Becoming Horse Riding Instructor

In order to be a horse riding instructor, you must be able to master the skill and establish a reputation in the equine industry. There are certain steps that you can take in order to pave your way to a career in horse riding instruction.

Read our basic guide to discover what you can do to achieve your goal.

In order to become a horse riding instructor you must show not only competence but expertise in horse riding skills. So before becoming a horse riding instructor, you must obtain the necessary skills, and experience as well as establish a name for yourself as a competent rider by:

  • Enrolling in equine courses or related subjects at colleges or riding schools
  • Working as an apprentice to horse grooms
  • Joining riding clubs and associations in order to enhance your skill, get to know people inside the industry and make yourself known to them too
  • Becoming an assistant instructor while at the same time working at some stables. You can do this as a part-time job in the weekends and evenings.
  • Join competitions in order to show your skills off in show jumping, eventing and dressage, and make your name known to the people in the horse riding world

Horse Riding Instructor Certification

To further boost your credentials, you can get a certification from The American Riding Instructors’ Association (ARIA). ARIA conducts tests in selected universities. You can visit their Web site or contact them in order to catch a schedule in a venue nearest to you. Having an ARIA certificate will qualify you to teach horseback riding lessons in any state of the U.S. It will also reduce insurance fees that you need as a riding instructor.

After becoming proficient in horse back riding and getting a certification, you can start your own riding school or work as an instructor in riding schools, colleges, private stables, and amusement parks. You can specialize in distance riding, recreational riding, reining, and many more.

Starting Your Own Horse Riding School

Starting a riding school is best if you are a well-known rider with your name to bet. But this is an expensive project as you would need to invest on buildings and horses. You also have to take care of managing the business. This could be difficult as becoming a rider is different from becoming a manager.

As a horse riding instructor you will be teaching people of all ages and different levels of skills how to properly and safely ride a horse. You could have a 5 year old as a student, someone who rides professionally, or a team of riders practicing for a competition. You will be developing training programs that will help them learn lessons from the basic to the complicated ones. As you teach the theory, you should be able to give a practical demonstration that is easy to understand and follow.

 

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