The National Snaffle Bit Association Foundation held its sixth annual Coaches Summit February 19 – 21, 2024. Presented as a special project of the NSBA Foundation, the workshop has a theme of building competition opportunities as “A Model of Inclusion.”
The Coaches Summit included classroom instruction, arena demonstrations, and discussion panels and was hosted at the Colorado State University Spur Center in Denver, CO. This state-of-the-art facility provided an incredible learning atmosphere and experience for attendees. The 2024 Coaches Summit included 17 participants from 8 states at the three- day event.
Participants included professional horsemen, therapeutic riding center coaches, staff, and volunteers, United States military veterans, and other industry stakeholders. Also in attendance were leadership representatives from the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH), and the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA). The NSBA Foundation is proud to offer the Coaches Summit to all of these parties to explore opportunities for engagement and expansion of current or new riding programs.
Instruction revolved around the inclusion of competition for Equestrians with Disabilities or Veterans using horses as a form of therapeutic riding. Content for the workshop also comprised of grant writing tactics, fundraising, strategies for expanding networks, information on current industry research and open discussion panels. Certified Professionals received continuing education credits for attending the Coaches Summit as outlined in their certification requirements. The lead facilitators for the event were Diane Helgeland, executive director of Partners for Progress NFP and NSBA Professional Horseman Kelly McDowall.
The work shop was funded through the generous support of Curt and Beth Hartman.
NSBA’s Equestrians with Disabilities and Heroes on Horses provide a platform for independent and supported riders to participate in NSBA horse shows and other forms of competition. The programs are open to any age rider in Western and English disciplines. The Heroes on Horses and Equestrians with Disabilities are just two of the many programs administered by the National Snaffle Bit Association Foundation, which also include the Animal Welfare Fund, the Trainer Crisis Fund, and the Education Fund. If you have questions regarding or wish to be involved with any NSBA Foundation Programs, please contact Program Manager Elise Sheard, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Operating under a separate board of directors, the NSBA Foundation serves as the charitable arm of the National Snaffle Bit Association and provides funding to support the efforts of the Association through programming specific to the equine industry and the NSBA membership. The NSBA Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
For more information, please visit nsba.com.
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National Snaffle Bit Association, Inc. – 120 Mesa St., Weatherford, TX 76086 - Phone: (847)-623-6722
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