Welcome to Valley’s Mentorship Program

Valley recognizes and appreciates the importance of our Therapeutic Riding Instructors; our success depends on the retention, engagement and empowerment of instructors not only for our own organization but for the therapeutic riding industry as a whole.

Valley’s Mentorship Mission

Valley’s mission is to provide up and coming instructors with exceptional mentorship so they can fulfill their personal and professional goals of providing knowledgeable, safe and enjoyable therapeutic riding instruction to people of all ages and abilities.

Fees

  • Participation in Valley’s Mentorship Program requires a $500 deposit.

  • The deposit will be returned to you if you are employed by Valley as a Therapeutic Riding Instructor for a period of one year following completion of your CanTRA certification.

  • If you choose to gain employment elsewhere after completing your certification, the deposit will not be returned to you and will be used to offset the costs of running our Mentorship Program.

  • Our Next Therapeutic Riding Mentorship Clinic is September 9 and 10 2023 with Pippa Hodge and Cynthia Andrews

  • Please connect with Jennifer Prince-Wright for your space in this exciting clinic! jprincewright@vtea.ca

What Valley offers you

  • Minimum 100 hours of experience needed to apply to the CanTRA Certification Program including:

    • Guided learning experiences in the arena including leading, side walking and teaching techniques

    • Stable management activities and procedures including grooming, tacking (including the various tack used for therapeutic riding), stable maintenance, horsemanship skills, etc.

    • Volunteer training sessions

    • Safety protocols including drills and safety surveys

    • Reviewing insurance requirements

  • Guidance and assistance through study groups and a discussion platform for completing the Home Study Guide

  • Review and critique of Lesson Plans, Student Reports and other forms required to be completed for the Program

  • Access to board members, administration, and equine personnel to answer questions

  • Practice teaching under the supervision of our CanTRA instructors

  • Assistance with your Equestrian Canada rider levels – lessons using our horses will be available as well as rider level testing (additional fees will apply; these fees are a much lower rate than what is available in the market **for instructors in training only**)

20 hours of focused mentoring with a CanTRA Coach/Examiner and Senior Instructors (**additional fees apply**)

  • Focused 20 hours of mentoring with Pippa Hodge, a CanTRA Coach and Examiner, as well as other senior members of our Therapeutic Riding Team.

  • These hours will include mock lessons in our arena utilizing our mentors/instructors, horses and volunteers; you will receive constructive feedback on your lessons, and you will provide feedback to your peers during their mock lessons–this is an incredible, very hands on opportunity for learning in a small group setting.

  • The non-refundable fee for this service is $20 per hour and must be paid in advance of the sessions.

What Valley asks in return

  • As a member of our staff and former mentee, you help provide mentorship and guidance to future mentees.

  • Attend clinics, webinars and other professional development and share your learnings with other members of our Therapeutic Riding, Equine Facilitated Wellness, and Equine Management team.

  • Help us build a team-based culture of inclusivity and continuous learning so we can support our clients the best way possible.

Questions?

Please send an email to info@vtea.ca for more information or to register for the Program.

Walk on . . . toward your goal of becoming a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor through Valley’s Mentorship Program.

We are thrilled and honoured to be on this journey with you.