Each unit is delegated a certain amount of nominal hours set out by skills Victoria. In
conjunction with the set hours that you are required to fulfil, and Saddle On’s regular
operating hours, I have devised a suitable delivery plan that must be followed by all current
students in order to fulfil the minimum requirements of our nationally recognised
qualifications.
It is important to note that these hours are the absolute minimum amount of hours that are
required of you, any extra hours banked by volunteering (School holidays etc.), attending
clinics and participating in riding lessons is only going to make you more knowledgeable and
better at what you do, making you more desirable to prospective employees.
In order to successfully gain a full qualification through us you are expected to commit an
absolute minimum of 10 hours per week. The 10 hours per week are divided as follows
2 HOURS = FACE TO FACE CLASS ATTENDANCE
Classes are currently run between 4pm and 6pm on a weekday (please speak to Taryn
about which day your specific certificate runs on) and it is preferable that you attend these
sessions. We do offer a flexible delivery method however this method is not suited to all. To
be a successful candidate for flexible delivery, you must be an extremely dedicated
individual with impeccable time management skills.
6 HOURS = PRACTICAL PLACEMENT
Practical placement is available to all students between 9am and 5pm every Saturday. This
is our busiest day and will give you an excellent taste of our fast paced industry. Alternative
placement days can be organised on an individual basis during business hours.
During your placement you are expected to practice any practical units contained within your
current unit of study, at the same time as working around the daily work schedule.
When are %100 confident AND competent, you may call a qualified assessor over to assess
you. If you are unsure of who these people may be, please see Taryn.
If you find every now and then that you are a little time poor for assessments,feel free to
book in a one on one appointment with one of our assessors. Please ensure you are ready
first as our Assessors are very busy and will not pass you unless you are competent and
confident in the execution of your practical task
2 HOURS = HOMEWORK AND RESEARCH
As I mentioned earlier the 10 hours per week is the absolute minimum required of you and
we will be covering a lot in our 2 hour class sessions. Please use at least 2 hours per week
to finish of any class work that was missed or fallen behind in and research any subjects that
feel a little vague. The internet is a great resource when it comes to re-iterating or furthering
your education in an unfamiliar subject.
It is not a requirement to book yourself into riding lessons to participate in any of our
equine education courses, however it comes highly recommended (especially for
Certificate III in Sport Coaching). After speaking with all fellow trainer/assessors as
well as past students and current employees, we have compiled the following list of
reasons of why it is a great idea to ride whilst you learn:
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It develops your current riding skills and may teach you new ones, keeping
your coaching skills up to date with current industry standard.
The 1 hour lessons contribute towards you 2 hour homework/research quota.
All riding assessments are covered and practiced extensively within the class
and refined prior to assessment day.
The better you ride, the more people will seek your knowledge and want you
to teach them.
You will learn and develop new coaching skills by viewing and participating in
other coaches’ classes, contributing to the development of your own individual
teaching methods.
You will be able to apply all you have learnt within the course in real life
situations.
You will get a feel for different horses and how they ride, making you a more
versatile rider/instructor, as well as acquainting you with your new equine
friends that you will be working with on a weekly basis.
There are many more reasons (to many to list) as to why it would be beneficial for
your education to attend regular riding lessons. If you like to discuss this topic
further, please phone (03) 5282 4017 within business hours to speak to one of our
lovely staff members.