Accreditation
In much of the world, there are no formal requirements or licensing for riding instructors. However, in Great Britain and in most of Europe, there are recognised bodies who are accredited bodies for awarding qualifications. The International Group for Equestrian Qualifications provides membership for many awarding bodies and federations from around the world. Instructors from those member countries may hold an International Trainers Passports - awarded by the IGEQ - enabling them to show that equivalent instructional qualifications have been gained. Other nations, such as Australia and South Africa have professional qualifications offered by awarding bodies or federations for their instructors: The Australian Equestrian Federation and the South African Equestrian Federation. In Great Britain, theUSA system
In the United States, there are no official criteria or licensing required for an individual to become a riding instructor. However, private organizations such as the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) offer testing and certification that may help a riding instructor gain credibility in the equestrian community and often helps reduceThe BHS Assessment System
The qualifications gained from the BHS are gained in stages. They are listed in order, and the minimum required age of the candidate is given. *1. Ride Safe (Previously known as Riding and Road Safety) (MUST be taken before the Stage 2 Ride assessment) Min. age 11 years. *2. Stage 1 Horse Care + Ride (may be taken separately or together). Min. age 14 years. *3. Stage 2 Horse Care + Ride + Lunge (may be taken separately or together) Min age 16 years. *4. Stage 2 Teach (Previously known as Preliminary Teaching Test or PTT) Min. age 17 years. *5. Stage 3 Horse Care + Riding + Lunge (may be taken separately or together) Min. age 17 years. *6. Stage 3 Teach (Previously a portfolio of teaching evidence was submitted instead) Min. age 18 years. *7. First Aid at Work Certificate and an Advanced Safeguarding Certificate *8. Upon completion of all above assessments the Stage 3 Coach in Complete Horsemanship (Previously known as BHSAI or British Horse Society Assistant Instructor) qualification is awarded. The next qualifications available (in order of achievement) are: *Stage 4 Senior Coach (Previously known as BHSII or BHS Intermediate Instructor) *Stage 5 Performance Coach (Previously known as BHSI or BHS Instructor) * FBHS - Fellow of the British Horse Society. Very few people achieve this qualification. A FBHS is regarded as an international expert. Most candidates will have to start from Stage 1 as it is a requirement to have passed the previous assessment before moving onto the next stage. However Direct Entry can be offered if a candidate has previous equine qualifications or substantial industry experience. Candidates must also be Gold Members of the BHS to take exams.See also
*External links
Further reading
Manual of Horsemanship (2004) Kenilworth: The Pony Club. Auty, I. (2003) The Instructor's Manual for Teaching Riding. Buckingham: Kenilworth Press. Auty, I. (2003) The BHS Training Manual for Stage 1. Buckingham: Kenilworth Press. Auty, I. (2004) The BHS Training Manual for Stage 2. Buckingham: Kenilworth Press. Auty, I. (2005) The BHS Training Manual for Stage 3. Buckingham: Kenilworth Press. Cave, M. (1996) The Course Companion For BHS Stages I & II. London: JA Allen. Cave, M. (1996) The Course Companion For BHS Stages III & IV. London: JA Allen. BHS (2003) The BHS Riding and Road Safety Manual. Kenilworth: BHS. BHS (2004) The BHS Examinations Handbook. Kenilworth: BHS. Marzcak, J. and Bush, K. (2001) The Principles of Teaching Riding. Devon: David & Charles. Mortimer, M. (2003) The Riding Instructor's Handbook. Devon: David & Charles. Reed, H. (1999)The Preliminary Teaching Test. Yately: Nova. Pony Club (1993) The Instructor's Handbook. Kenilworth: The Pony Club. Wallace, J. (2002) Teaching Children to Ride. Buckingham: Kenilworth Press. Horse-related professions and professionals