| Is
your favourite fragrance a mixture of hay, wood shavings and
wet horse? Your idea of a perfect day any one you spend at
the stable?
If you
love horses and riding and dream of somehow turning your passion
into a career, you might want to consider a future as a horseback
riding instructor. As an instructor, you can expect to spend
long hours in the stable taking care of horses, and even longer
hours in an outdoor ring or indoor arena riding and giving
lessons. You’ll probably have to work evenings and weekends,
summer and winter. You’ll need a great sense of observation,
good communication skills, unending patience and enough imagination
to make learning fun. But if you have what it takes and are
up to the challenge, it could be the perfect job for you!
It used
to be that anyone who could ride could call himself or herself
an instructor, print up a business card and give horseback
riding lessons. Good instructors nowadays, however, are professionals
– educated, committed and certified. The American Riding
Instructors Association promotes safe riding and offers three
levels of certification. Each level requires that you pass
a written exam, show that you have the necessary knowledge
and experience, and that you know the rules for competitions
in your chosen discipline.
- Level
1 (instructor in training): minimum age 18, no
teaching experience necessary.
- Level
2: (instructor of beginning to intermediate riders):
minimum age 21; minimum 3 years’ teaching experience.
- Level
3: (instructor of beginning to advanced riders):
minimum age 25; minimum 6 years’ teaching experience.
Equine
Canada and the provincial equestrian federations offer a similar
program in Canada.
The minimum
age for instructors there is 16.
Instructors
can work in many areas:
You may
be surprised to learn that you don’t have to have a
farm to work with horses.
Horseback
riding instructors are needed for summer camps, boarding schools
and colleges where riding is offered and, of course, riding
schools and competition stables. Certification is available
in a wide variety of disciplines, such as:
- English
riding: dressage, eventing, hunt seat, saddle seat, show
jumping and sidesaddle.
- Western
riding: Reining, pleasure, equitation.
- Endurance
and recreational riding.
- Stable
management.
Interview
with Instructor Jennifer Olivarri Turner
 Jennifer
has loved horses all her life, and already knew at the age
of twelve that she wanted to be a riding instructor! She went
to college and trained with numerous instructors to learn
a variety of riding styles, which she now teaches at her own
stable in Valparaiso, Indiana.
She admits
it’s hard work.
“We
usually start at 7:30 in the morning and finish up around
9:00 or 10:00 at night. We never have a day off and usually
work on Sunday, too. My husband and I do the barn chores and
all up keep in the barn ourselves, plus teach and train. It’s
hard to find time to enjoy my personal life.”
But she
also finds it rewarding.
“I’ve
always enjoyed student teaching and giving clinics on horsemanship
and showmanship for riders and horses in 4-H. At home, we
focus on starting a young horse to a finished product for
the show ring. Seeing my riders meet their goals in both themselves
and their mounts is the best part of the job!”
Jennifer’s
passion and work ethic are paying off. She is overwhelmed
with students to teach and horses to train, and she “hopes
to be known as the best instructor / trainer in our area.”
What
You Can Do to Get Ready:
First,
of course, you need to take riding lessons – lots of
them – with a certified instructor.
Hang out
at the stable, watch other riders train their horses, and
listen to experienced instructors teaching their students.
Ask them how they got started, and if they have any advice
for you.
Read every
book and magazine about horses and riding that you can get
your hands on. Go to clinics, conferences and horse shows,
and talk to coaches in a variety of disciplines. Help out
at the stable as often as you can. Once you have some knowledge
and know a few people, you may be able to get a weekend or
summer job working at a stable (feeding horses, turning them
out, brushing and tacking them up, etc.), assisting an instructor,
horse sitting, or “grooming” horses (taking care
of them when they’re away from home at horse shows).
When you
finish high school, follow an equine studies program like
Jennifer did, or apprentice as a working student with a level
2 or 3 instructor.
What
it Pays:
As a horseback
riding instructor, your salary will depend on your experience,
level of certification, the number of hours you work, and
the region in which you live. You’ll probably receive
little more than minimum wage at the beginning, or if you
only work part-time (for instance, while you go to college).
You may get benefits, though, like riding privileges, lessons,
room and board, or even all-expense-paid horse shows! If you
decide to make teaching your full-time career, you should
eventually earn more, especially if you get into competitive
coaching. You won’t become a millionaire, but you’ll
meet loads of interesting people (some of whom will become
friends), and you’ll be doing something a lot of people
only dream of: sharing your passion with others while you
work at a job you love!
Other
Resources:
www.equinecanada.ca
www.riding-instructor.com
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