Certification And Licensing Of Pony Riding Instructors

An equestrian with enough zeal in horses and enough skill to be well placed to make any steed a safe mount for horse riding can teach beginners some degree of riding on horseback. In reality many trainers and owners are far more than adequately experienced and therefore adequately skilled to teach intermediate lessons on not just horse riding, but other manoeuvres used in sport and shows. But herein surfaces a dilemma, though many are capable enough and learned enough in equine and equestrian workings, most of them don’t have licenses or certifications to teach what they know.

In some states, having a license and a certificate is compulsory, or you won’t be able to teach. To obtain a license in some states like Massachusetts, you would undertake an apprenticeship under a licensed instructor lasting for six months, and will need 60 hours of expertise teaching mounted scholars while under direct supervision of the aforementioned licensed instructor. Additionally, you need to also sit in and pass a written exam. And folks having their children go to horse riding clinics are often in favor of requiring instructors to have licenses and certifications. After all , in a way they’re putting their children’s life in the instructor’s hands—some kind of proof of ability on the side of the instructor is appreciated.

In America, authorization programs include the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA), and the American Riding Instructor’s Association (ARIA), each of which offer testing sites and clinics. Apparently, the chance to get a license exists, but still, many an equestrian with the talents and experience remain without their own piece of paper sating evidence of capability. There are two important reasons for this: one is that some states don’t have licensing programs; the other more disparaging reason is that some licensing programs can cost lots.

So those with enough ability and experience in handling horses for both riding and sport but don’t have enough finance capacities to pay for licensing costs often just make do without a license. To put this difficulty into some kind of perspective, both the CHA and ARIA charge fees in the range of $600 for testing and authentication. Except for the testing charge, the have also have renewal charges and annual members charges. $600 is close to half a month’s pay for the average equestrian, and is as such an amount they’re hard put to pay for licensing. Most riding schools have extraordinarily talented instructors that can’t spare a buck for licensing and documentation.

Fortunately , Massachusetts and other states as we’ve discussed, do have their own rules in licensing and authentication, and the better part is they charge as little as $20 for testing. Ask any equestrian if they might take such a state licensing scheme if it were open to them and they’d in all likelihood say yes. For one thing, a pro license to teach would be good credentials for the teacher, a neat badge of ability for learners under the tutelage of that instructor, and a great angle for the industry of horse riding itself. Some states do need licensing for stables that may cost as much as $100, which in effect makes sure the stables are safe and sanitary for horses. And that looks to be only fair to the horses and the horse trainers in a way that it is like a business permit or license to operate.

Horses are Heather Toms’ passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers… like all things about horse rugs.