Best Instructor Certification Program

[Wonders12]

Before everyone jumps on board saying “they’re all useless”, hear me out. I know.

We are working on getting our lesson program in order. Currently, it’s completely (University) student run. While we have many lesson students who are happy with the setup, it creates a lot of inconsistencies within our program and even some safety issues.

My bosses (who know nothing about horses or the equine industry, but like and understand certifications and governing bodies) are looking to me for a solution. If we are going to stick with the student model, I think having a formal training program in place is key. Either requiring all of our instructors to get certified through someone or have me get certified and use that experience to create a custom program for our instructors to go through.

Our instructors have riding experience, but their levels of teaching experience and safety consciousness varies.

Thoughts?

[findeight]

Toss up of mediocrity with the available options but, IMO, anything worth having is going to require at least some seminars and clinics and have a cost so sending just you through then letting you structure the program and train your assistants makes the most sense. To me anyway.

USEF/USHJA offers a decent one, it’s US based and geared to the US market if nothing else and can give you access to some top level and very successful long time trainers. It does require going out of town and costs but if they let you go and pay for it? That’s at least half of the negatives you hear about the program.

Cant think of any other that is geared towards actual marketable skills for the industry as it exsists today in this country or has the name recognition. No, it’s not utopian but your bosses will probably be onboard with it.

[vineyridge]

ANRC
http://anrc.org/what_is_anrc/

They work with USHJA.

If it were I, I’d also look into BHS certification, which used to be an option in America.
http://www.bhs.org.uk/training-and-qualifications/exams-and-qualifications/overseas-exams

[mjs8]

I went to a CHA clinic for my employer, and was impressed with their emphasis and standards for rider as well as horse safety, horse care, and farm management type topics. Though some of the riding skills weren’t applicable to our particular setting, the focus on standards of care and safety I think were great, and some of their discussions on best practices offered a different perspective and things that we’ve ended up implementing in certain cases.

[WannabeDQ]

My local h/j trainer did the USHJA certification and was happy with program. When people ask me about getting their kids riding, I usually recommend they look for a certified instructor. It just helps weed out the yahoos that just hang up a sign and they are a ‘trainer’… we have a lot of those around here. So, yeah I don’t think it’s a waste of money.

[Wonders12]

Thank you for the input!

I’ve been looking at the USHJA program for a while. I wouldn’t qualify for the certification because I don’t teach full time, but I might qualify for the provisional one.

Does anyone have more information on what it covers? It seems like the required clinics are just regular clinics that you can attend to check off the box. Maybe the manual and online course covers more teaching/safety specific issues?

I’ll look into the others as well. Most/all of the cost should be covered for me, but we would need to figure out how to fit it into the budget if we go with certifications for everyone.

[findeight]

It’s mostly online, open book plus the clinics (2 or 3 I think). Everybody except one I’ve talked to who went thru it got something out of it. That one went in knowing it all anyway, nothing for her left to learn so never completed the program.

It’s a good start and the clinics were in nice places. They had a good time. Continuing education is a good thing, so is an open mind.

Will say all remarked on some unbelievably stupid questions coming out of some already working “trainers” at the first session. So there is a need for the program at all levels.

[gray17htb]

The American Riding Instructors Association. ARIA.
Your required to take multiple written exams at each level on your discipline, with minimum required grades to pass (paying $doesn’t ensure your certification- knowledge does). Turn in video of yourself teaching to be accessed. Turn in written essays regarding your skill/theory. Verbal face to face interviews are conducted to access your knowledge, professionalism ,dedication. There are many available disciplines to choose from including stable management. Conference s to attend with the top horseman as lecturers NOT NO NAMES, … George Morris, Denny Emerson, Michael Page, Anne Kursinski, Jane Savoy, Robert Dover…to name a few. They all support ARIA. The networking is fabulous. Once you’ve become certified Insurance companies offer discounts for liability, farm, horse related. You will be able to prove that your serious about your business. Check out ARIA website for more information.
Good luck

[merrygoround]

I totally disagree about ARIA. Perhaps I have seen too many poor ARIA instructors in action, such as adding a martingale to the horses tack with the rider still mounted !?! My feeling is that if you want a certification that is worth something, you should at least be tested with a real live, unknown student, under the eye of a very knowledgeable instructor and trainer. Videos can be, and have been, fudged.

Written essays can be coauthored. Etc.etc.