If you're looking for a riding instructor, what qualifications would you expect from that person? Well, probably most important, you'd want to be safe. You'd also want to work with someone who has lots of horsemanship knowledge and experience. You'd choose an instructor with proven teaching skills who could relate his or her knowledge to you in a meaningful way. You'd expect this someone to be respectful and professional.
"In this country, anyone can hang a shingle out and call himself or herself a riding instructor," says Christy Landwehr, CEO of the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) and a Master Level instructor herself. "I go to a stylist who has a certification to do my hair, so certainly I want at least the same level of expertise from someone who is teaching me or my child how to ride a horse."
So, given this explanation, if you teach riding yourself, this certification process might be worth your time.
Validated Skills
As one of the largest and oldest certification programs of its kind, according to Christy, CHA is the original. Serving the industry for more than 40 years, CHA has much to offer individuals interested in the teaching side of the horse world.
While the association doesn't claim to teach clinic participants how to become an instructor, Christy notes: "You can't help but learn how to teach riding when 10 riding instructors get together and teach four lessons each during a five-day clinic, with instant feedback from one another and the clinic staff."
CHA offers an extensive menu of certification clinics designed to offer something to everyone-including arena instructors, trail guides, combined trainers, recreational vaulting coaches, therapeutic riding instructors, college and university programs, seasonal riding program instructors (summer camps, dude ranches, etc.), and even equine facility managers.
Why CHA does what it does also revolves around a public safety and awareness platform. "We want to help the public identify teachers who have a validated skill set," says Christy. Certification demonstrates to both potential employers and customers that the instructor has been tested and proven against a respected standard, under independent evaluation.
CHA Clinics
The Certified Horsemanship Association offers two- to five-day certification clinics open to riders/instructors from 18 years of age and up.
"During the program, you'll be evaluated by a written test, by a riding test to ascertain your skill level, and by teaching at least four lessons, one of which is a ground lesson, with CHA-certified clinicians evaluating you for your teaching ability," explains CHA Program Director Polly Haselton Barger. "Clinic participants will teach these lessons, with other participants role-playing as students of varying ages."
"The teaching and role-playing was my favorite part of the certification clinic," says Diane Brandon, who received her Level Two certification in 2001. Brandon, who also runs a part-time family business from home, teaches Western riding on a part-time basis at J Bar 4 Ranch in Watkins, Colorado. She'd been teaching for about a year when she enrolled in her certification clinic.
"While I had some teaching and riding skills going into the clinic, I got so many new ideas during that week that I still use, even today," Diane says. "Watching others teach allowed me to see firsthand what worked for them and what didn't. This is an invaluable learning opportunity that's hard to find anywhere else."
At the end of the clinic, you'll be assigned to a certification level based on your evaluations by the two CHA clinicians. "Levels range from One to Four in both Western and English riding, and it's even possible-depending on your experience coming into the clinic-that you could attain a Level Four Certification at your very first clinic," Polly explains.
Instructors may recertify at the end of the three-year certification period by providing documentation of at least 25 hours of continuing education and work within the industry. However, if you're interested in raising your certification level, you must attend another CHA certification clinic and be reevaluated.
Certification clinics take place all over the United States and Canada. Host sites, Polly says, set their own prices according to the amenities they offer, but in general the clinics run from $500 to $800 for the five days, which usually includes lodging and meals.
In the clinics, be prepared for everything from a formal class environment to riding outside. School horses and all necessary equipment are provided by the host facility. In fact, participants are discouraged from bringing their own horses and tack, because they likely won't even have time to use them.
Evening classroom sessions, as well as helping with barn chores, are all part of the package that keeps you busy from sunrise to sunset!
