Your Coach Registration category funds the accreditation, insurance, and coach-education support that sit behind every PCV coach — including webinars, professional development, and resources. Most volunteer coaches pay nothing at all. Read on to find out which category applies to you.
Volunteer Coach
For accredited coaches (Foundation, Preliminary, Level 1, or equivalent) who coach on a volunteer basis and aren’t paid for their coaching.
If you coach at more than one club or receive payment for coaching, assessing trainee coaches or other coach related duties, you must register under the appropriate Trainee, Preliminary or Level 1 Coach membership category.
Trainee, Preliminary & Level 1 Coach
Covers:
- Coaches working towards accreditation (Trainee)
- Coaches holding Foundation, Preliminary, Level 1, or an equivalent Equestrian Australia (EA) qualification, coaching in a paid capacity, or without an active club membership
This annual fee funds PCV’s coach education program — webinars, professional development, and resources — for the year ahead.
What’s changed
- The former “unqualified coach” registration category has been retired. To register as a coach with PCV, you now need to hold accreditation, or be a registered Trainee coaching under the direct supervision of a qualified coach.
- If you’re a volunteer coach who has already paid the $50 fee since 1 July 2026, please contact as [email protected] for a refund.
- This fee structure will be reviewed again ahead of the FY2027/28 budget.
Insurance only covers qualified, registered coaches
PCA insurance cover is only available to coaches who are qualified and registered under one of the categories above. Coaches who are unqualified, or who haven’t registered, are not covered — regardless of how experienced they may be. This is one of the key reasons the “unqualified coach” category has been retired: it removes any ambiguity about who is, and isn’t, covered to coach.
Preliminary & Level 1 coaches: private coaching cover
If you hold a PCNCAS Preliminary or Level 1 coaching qualification, you can be covered for Personal Accident and Public/Products Liability while privately coaching a current PCA Financial Riding Member — even outside usual PCA organised activities, and regardless of whether you’re being paid.
This cover is not automatic. To take it up, you must register your coaching status under Victoria Direct in JustGo.
Once registered, it’s your responsibility to confirm your students are current Financial Riding Members of PCA and keep records on file — in the event of a claim, the onus is on you to provide this evidence. No cover is provided for coaching anyone who isn’t a current Financial Riding Member of PCA; contact Gow-Gates directly if you need supplementary cover for non-PCA students.
Full policy details: Gow-Gates Coaches’ Insurance Summary (PDF) · Gow-Gates Pony Club Australia Insurance Program
Why this matters for clubs
Clubs carry real risk when engaging a coach who isn’t qualified or registered under the PCA system — including gaps in insurance cover, increased liability exposure, and duty of care implications for club members.
To manage this, clubs must:
- Visually sight the coach’s Working with Children Check (WWCC), and
- If the coach is not qualified under the PCA system, obtain a copy of the coach’s own insurance directly from them before they coach.
Already qualified elsewhere? Apply for RPL
If you hold a coaching qualification from another recognised equestrian body — such as Equestrian Australia (EA), the British Horse Society (BHS), Horse Riding Clubs Association of Victoria (HRCAV), or similar — you may not need to complete the full PCA pathway. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) allows your existing qualification to be recognised as equivalent to the PCA Level 1 Coach qualification, which registers under the Trainee, Preliminary & Level 1 Coach category above.
To apply, you must:
Hold:
- A valid Working with Children Check
Have completed:
- ASC Community Coaching Essential Skills course
- Sport Integrity Australia National Integrity Framework course
- Safeguarding Children and Young People in Sport Induction
Supply:
- Satisfactory endorsement from either your Zone Chief Instructor or District Commissioner, via the PCV Coaching Observation Checklist
Obtain:
- PCV Qualified Coach membership
Requirements are assumed to apply consistently across EA, BHS, HRCAV, and other recognised bodies. If you’re applying on the strength of a qualification from a body not listed here, contact the office to confirm before you begin.
Don’t hold a formal qualification from PCA, EA, BHS, HRCAV, or another recognised body, but believe you have relevant coaching experience? Contact [email protected] to discuss your options.
