On a crisp winter morning, trailers begin to line up long before the first show bell rings. Ponies peer over stable doors, school blazers hang neatly over tack trunks, and nervous excitement hums through the warm-up arenas. For many of these riders, this is not just another competition. It is their school sport. It is their team. It is their place.

The South African National Equestrian Schools Association (SANESA) has become one of the most influential structures in the country’s equestrian landscape, not because it chases elite performance at all costs, but because it understands something fundamental about children, horses and sport: if you want equestrianism to thrive, you have to let kids ride.

“SANESA exists to provide an environment where children can participate correctly, safely and proudly at school level,” says Jan Joubert, President of SANESA. “For some, it becomes a pathway into the graded disciplines. For others, it is simply where they discover a lifelong love for horses. Both outcomes matter.”

A school sport first

SANESA is unique in South African equestrian sport because it is built around schools, not clubs. Riders compete as bona fide learners representing their schools, operating under the Department of Basic Education, and within a structure recognised by both the South African Equestrian Federation (SAEF) and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

That positioning matters.

“Equestrian sport is different to most other school sports because it measures a combination of horse and rider,” Joubert explains. “You can’t divide children purely by age. You have to create levels that reflect skill, experience and responsibility, while still keeping the educational principles of school sport intact.”

SANESA differentiates between primary and high school leagues and offers structured levels (levele 0-7) across disciplines, allowing riders to compete in an environment that is appropriate to their stage of development. Crucially, riders do not need to be affiliated to any other equestrian association or discipline body to participate.

“That accessibility is non-negotiable for us,” says Joubert. “If we raise the barrier too high at entry level, we lose children before they ever have a chance to grow.”

Built on structure, not shortcuts

SANESA does not invent its own rules. Instead, it operates as a rule taker and rule implementer, aligning closely with national discipline associations.

“We only offer disciplines that are recognised by the SAEF,” Joubert says. “We work with those discipline bodies to ensure that our rules, judges, course standards and requirements mirror the broader equestrian environment, just adapted for school sport.”

Today, SANESA offers a wide range of disciplines, including dressage, showjumping, equitation, working riding, working hunter, performance riding and in-hand utility as part of its core league. Additional disciplines such as eventing, endurance, vaulting, mounted games, western, saddle seat, working equitation and mounted archery further broaden the offering.

Across all of them, welfare and safety are central. Horses and ponies may not compete in more than four classes per day, judges and officials must be appropriately qualified, and strict codes of conduct govern behaviour both in and out of the arena.

“Horse welfare is not a tick-box exercise for us,” Joubert says. “It is embedded in how the sport is structured. Limits on classes, proper warm-up procedures, correct tack, and age-appropriate expectations all form part of that.”

And then there is the fact that SANESA is run by three full time staff members and around 120 volunteers, none of whom are paid. The team are saints, as they have to handle multiple queries, juggle queries, systems, irate parents on WhatsApp groups, all while pulling schedules, riding times, and venues together. 

More than ownership

One of SANESA’s most defining features is its approach to access. Riders may compete on privately owned horses or on riding school ponies, and borrowed horses are a common and accepted part of the system.

“In SANESA, what matters is not who owns the horse,” says Joubert. “What matters is that the horse is suitable, the rider is prepared, and the combination is managed responsibly.”

This approach has quietly changed the face of school equestrian sport in South Africa. Children who might never have had the opportunity to own a horse are able to compete, represent their schools and progress through structured levels.

It is one of the reasons SANESA has become such an important transformation space within the sport. Here, according to Joubert, “Children are exposed to equestrianism because their friends at school are riding. That matters.”

Competition with perspective

With more than 260 shows hosted annually across provinces and districts, SANESA runs one of the largest equestrian competition programmes in the country. Qualifiers lead to district finals, provincial selection and ultimately the SANESA National Championships, where riders represent their provinces on a national stage.

Yet despite the scale, the emphasis remains firmly on participation before pressure.

“We are very clear that SANESA is an entry point,” Joubert says. “Most of our riders are not graded. Many are competing for the first time. That has to be respected.”

But as with all sport, this philosophy is sometimes misunderstood.

“There is a perception from outside that every SANESA rider should perform at graded level,” he says. “That is simply not realistic, nor is it fair. Every elite rider started somewhere. Our job is to create a correct environment where improvement can happen, not to exclude children because they are still learning.”

Judges are approved by the relevant discipline associations, arenas are signed off, and graded components are included at higher levels. At the same time, SANESA deliberately protects space for riders who are still finding their balance, confidence and rhythm.

The message from the SANESA body is clear: school sport is not about perfection,. It is about exposure, learning and enjoyment.

Let them ride

If there is one message that underpins SANESA’s approach, it is this: let children ride.

“Quite often, like with all school sports, the pressure doesn’t come from the children,” Joubert says. “It comes from adults, while many parents and instructors are exceptionally supportive, there is always an exception, and these exceptions place immense pressure on children.”

Parents, instructors and schools bring passion and investment to the sport, but SANESA has learned that protecting young riders sometimes means absorbing criticism in order to maintain perspective. 

The beauty? Not all parents are equestrian by nature. In fact, those who are might argue that you are better off if you aren’t an equestrian as it allows you to give your child the patience, adoration, and respect that getting on and riding these magnificent creatures rightly deserves. 

“Our goal is to always defend a child’s right to participate,” he says. “As long as they are riding safely, humanely, putting the horse first and within the rules, they belong in the arena.”

This philosophy extends to how SANESA handles complaints, discipline and conduct. Clear procedures exist, but the intent is always to protect riders and horses rather than to punish unnecessarily. The team insists that children must feel safe, supported and proud when they wear their school colours. “If they don’t, we have failed,” adds Joubert.

A pathway, not a dead end

SANESA is not positioned in opposition to the graded disciplines. On the contrary, it actively sees itself as a feeder and partner.

“We encourage riders who want to move into the graded world to do so,” Joubert explains. “SANESA gives them the foundation. From there, they can choose their path.”

Many riders successfully compete in both environments, and SANESA works continuously to align its standards with discipline expectations where appropriate.

In school sports, recognition is powerful. SANESA riders may earn district, provincial and national school equestrian colours, recognised by education and sporting authorities. For a child who has chosen equestrian sport as their primary code, that recognition is important. It tells them that what they do matters, that their effort is seen.

It also reinforces equestrianism’s place alongside more traditional school sports.

“We are one of many sports competing for a child’s time and commitment,” he adds. “If we make participation too difficult or too exclusive, we lose them.”

Beyond the ribbons

As SANESA continues to evolve, the focus remains on refinement rather than reinvention. Systems are strengthened, disciplines reviewed, and governance continually aligned with best practice.

“We are always asking how we can do this better,” Joubert says. “How do we keep standards high without losing inclusivity? How do we protect welfare while expanding opportunity?”

The answers are rarely simple, but the direction is clear.

“SANESA is about giving children a place in the sport,” he says. “Whether they become future champions or lifelong horse lovers, the starting point is the same. Let them ride.”

And on any given weekend, as school banners flutter beside arenas, exhausted parents share a carrot with an all-knowing pony, and young riders adjust their numbers before entering the ring, that philosophy plays out quietly, one ride at a time.

By Charlene Carroll