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Download Step 06 Summary

STEP 06 OF 06

Prepare Parents & Launch

You have reached the final onboarding step.

At this point, the system should no longer exist only in planning documents.

Your students have been placed.

Your lesson structure has been built.

Your trainers understand the levels.

The weekly curriculum and horsemanship system are ready.

Your Badge Shows are on the calendar.

Now the final question is:

Can your families understand the program, and is the school actually ready to operate it?

This step is about preparing your current customers, completing the customer experience, choosing your launch date, and going live.

Tell Your Current Families First

Do not let your existing parents discover that you became a UDJC Certified Riding School through a social media post.

They already trust your school.

They deserve to hear directly from you what is changing, why you chose the system, and what it means for their child.

Your first communication does not need to explain every UDJC rule.

In fact, it should not.

Parents need the parts that affect them now.

Explain:

  • Why your school chose to become a UDJC Certified Riding School

  • That Unicorn, Level B, Level E, and Level A create a structured educational pathway

  • That riding and horsemanship now progress together

  • That every current student will have a defined starting level

  • That students move forward through Badges

  • That Badge Shows create regular goals and independent judge feedback

  • When the first Badge Shows will take place

  • Where families will find schedules, payments, registrations, policies, and future information

  • Keep it understandable.

A parent should finish the conversation thinking:

I understand where my child is, what they are working toward, and what happens next.

Not:

I just received an equestrian rulebook that I will never read.

Every Current Student Needs a Starting Level

The placement work you did in Step 1 now becomes a real conversation with the family.

Every current UDJC student should have a defined starting point:

  • Unicorn

  • Level B

  • Level E

  • Level A

Explain clearly that the level is not a ranking of children. It does not mean one child is better or more important than another.

It describes the educational stage the rider is currently in.

The trainer looks at the complete student:

  • Riding ability

  • Independence

  • Balance and control

  • Understanding

  • Horsemanship

  • Responsibility

  • Readiness for the level

That is what determines placement.

Do Not Promise Graduation Dates

Parents naturally want to know:

“When will she move up?”

That is a fair question.

The wrong answer is:

“Probably in three months.”

There is no guaranteed number of weeks or months for a UDJC level.

Instead, explain what the student can already do and what still needs to develop.

For example:

Her walk and trot are secure. Her steering is good. We are now developing the independent canter and more responsibility around the horse. Once the complete Level B education is ready, we will prepare her for the B Badge.

That gives the family something useful.

Give them a development plan, not a graduation date.

Parents Need to Understand Who Makes the Decisions

A strong parent relationship is extremely important.

But the responsibilities need to remain clear.

The trainers determine the student’s educational placement.

The lesson trainer and Head Trainer determine when the rider is ready to attempt a Badge.

The independent UDJC judge determines the official Badge result.

A parent can absolutely ask questions.

They should understand their child's progress.

But placement, horse assignment, jumping readiness, and Badge readiness cannot become negotiations based on convenience or pressure.

The easiest way to protect that relationship is to communicate clearly before there is a disagreement.

Some Existing Students May Need Changes

When you place an existing riding school into a more structured system, you may discover things that need to change.

That is normal.

A student may need:

  • A different lesson group

  • More individual work

  • A second weekly ride

  • A third weekly ride

  • A different lesson horse

  • More flatwork

  • Less jumping

  • More horsemanship

  • More time before moving into the next level

For example, a Level E student who jumps needs to ride at least twice each week.

A Level A rider trains at least three times each week.

Those requirements may be different from how the student was previously riding.

Explain why.

Do not tell a family:

“UDJC says you have to buy another lesson.”

Explain the education.

A rider cannot safely and correctly develop the balance, feel, control, and consistency required for jumping if they only sit on a horse occasionally.

The frequency supports the education.

Horsemanship Needs to Be Visible to Families

Parents should know that horsemanship is not something you only teach when the arena is flooded.

It is part of the program every week.

Tell families how your school will deliver it.

For Unicorn, that may happen naturally through Playtime.

For other levels, it may happen during lessons, through dedicated teaching periods, through scheduled horsemanship sessions, or through another structure your school has chosen.

The delivery can vary.

The education cannot disappear.

Parents should understand that learning to care for, understand, and manage horses is part of becoming a rider.

Now Go Back and Check the Website

In Step 2, you started the website and software project early because those projects can take time.

Now they need to be ready.

Before your public launch, visit the website as if you were a completely new parent.

Can you understand what the school offers?

Can you see that it is a UDJC Certified Riding School?

Can you understand Unicorn, B, E, and A?

Can you see that horsemanship and Badges are part of the pathway?

Can you understand where the education can eventually lead?

Can you easily find out how to begin?

Now look at the website as somebody who already knows UDJC.

A student or parent who is familiar with UDJC should immediately recognize the terminology, levels, and pathway and understand that your school is operating the real UDJC system.

If that is not clear yet, the website is not finished.

Your Software Needs to Be Ready Too

The same applies behind the scenes.

Your normal riding school operation should now be ready to manage the program.

That includes the systems your school uses for areas such as:

  • Students and parents

  • Recurring lesson enrollments

  • Scheduling

  • Billing

  • Attendance

  • Trainers

  • Lesson horses

  • Communication

  • Trials

  • Camps, clinics, and other programs where applicable

The exact software may differ between Certified Riding Schools. The important thing is that the operation works. The launch should not create an administrative disaster for your staff.

Remember that your normal riding school software and UDJC Show Manager serve different purposes.

Your barn software runs the daily riding school.

UDJC Show Manager runs the official UDJC competition side.

Build the New Student Entry Point

Once the program is public, new families will begin coming into the system.

They need a clear entry process.

A new rider should not be placed into whichever lesson happens to have an open spot.

Use a trial or evaluation to determine the correct starting point.

The process should answer:

  • How old is the rider?

  • What riding experience do they actually have?

  • Can they walk independently?

  • Can they trot independently?

  • Do they have canter experience?

  • Are they safe in a group?

  • How is their balance and coordination?

  • Which UDJC level is appropriate?

  • How often should they ride?

  • Which available program actually fits them?

A parent may tell you that a child is an advanced rider because they once jumped a fence at summer camp.

Evaluate the rider yourself.

Then recommend the correct education.

Use the Parent Brochure and Trial Evaluation Sheet

UDJC provides materials to help make this process easier.

Use the parent brochure to explain the Certified Riding School pathway.

Use the trial evaluation sheet to create a consistent evaluation and conversation with new families.

Add your own school information around those materials:

  • Pricing

  • Schedule

  • Policies

  • Contact information

  • Enrollment process

  • Facility information

The goal is for the family to leave the trial knowing:

  • This is the level we recommend.

  • This is how often we recommend riding.

  • This is what your child will learn.

  • This is how you enroll.

Trials and evaluations should lead into a clear placement and recurring program rather than leaving families to guess what to do next.

Make the Certified Riding School Brand Visible

Your Certified Riding School status should now be visible in the public presentation of the school.

That may include:

  • Your website

  • Your UDJC riding school listing

  • Social media

  • Facility materials

  • Parent brochures

  • Trial materials

  • Appropriate signage

Use the official name:

UDJC Certified Riding School

But remember:

The logo and the wording are not what make the certification real.

The program behind them does.

If the website says Certified Riding School but nobody at the barn knows what Level E means, the system is not launched.

If the brochure talks about horsemanship but nobody teaches it, the system is not launched.

If the website advertises Badges but there is no Badge Show on the calendar, the system is not launched.

The public promise and the actual operation need to match.

One Clear Family Launch

Prepare one main communication for current families.

Depending on your school, that may be:

  • A parent meeting, that is also our clear recommendation

  • An email

  • A short video

  • A printed letter or brochure

  • A combination of those

The format is less important than the message.

Make sure it explains:​

  • Why did your school join UDJC?

  • What are Unicorn, B, E, and A?

  • Where does their child currently belong?

  • How does horsemanship and progression work?

  • When is the first Badge Show and what is the student working toward?

  • Where do parents find schedules, software, registrations, policies, and additional information?

Tell Existing Families Before You Launch Publicly

Do this in the right order.

  1. Staff (Make sure the staff knows what is happening.)

  2. Current families (Give the people already paying you a direct explanation.)

  3. Public launch (Announce the Certified Riding School through your website, Google presence, social media, community marketing, and normal new student channels.)

That order prevents unnecessary confusion.

Choose an Official Launch Date

Do not leave the program in permanent “coming soon” mode.

Choose the date when the school will officially begin operating the UDJC pathway.

By that point:

  • Students should have starting levels

  • The lesson structure should exist

  • Trainers should be prepared

  • Weekly materials should be ready

  • Weekly horsemanship should be scheduled

  • Website and software should be ready

  • The new student trial process should exist

  • Families should be informed

  • Badge Shows should be on the calendar

  • The first Badge Show should already be moving

  • Your public Certified Riding School information should be accurate

Provide UDJC with your current website and launch information for the final launch check.

Then go live.

What Happens After Onboarding?

  • The six onboarding chapters end here.

  • The Certified Riding School system does not.

  • You now move into normal operation.

  • Use the Certified Riding School Manual as your ongoing reference.

  • Continue using the weekly UDJC materials.

  • Keep your trainers calibrated.

  • Run your Badge Shows.

  • Keep the website and student information current.

  • Attend the monthly Certified Riding School calls when practical.

  • Ask questions.

  • Use the growing network of schools, trainers, judges, shows, and UDJC resources.

  • Certification is not a one week marketing campaign.

  • It should become part of the way the school operates.

YOUR TASK

PREPARE YOUR FAMILIES + GO LIVE

​

Complete the following before you consider onboarding finished:

Final Check

If a parent walks into your barn tomorrow, can your staff explain the pathway, identify the student’s level, show where horsemanship happens, explain the next Badge opportunity, and actually operate the system you are advertising?

If yes:

Launch.


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