Training milestone for riding coach

Sarah Burroughs has been awarded the New Zealand Riding for the Disabled (NZRDA) Assistant Coach certificate at the NZRDA National Training Conference in Wellington.

The certificate is the culmination of one and a half years of part time study, and is part of her position as head coach at the Stratford Riding for the Disabled Association.

The course consists of 22 unit standards from the NZQA equine certificate, which NZRDA selects as relative to the certificate.

The course is mainly run by correspondence, with Sarah receiving and returning the work by post.

The practical part of the course required assessors from Wellington and Hawera to travel to Stratford to ensure the tasks were completed to the correct standard.

Sarah says she started out as a volunteer at the Kaitaia RDA, aged 13.

She helped out there for five years, before being told she was to be the coach.

"I was thrown in the deep end a bit" she says with a laugh.

Despite this she enjoys the role.

"I love horses, and I love helping children, so they went perfectly together."

Sarah adds, "I want to help children learn and experience new things, and watch them learn from them. I also want to help the children have memorable moments of personal achievements."

Sarah has now been with the Stratford RDA for three and a half years. It has between eight and 10 volunteers, with Sarah saying, "We're in desperate need of new volunteers at the moment.

"You don't need extensive knowledge of horses, as all training is provided, just the willingness to learn, and the want to help the community."

RDA is now finished for the winter, but will be starting up again around Labour Weekend.

If you want to help, and are free from 9am till midday on a Thursday, give Sarah a call on 027 328 8430.