Introduction
One of the core objectives of The Pony Club is to support members in developing their riding and horsemastership, as well as building the knowledge and skills needed to care for horses and ponies.
Becoming a Pony Club coach is a fantastic opportunity to share your passion, support members on their journey, and play a key role in developing their confidence, skills, and love of horses.
To coach for a Pony Club Branch or Centre, you must have the relevant qualifications and/or experience for the activities and level you wish to coach.
As a minimum, all Pony Club Accredited Coaches must hold:
A current Disclosure Check
A valid First Aid Certificate*
Up-to-date Safeguarding training
Current CPD
In England and Wales this is an Enhanced DBS check, in Scotland it is a PVG, and in Northern Ireland it is an AccessNI check. Please contact your local Branch or Centre to arrange this.
All coaches must complete the Pony Club’s Safeguarding for Equestrians training.
The minimum qualification required is Emergency First Aid at Work. To meet Pony Club requirements, first aid training must be completed through face-to-face delivery.
All Pony Club Coaches and Assessors are required to complete CPD each year. At least one CPD activity must be completed face-to-face every two years.
You’ll need to provide copies of your certificates to your Branch or Centre and be registered on the Pony Club coaching database, PELHAM. Your Branch or Centre can add you to the system and help ensure your records remain up to date.
Use our Find a Pony Club tool to locate your nearest Branch or Centre and start your coaching journey.
Coach Categories
All new coaches are expected to meet the requirements of an Accredited Pony Club Coach, based on the certifications outlined below. Maintaining these certifications is essential to remain in an accredited role. If any required certifications expire or are not in place, coaches will move into a supervised or expired status until the requirements are met.
Accredited coaches are able to coach independently and may also supervise others, while supervised coaches must meet specific criteria and work under the guidance of an accredited coach at all times. Coaches in the expired category must not be used for coaching until their requirements have been updated.
Accredited coaches must satisfy all of the criteria below:
Accredited coaches may coach unsupervised, and may also supervise other coaches.
Supervised coaches must satisfy all of the criteria below:
Supervised coaches must be in the presence of an accredited coach at all times.
You must have the following certifications in place to be a Pony Club Accredited Coach:
Enhanced Disclosure Check – In England and Wales this is a DBS check, in Scotland it is a PVG, in Northern Ireland it is Access NI. Contact your local Branch or Centre to arrange this.
Safeguarding – The Safeguarding course offered by the Pony Club is Safeguarding for Equestrians.
First Aid – The minimum qualification required for coaches is the Emergency First Aid at Work course. All first aid courses MUST have been completed through face to face delivery to meet the Pony Club requirements.
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) – Please be aware that from 1st January 2023 the CPD requirement changed to every year.
Disclosure checks
The following disclosure checks can be added to a coach on PELHAM:
For more information on disclosure checks please check the safeguarding section of The
Pony Club website.
The Pony Club recognises three levels of training:
The first approved safeguarding workshop to attend must be the Safeguarding for Equestrians course, this is a face to face, tutor lead course that is delivered virtually. This is followed three years later by the Advanced Safeguarding for Equestrians refresher course, this is a self-guided workbook style course that can be completed in your own time. The two courses are then repeated every three years in strict rotation.
To book onto one of these courses please follow this link > https://pcuk.org/volunteers-training/#Safeguarding-Training
All First Aid courses must be attended in person, given the life-saving nature of the topics covered. Online or virtual courses are not accepted.
Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)
First Aid at Work (FAW)
BHS First Aid
There is a yearly CPD requirement for all Pony Club Coaches and Assessors. This CPD update is not specific to coaching or assessing, but must be completed on an annual basis.
CPD must include at least one face-to-face element every two years. For example, if all CPD updates were completed online in 2025, at least one face-to-face CPD must be undertaken in 2026.
Yes. Test Assessor workshops are recognised as CPD for Pony Club Coaches as well as Assessors.
However, Assessor CPD must also be updated every three years for the highest level you assess.
Accredited Coaches must be aged 18 or over. Coaches aged 16+ will remain in a supervised role until they turn 18.
Please see the contact details to the right.
