECP workshops are:

• To familiarize the candidate coach with the requirements for taking the ECP Assessment.
• To give coaches the opportunity to assess where they are in their coaching and teaching skills.
• To provide the opportunity to practice the required dressage, show jumping, and cross- country lessons in front of faculty, fellow workshop participants, and auditors.
• To provide faculty demonstration lessons, lectures, faculty and group discussion related to training the horse and rider, assessing the horse and rider, recognizing their positive attributes, recognizing faults in the horse and rider, providing solutions to the issues presented in the individual lessons.

Safety in all situations is paramount and will be emphasized constantly.

The workshop experience should be a fun and positive learning opportunity to assess and build on current knowledge. Experiences are shared and new friendships are made.

Time management of the lessons can be one of the most challenging aspects. It requires accurate assessments and effective planning.

Instructors need to be flexible during the lessons when things do not go as planned or the chosen exercises are not working. Outside factors can affect the lessons. Where the instructor realizes their plan is not working, it needs to be changed. The horse may be distracted and not settle; the rider may be having difficulties; tack could malfunction; the weather could change. There may be distractions nearby such as noisy machinery, mowing, or weed eating. Despite the best planning, these things can occur and do occur in real life. The instructor must think on their feet and implement safe and effective procedures to bring the lesson to a safe and constructive conclusion.

Workshop participants may be starting out on their instructing and coaching journey with little experience but lots of enthusiasm. They may be involved in riding school or pony club teaching. They may be experienced coaches and or riders. Regardless of experience level, all are looking to acquire a professional coaching qualification and will be guided on the journey. Workshops are refresher courses for continuing education and for accessing more advanced levels of coaching. Workshops are open to participants and auditors regardless of whether or not they intend to take the Assessment. It can be intimidating to stand up and teach a student or competition rider that you have not seen or worked with before. A solid knowledge base and plenty of practice helps to alleviate and work through those inevitable fears and anxieties. A workshop is a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental place to acquire and confirm knowledge of best practices and gain confidence in the process.

Attending a workshop does not guarantee a passing result at an Assessment. It is not a comprehensive compendium of all the knowledge, requirements, methods, and situations that one will encounter over the course of a teaching, training, and riding career. To be competent and confident to pass at your chosen Assessment level, there must be a depth of knowledge present and the ability to impart that knowledge in a safe and effective manner. This can only be acquired over many years of study and practice.

Prior to the Workshop

Candidates are required to read the material they will receive from the education office at USEA when they apply for the workshop. This includes the "USEA Eventing Handbook by the Levels" which is in the membership box on your USEA dashboard. In it one can find comprehensive information on the requirements for each competition level of eventing, from Starter to Advanced. The "ECP Workbook" and the "ECP Standards Booklet" are the other important and comprehensive resources candidates should study.

What to Wear

Dress professionally with a tidy appearance. Breeches and boots always give a good impression but are not mandatory. Wear appropriate footwear. Avoid shorts, cut offs, tank tops, and flip flops. Dress appropriately for the weather.

What to Bring

Print out or have available on your phone the materials sent to you by the USEA. This will include:

• ECP Lesson Plan
• The Assessment Sheets for dressage, show jumping, or cross-country depending on which workshop you will be attending.
• Teaching of steeplechase.
• Notes on jumping distances.
• Horse and stable management requirements.
• Teaching theory and practice questions
• Actual or digital copies of the "Eventing Handbook by the Levels" and the "ECP Workbook."

Bring a notebook and pens.

Drinks and snacks are provided, and lunch can be ordered. The days are long, so it is a good idea to bring additional snacks and drinks.

Other Information

There are two different workshops. Attendance at both a dressage and a jumping workshop is required before one can apply to be assessed.

The workshops accommodate candidates for all levels Starter - V. The jumping workshop includes both show jumping and cross-country.

Workshops accept up to eight participants. The workshop will take place over three full days if there are five to eight candidates. If there are less than five candidates the workshop will be held over two days, with a possible lecture the night before the first full day.

Dressage Workshop Timetable (Example)

The timetable may vary depending on the number of participants.

Day 1

• Workshops generally start at 8.00 a.m. with introductions, timetable, and a faculty lecture.
• Faculty will teach demonstration lessons.
• A short break will be followed by 45-minute individual candidate instructor practice lessons.
• Horses and riders are provided by the organizer.
• Lunch Break
• Individual lessons will continue with the second group of candidate instructors.
• Discussion and wrap up the first day.

Day 2

• Similar to Day 1. All participants will teach once each day.

Day 3

• The third dressage workshop day can be devoted to pole work related to jumping.
• Faculty and participants will set up a series of pole or cavaletti/small jump exercises which will emphasize the importance of the dressage work and how it relates to jumping.
• The horses will be in jump tack.
• At the conclusion of the lessons, each candidate will have a short private discussion with faculty.

Jumping Workshop Timetable (Example)

The timetable will generally be the same as the dressage workshop.

Day 1

• Show jumping. Faculty and candidate instructors will set up jumping exercises prior to the faculty demonstration lessons.

Days 2 & 3

• Cross-country. Candidate instructors will have the opportunity to inspect the cross-country course and fences to enable them to plan their lessons. It is very important to recognize and inspect suitable fences for their teaching level, both in height and level of difficulty and to plan a logical and safe progression of fences they could use or would like to use in their lesson.
• The day will conclude with the individual candidate instructor interviews.

Conclusion

Awareness of these guidelines should help facilitate a good experience for everyone involved in the ECP Workshop. Have an enjoyable and constructive learning experience!

About the USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP)

Coaches are essential to the training of riders and horses for safe and educated participation in the sport of eventing. The USEA Eventing Coaches Program (ECP), formerly known as the Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP), was initiated in 2002 to educate all levels of eventing coaches with crucial training principles upon which they can continue to build throughout their teaching careers. ECP offers educational workshops and assessments by which both regular coaches, Level I through Level V, Young Event Horse (YEH) coaches, and Young Event Horse professional horse trainers can become ECP certified. Additional information about ECP’s goals, benefits, workshops, and assessments as well as names and contact information for current ECP certified coaches, YEH coaches, and YEH professional horse trainers are available on the USEA website. Click here to learn more about the USEA Eventing Coaches Program.

The USEA would like to thank the United States Pony Clubs, Stable Secretary, Marshall+Sterling, and Strider for their support of the Eventing Coaches Program.