Giving Youth the Leg-Up They Deserve!

 

The Leg Up Programme un, deux, trois hop! was launched in the fall of 2020 by a group of volunteers who also form the executive of the Zone 3 (capital region) committee of the New Brunswick Equestrian Association. The Zone 3 committee’s mandate is to organize Zone activities, support rider and coach development, promote equestrian sports, and administer funding. However, the committee came to the realization that a segment of the population was not being served by this mandate. Equestrian activities are expensive, and while the therapeutic, social, psychological and physical benefits of riding are well established (Davies and Collins, 2015; Church et. al., 2010), many children and youth simply cannot participate in a meaningful way due to the significant expenses involved. There was no way for youth to enter this expensive sport and consequently, many visible or invisible minorities, as well as economically underprivileged children have been significantly under-represented in equestrian sports.

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To address this need, we created the Leg Up Programme un, deux, trois hop! and started our first cohort of riders in 2021!

What The Program Offers

Each candidate selected by the impartial jury receives a total of 12 riding lessons over the summer. The coaches must be current certified Equestrian Canada coaches in Zone 3. Equestrian Canada certified coaches are required to undergo regular criminal background checks and follow stringent guidelines when working with youth. 

Each candidate chosen for the program also receives a safety-certified riding helmet, a pair of riding boots, and a junior membership to the New Brunswick Equestrian Association (this provides them with the required insurance to work under a coach who also has their own liability insurance). On a monthly basis, parents are also provided with a modest transportation allowance.