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How do I Become a Horse Riding Instructor?

Vicki Hogue-Davies
Vicki Hogue-Davies

Strong riding ability and horsemanship skills are necessary to become a horse riding instructor. A love of horses is also important, as working with them can involve long hours of hands-on labor in all kinds of weather. Many people who become instructors have been around horses and ridden for much of their lives and fall into teaching naturally. Other people actively pursue riding and horse expertise. They may enter the field as working students or apprentices and learn through on-the-job training.

Generally, a college education is not required to become a horse riding instructor, but it can fill in gaps in knowledge. Combined with the requisite horse expertise, a degree may also make a person wishing to become a horse riding instructor more attractive to employers. Degrees in equine studies, with focuses in riding and riding instruction, are available at many colleges and universities. Classes in marketing and business can also be helpful, especially if pursuing self-employment as a riding instructor.

A horse riding instructor must have a love of horses.
A horse riding instructor must have a love of horses.

Professional teaching certification may or may not be required to become a horse riding instructor, depending upon the country. In some countries it can be difficult to find employment as a riding instructor without professional certification. In other countries, certification may be a plus, helping to enhance marketing efforts, for example, but it is not required.

Some of the other jobs a horse riding instructor might perform include training and exercising horses, managing the stable, and grooming.
Some of the other jobs a horse riding instructor might perform include training and exercising horses, managing the stable, and grooming.

Good communication, people skills, and teaching skills are important when wanting to become a horse riding instructor. Having patience will be of benefit when working with horses, beginning riders, and even riders of all levels. Horse sports can be dangerous, so a strong safety mindset is important when wanting to become a horse riding instructor.

Riding instructors work at riding schools and show barns, guest ranches, children's summer camps, and elsewhere. Some riding instructors are employees of a particular facility. Others are self-employed and may travel from stable to stable to teach. Instructors may teach different riding styles or focus on one style. Riding styles include dressage, hunter seat equitation, Western reining, and others.

Horse riding instructors often perform other horse-related jobs in addition to teaching. This may be at the request of the employer or, for self-employed horse riding instructors, it may be a necessity to make ends meet. Some of the other jobs a horse riding instructor might perform include training and exercising horses, managing the stable, and grooming. They may also show horses in competitions for their clients and buy and sell horses. Overall, well-rounded knowledge about horses and riding is important to become a successful horse riding instructor.

Discussion Comments

irontoenail

@umbra21 - It is difficult to get anywhere if you want to work with horses. My suggestion, if someone is set on being a horse riding instructor, is to try and get into professional dressage and ride in competitions.

If you can say that you were a champion, or at least a strong contender, you're much more likely to impress a high caliber of student. And if you can do that, you'll train more champions, who will attract more students.

That's the theory anyway, and it's something that you can be sure that anyone hiring instructors will consider as well.

umbra21

If you've got your heart set on becoming a riding instructor you should take every horse related opportunity you can get to put experience on your CV. Teaching experience will also help of course, but that's much easier to come by.

Even if you manage to get quite a lot of time working with horses, in order to take that final step into horse riding school you might need to found your own school, which is a huge risk. Buying the land and then establishing a trustworthy stable of horses costs a lot of money and there's no way to tell whether you'll be able to make it back with riding lessons.

It seems like most stables try to diversify as much as possible, offering treks and horse training as well as lessons.

At any rate it's difficult to get anywhere in this field because of so much competition. Good luck.

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    • A horse riding instructor must have a love of horses.
      By: alexnika
      A horse riding instructor must have a love of horses.
    • Some of the other jobs a horse riding instructor might perform include training and exercising horses, managing the stable, and grooming.
      By: Alexia Khruscheva
      Some of the other jobs a horse riding instructor might perform include training and exercising horses, managing the stable, and grooming.