Educational Requirements

Students who apply to the Equestrian Academy must have a National Senior Certificate pass (or the recognised equivalent). They need not have had a huge amount of riding or previous equestrian experience; however some previous riding experience would be advantageous.

Lectures
Students will attend lectures every day covering all the subjects within the SANEF syllabus. These include all basic stable management, show turnout, tack, veterinary care, business admin, yard construction etc. Students also attend lectures on Stud Management.  Pasture Management lectures are given throughout the course and students take part in various projects on this subject. Students also have various lectures with external lecturers on subjects such as farriery, conformation etc. Lectures range from formal tutorials and audio visuals to hands on practicals. Throughout the ten month course students will also take part in revision lectures and mock exams so that student progress can be monitored.

Stud Management
At the Plettenberg Equestrian Academy, students actively take part in all aspects of the day to day running of the stud farm. They will watch (and sometimes assist) with foalings, take part in all neo-natal foal care, and hold mares and lead stallions in covering season. Students will also have lectures on stud management  with the school Principal , and they will write the Plettenberg Equestrian Academy Stud Management exams at the end of the course.

Exams
Students write their SANEF Module 1-2 exams in April, Module 3 in June/July and complete SANEF Module 4 exam in November.  In addition students  write a Stud Management and Pasture Management Exam in November.

Pasture Management
At the Plettenberg Equestrian Academy we feel that there is a need for students to have an active knowledge of Pasture Management. Students will learn about the different varieties of grasses as well as the management of grasslands, fertilization, irrigation, rotation etc.

Alternative Therapies & Training Methods
Due to the increasing demand for different types of therapies and schooling methods, we have added some short courses into the curriculum to cover subjects such as acupuncture, magnotherapy etc, as well as some natural horsemanship methods that are popularly used today. We are looking into more detailed courses, for the near future.