There’s a lot of education involved in becoming a good riding instructor. 
You increase you instruction skill level by take riding lessons, practicing teaching. Maybe you’ll work on certification. Perhaps you go to a school that will teach you to teach.

But if you want to pull ahead of the pack and be better than the average instructor, you’ll plan your own “continuing education” through self-education.

Here Are 10 Ways That You Can Improve Your Instruction Skill Level :


1. Be A Rail Bird At Horse Shows


Watch classes and sharpen your eye for good points and weaknesses in riders. Keep an eye on the “big guys” and pay attention to the detail of how they ride courses, patterns and compete in classes. Observe riders in the schooling area. Pay particular attention to the better competitors and how they school their horses. Listen to coaches.


2. Participate In Course Walks

Ask if you can tag along. Listen to what more experienced coaches and instructors advise their students to do.

3. Attend Clinics, Even If You Go As An Auditor.

Sometimes you gain more from auditing than from riding because you don’t have to worry about a horse. Attend a huge range of clinics from riding to saddle fit. Broadening your knowledge base will increase your instruction skill level.

4. Learn All Of The Rules Of Your Sport.


Teach the rules to your students. Make sure they are knowledgeable of rules before they enter a competition. There are few things more frustrating than having a student disqualified because they did not know the rules. Or because you didn’t. Increase your instruction skill level by knowing the rules of your sport.


5. Learn To Ride A Discipline That Is Not Your Own.

This has several advantages. Not only does it expand your horizons, it puts you in the position of being a student, closer to a beginner again. This will refresh your mind regarding what students go through. Plus anytime you can ride with a new teacher you will pick up pointers, good or bad, for your own teaching methods.

6. Observe Classes and the Schooling Arena Of A Riding Discipline That Is Not Your Own.

Again this expands your horizons. You might be surprised at what you learn.

7. Volunteer As A Side Walker For A Therapeutic Riding Program.

You will have a fresh view of the effort some people put into learning. You will also get a new perspective of the joy some folks have at just being able to get on a horse. And you will pick up teaching tips from the instructors.

8. Volunteer.

Offer to help with a 4H show or a Pony Club meeting, Be a jump judge for a local Horse Trials. Offer to be gateman for a local horseshow.


9. Watch DVDs.

We are fortunate to have DVDs on every aspect of horsemanship. Build a library of DVDs for yourself. Also you might be surprised at what you’ll find in your local library


10. Read.


Reading can help you teach better. Read books on learning styles, teaching riding, and read the classics on horsemanship. Research other riding theories, other disciplines and learn about the history of riding. The more knowledge and understanding that you posses, the more you will be able to give to your students. Reading is a great way to increase your instruction skill level.

Why not share with readers how you increase your instruction skill level? You can share your suggestions in the comments section.

Barbara Fox
The Riding Instructor

 

Barbara Ellin Fox TheRidingInstructor
  • I’d like to add: Read about learning styles. We don’t naturally explain things in a style other than our own.

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