ESCOLA NACIONAL DE EQUITAÇÃO

 

www.ene.pt

 

The Creation of the Escola Nacional de Equitação – (ENE)

 

The war in Africa (1961 – 1974) and earlier budget restrictions reduced substantially the number of Military riding instructors, considerably narrowing the selection pool of possible teachers.

This phenomenon was accompanied by an explosive increase in the number of civilians beginning to take up riding, importing high priced horses, which helped improve their inexperience.

Meanwhile, in 1999, the national requirement was that all sport facilities should have a Technical Responsible person, that should be of Level II (of the IGEQ) or above, otherwise the equestrian centres could become liable to heavy fines and penalties, leading to the possible compulsory closure.

 

The Portuguese Equestrian Federation (FEP) decided to change the internal organisation, creating a department of equine education, to whom was given the internal title of Escola Nacional de Equitação – ENE (national School of Equitation) already with the idea that it could be given autonomous jurisdiction, as soon as it became possible. This department absorbed the existing Technical Training Commission.

 

On the 16th March of 2005, the previously mentioned department was constituted as an Association of public and private entities designated as Escola Nacional de Equitação (ENE).

Its rapid and solid growth was the obtained result that took into account the characteristics of the Country and nature of the market.

Consequently, to provide an answer to the necessary growth in the education of equitation teachers throughout the country, guaranteeing the indispensable unity of doctrine, the ENE progressed towards a new structure assuming a philosophy of activity combining the two following vectors:

• The of the places of training, leading students to attend localised Study Centres, instead of requiring them to travel great distances to attend a central facility,

• The of the courses allowing the reduction of long periods of study, which would keep the students away from their everyday workplace and means of support.

 

 

Organizational and Functional Structure of the ENE

 

According with the Statutes of the ENE, it has the social objective to study, elaborate, promote and control the execution of programmes and norms of activity in the area of the employment, forming equestrian professionals in all the disciplines of sport, artistic riding and leisure riding, as well as the specific training of sport agents and proficient riders in all the disciplines, under a unity of doctrine.

The ENE has a further social objective to promote the realisation of sport, artistic and leisure events, at both national and international levels, to spread and increase the diverse disciplines, to promote the growth of horsemanship and to implement the equestrian disciplines throughout the regions.

 

The ENE has its Headquarters in Golegã, and is constituted by the following Social Structures which are:

• The General Assembly,

• The Fiscal Council,

• The Directors,

• The Technical and Teaching Structures which are:

  • The Superior Teaching Council,

  • The Head Riding Master,

  • The Technical Assessors,

The Educational Staff.