Navigating provincial and national equestrian organizations

By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

No single organization supports all things “horse” across Canada. Coaches, trainers, riders, drivers, owners, breeders, and the horses themselves are represented by myriad organizations. Equestrian Canada (EC) and Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations (PTSOs) play special roles; however, their mandates are limited. It can be difficult to discern how the national and provincial organizations differ, who they represent or don’t represent, and how they support the greater horse industry.

“I didn’t have an AEF membership until a few years ago,” says Kelsey Noland, who is the Chair of Alberta Equestrian Federation’s (AEF) volunteer Recreation Task Force and has been trail riding in the Kananaskis area of Canada’s Rocky Mountains since 2014. “I had never heard of the AEF until I was approached to be part of the Task Force.”

Noland is not unusual. A 2023 report on Canada’s equine sector found that over two-thirds of survey respondents were recreational participants. Many of them do not participate in organized activities and don’t feel the need to support their provincial or national sport organizations, or even know they exist.

“As your average recreational rider, I don’t know who Equestrian Canada is or how they benefit me,” says Noland.

It’s a challenge that plays out across the country.

Equestrian Canada’s Role

“We're looking at things from a national perspective,” says Meg Krueger, Executive Director of EC. “The advocacy work that we do for the whole sector benefits people and organizations, even if they’re not directly linked to Equestrian Canada or a PTSO.”

In Canada, sport has both federal and provincial oversight. As a national sport organization (NSO) that receives funding from the federal government, just like Tennis Canada or Rugby Canada, EC supports athletes (riders, drivers, and vaulters) advancing from provincial level to Olympic level in select equestrian sports. There are approximately 15,000 equestrian athletes who have sport licences with EC, which allow them to compete at EC-supported competitions.

The focus of EC is on producing high-performance athletes. It is responsible for fielding Canada’s World Championship and Olympic teams for sports recognized by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), such as Canada’s show jumping, dressage, para dressage, and vaulting teams, as well as three-day-eventing individual riders for the World Championships in Aachen, Germany in August 2026.

Related: From Grassroots to Grand Prix: Reviving the Future of Equestrian Sport Through Public Engagement

EC focuses on producing high-performance athletes in the disciplines of show jumping, dressage, three-day eventing, para dressage, and vaulting. Shown is Canada’s Jessica Phoenix on A Little Romance competing at the international CCI4* Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2015. Photo: Clix Photography

Importantly, EC also develops learn-to-ride programs, has a rulebook for select equestrian competitions, and supports coaches, competitors, event organizers, and officials. However, EC doesn’t support every equestrian sport.

“Equestrian sport is really diverse, and some disciplines and activities have other national and provincial organizations that they work with,” says Krueger.

Reining, cutting, cow horse, breakaway roping, working equitation, barrel racing, breed events, Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing, polo, and many other horse sports have their own competition rules and are not associated with EC. That means riders, horses, and owners competing in those sports are bound by the rules of the organizations that govern them, not EC or their PTSO. It’s why some horse sports may be selecting “Canadian Team riders” to compete at international championships without any involvement from EC.

“When organizations decide to work with Equestrian Canada in a more formal way, it’s a long process,” says Krueger. “But through collaboration, we can make a stronger sector and a stronger sport for all equestrian participation.”

What Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations Do

“Ontario Equestrian is recognized by the Province of Ontario as the equestrian sport governing body in the province, as are all the other equestrian PTSOs across Canada,” says Tracey McCague-McElrea, Executive Director of Ontario Equestrian (OE). 

There are 11 PTSOs across the country with approximately 88,000 total members. Horse Council of British Columbia, Alberta Equestrian Federation, Ontario Equestrian, and Cheval Quebec have the largest memberships.

PTSOs receive funding from their provincial governments to support equestrian sport in their province, just like any other provincial sport body.

“We’re basically trying to provide a safe, fun playing field for anyone who’s involved in equestrian sport,” says McCague-McElrea. “The NSO [EC] creates the programs and the PTSOs deliver them.”

For example, the Learn to Ride and Rookie Rider programs are designed by EC; the PTSOs deliver them. To financially support this combined effort, a small portion of every PTSO membership goes to EC.

The PTSOs also create their own programs to serve their specific equestrian communities. For example, OE created the GRIT (Great Rider Intensive Training) program, which identifies upcoming athletes with “podium potential” in dressage, show jumping, and three-day eventing. Meanwhile, to support recreational riders, AEF has become the official Trail Manager for the non-motorized trail network in the Panther Corners and Dormer/Sheep Public Land Use Zone of Alberta’s Rocky Mountain foothills.

“The provinces do a lot of really good work; we don’t wait for EC to create programs,” says McCague-McElrea. “If there’s a major gap or need, we just do it.”

When Both EC and PTSOs Are Involved

Coaching is one area where EC and PTSOs are both involved. Other areas include event organization, training officials, SafeSport, microchipping horses, horse welfare, and more.

“EC and the PTSOs have a shared purpose, which is to grow participation and provide a strong athlete pathway, among other things,” says Krueger. “We work together; we just have different roles.”

There are coaching standards for all coaches in Canada regardless of the actual sport being taught. EC’s coaching levels are based on those standards. However, not everyone who calls themselves a coach in Canada’s horse world is a licenced coach.

“Equestrian Canada would like to see those standards utilized in other disciplines [beyond those that EC is involved in] because the more educated and professional coaches are, the better for all horse sports and participants,” says Krueger.

Related: Rethinking Safety Culture in Equine Veterinary Practice

Qualified coaches help young riders develop the skills and understanding to become active participants in training their horses. EC establishes national coaching standards, while the PTSOs help deliver programs that support safe, professional instruction and a strong athlete pathway. Photo: Clix Photography

Western disciplines such as cutting, reining, barrel racing, ranch versatility, and others are not involved with EC; hence EC doesn’t have speciality coaching streams for them. However, that doesn’t mean that coaches of these disciplines can’t become licenced.

“It’s really important for anyone who wants to be a competition coach or an instructor that they get the proper training,” says Wendy Johnston, a Master Coach Developer for Canada, a High-Performance 1 Reining Coach with certification as a Competition Coach Specialist in General Performance, Reining, and Speed events plus an English Competition Coach.

Reining is one of several horse sports governed by its own organizations and competition rules rather than by EC or the PTSOs. Riders, owners, and horses participating in these disciplines operate within their respective governing bodies. Photo: Pam Mackenzie

“There’s so much professional development and skills-based training that’s required to coach well,” she says. “There are lots of trainers that are good trainers, but they don’t have teaching skills.”

Coaches should be able to teach students how to address issues with horses, not just climb aboard and fix problems. 

“The rider has to develop enough skills and understanding to be an active participant in training their own horse,” says Johnston. “I teach a lot of beginner/intermediate riders, and I never get on their horses. They work through issues with my guidance.”

However, Johnston admits that navigating the EC coaching system can be challenging.

“When most people come into the program, they have no idea how it works,” says Johnston.

First aid, SafeSport training, professional development, and remaining up to date with recent rule changes are just some of the challenges and costs associated with becoming a coach and maintaining certification. The new LearnTo program from EC is also causing confusion.

The EC learning pathway has been redesigned so that those new to horses don’t have to decide whether to ride English or Western, or ride at all.

“You just start to learn how to work with horses,” says Krueger. “We’re trying to be more inclusive.”

But according to the PTSOs, the program was rolled out in July 2026 incomplete. AEF wrote a letter to the Alberta coaching community stating that because there weren’t any training and evaluation tools approved for coaches to use in conjunction with the new program, AEF wouldn’t be rolling it out to their coaches immediately.

Regardless, Johnston says that it’s important for parents of children taking riding lessons to hire somebody who has been certified.

“There’s a level of competence associated with that, and it gives parents more security,” she says.

Horse “Sport Partner” Support 

The support that different organizations provide for horses and the concern they have for horse welfare reflect the view and use of the horse by those whom the organization serves.

Not everyone considers a horse as a “sport partner.” A horse may be a companion or recreational partner; for a vet or farrier, a horse may be a client or livestock animal. EC views the horse as a sport athlete but also advocates for horses as livestock within the agricultural realm.

“We work with both the sport government and agricultural government on different issues that affect the horse sector,” says Krueger. “Equestrian Canada advocates for the horse as a livestock species. Other sports don’t have that.”

The mandate of Canada’s PTSOs and NSOs is to look after human athletes.

“We are the only sport that has a four-legged athlete,” says McCague-McElrea. “You’re not going to get any government sport funding to help with a four-legged athlete.”

Because of that, EC looks elsewhere to help fund the needs of horses and works with other national agencies. Other national sports organizations don’t need to do this. For example, EC led the updates to the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines with the National Farm Animal Care Council. That means EC is helping ensure that the minimum national standards for anyone who looks after a horse in Canada are science-based.

EC is also working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to build an identification and traceability program for all Canadian equids (including donkeys, mules, zebras, and horses). EC also works with the Horse Welfare Alliance Council and is currently in discussions about the New World Screwworm outbreak in the United States and how that may affect Canadian horses.

Related: Farming and Family Life: Balancing Work and Play on Canadian Farms

Horses serve as athletes, companions, recreational partners, and livestock, creating welfare responsibilities that extend beyond the mandate of traditional sport organizations. Photo: Pam Mackenzie

The complexity of having both a human and a horse athlete complicates the NSO mandate. One solution that McCague-McElrea has floated is to split the focus of EC into two parts: one to focus on the “equestrian” (human athlete) portion of horse sport and the other on the ‘equine’ (horse) side.

“There are a lot of people that are very passionate about the horse side,” she explains. “Those people could put their time, money, and energy into the equine side versus wondering what’s happening with the horses on the equestrian side.

“I've been thinking this way for a while,” says McCague-McElrea. “To try to do both [human and equine athletic support] is challenging. I think there would be a clearer, more driven agenda if one organization was looking after humans and another was looking after horses.”

Do PTSOs and EC Cover Everything?

PTSOs and EC cannot support all the people, horses, and activities across Canada’s horse industry. Nor should they be expected to. Therefore, there are gaps. This year, a new organization, Ontario Horse Council (OHC), is trying to fill some of them.

OHC is a grassroots organization that is raising awareness of the economic impact of the equine sector in Ontario and advocating for the people and horses that are part of it.

A 2025 economic impact report commissioned by industry partners who are now creating OHC summarizes how Ontario’s horse industry contributes to the provincial economy. The sector generates $8.2 billion annually in economic activity, contributes $4.4 billion to Ontario’s gross domestic product (GDP), and sustains over 35,700 full-time equivalent jobs that pay an average annual wage of $66,679 — higher than Ontario’s average industrial wage. In other words, Ontario’s horse industry is significant.

“We have more influence speaking together than all of us in our own silos, so let’s raise awareness together,” says Mike Pownall, an OHC representative, veterinarian, and owner of McKee-Pownall Equine Services in Ontario. “That message has really resonated. We’re all feeling that this industry is challenged and we need to do something to make sure that it’s maintained and growing. Other [organizations’] mandates are very closely focused on promoting sports,” says Pownall. “They have a narrow focus and they’re underfunded.”

“OHC is not in our lane at all,” says McCague-McElrea. “They’re involved on the equine side and showing government how important it is to support the equestrian industry. I want to work with them and help them.”

“There are lots of horses in Ontario and there are a lot of groups, but nobody is representing the horse industry across the whole province,” says Pownall.

Significant partners listed on the OHC website include Acera Insurance, Equine Guelph, plus Ontario associations representing farriers, harness horses, reining, and Quarter Horses.

“We want the government to realize just how big we are,” says Pownall. “We are the second largest agricultural industry in Ontario, after dairy. But everybody is struggling. We can’t hire good people. The cost of operating businesses is exorbitant. We’re not seeing enough people coming into horse professions or start riding. If we don’t do something about it, we’re just going to fizzle out.”

OHC is currently running an online survey to learn what those in Ontario’s horse industry are struggling with and plans to use the results to focus their next steps. This new organization may not support all things “horse” across Ontario, but they’re determined to collaborate across the industry and act as one voice for those involved.

Related: Horse Owners Share the Responsibility for Farrier Education and Growth

Equestrian sport is unique in asking human athletes to pursue excellence in partnership with sentient, four-legged teammates. EC and the PTSOs help support that partnership, but meeting every need of both people and horses requires cooperation across the wider equine sector. Photo: Clix Photography 

Supporting the Greater Good

When organizations have overlapping roles and work together, it’s common that the system doesn’t work smoothly. Friction between EC and the PTSOs can affect horse people trying to understand how the organizations can or cannot help them and their horses. Regardless, these organizations do good work and support many involved in Canada’s horse industry.

“I'm not into competition but I would support AEF just to contribute to the bigger picture,” says Noland. “They support sustainable trail use and responsible backcountry use and provide funding to maintain trails. I think that’s super important.”

There’s no doubt that horseback riding is an unusual sport. Partnering with a sentient being with its own ethology different from the human operating system, while pursuing sport excellence, is unparalleled in the sporting world. Trying to support human athletes who choose to participate, plus their four-legged partners in a world where social licence is required, is a huge undertaking. It requires many committed partnerships and organizations, some of which have differing views on horse use and welfare. However, EC and the PTSOs have roles to play. They just can’t do everything for everyone — humans or horses.

Related: Lesson Horses in Canada: A Closer Look at Care, Challenges, and the Road Ahead

Related: Ontario Horse Council Seeks Unified Voice for Province’s Equine Industry

More by Tania Millen

Main Photo: Clix Photography