How old for a riding instructor?

Question

I am 13 and wondering how old I have to be to become a riding instructor. I have 2 ponies and a horse to use. What else would i need other then tack and equipment? i only want to teach kids like 8 and under because i thought it would be weird to teach kids my age. anyway please give me all the details. thankss

Answer 1

If your from Britain the lowest age that you have to be is 16 to become a qualified BHS instructor. My suggestion is wait 3 years at least. 8 year olds will tell their parents EVERYTHING and if you get caught with a school uniform and going to school you'll be in a LOT of trouble and the parent will find another riding stables for their child(saw a 15yo walking into my brothers school, she was not impressed as the school was/is a BHS riding school)

Charlotte x

Answer 2

You would need to become certified or insured, as well as pass a test to become a riding instructor. Ask your coach if maybe you could help her give lessons to little kids.

Answer 3

i think you could be any age but you would have to know what you talking about

Answer 4

Your much to young. I would not send my child to a 13 yr old as an instructor. Experience and safety are huge issues and the younger the child the more issues and safety is needed. I dont mean to be rude but there are to many people out there who think they have what it takes to become an instructor when they need years of instruction and experience themselves. Not to meantion insurance that you will need.  

Answer 5

I would definitly wait until 16. ESPECIALLY until you have worked and assisted teaching lessons. If you become a working student you can be there and watch them teach lessons and also they will watch and supervise you teaching lessons it is extremely good training!

Answer 6

Legally you have be 18, and have an instructors license.  Sorry

Answer 7

I wouldn't let my kid be taught by someone less than 20. They would have to be certified, too. And have a LOT of experience, in both teaching and showing. And they would have to work out of a reputable barn with real school ponies, not their own horses. And be insured.

Answer 8

no real set age limit, but most trainers have worked with horses for years, know just about any situation with horses/riders and how to handle it, have experance in a few areas of the horse industry (breeding,training, showing, ect).  It also takes a while to get a good rep, and that's really what drives good riding instructors, aka trainers.  they're able to look at a horse and rider and be able to point out changes that need made and things that are done well.  

If you want a chance to get to know what it feels like, join pony club. the girls with more experance teach the girls with less experance.  

you'd need a place to teach, a few horses that are dead broke schooling horses (there is a difference between just having 2 ponies and a horse, you need to know ALL about each one, what their faults are and how to deal with them as well as teach someone else to porperly deal with them). insurance is the killer. you must have it these days to cover your behind, and it isnt that cheap, so you'd end up not really making any money or profit.  because you'd have to sink alot into starting up a bizz like that.

anyway, if you havent, join pony club and teach that way to start if you really want to.

Answer 9

I personally never take lessons with anyone under 18. No matter how experienced. I don't feel people under that age have the ability to remove themselves from a bad situation and look at things from an unbiased perspective. I'm 15 by the way and I know how difficult it is for me to take everything I want out of the equation and view what is best for the horses/people around me. I have had bad experiences with young people because they didn't accept no for an answer. A couple seperate times I have gotten off my horse and audited lessons because things had taken a dangerous turn. On one particular occasion, I got off because an instructor refused to change a tight/akaward turn on slick grass. The next rider went on course and her horse bit it. Slipped in the corner I had said was dangerous. The girls mom then stepped in and told her the turn was dangerous and made her fix it.

The rest of the answers are very true as well. I would also like to add that you are NOT an amature if you choose to teach or otherwise earn money in horses. This means you will not be able to compete in certain classes for shows that match your age/level, you cannot ride for a college team and you will have to show against trainers and other professionals even if you just teach one lesson. Just know that you are not just having fun and making a little money. You are influencing the rest of your riding life.

Answer 10

You also need insurance, in case one of your students fell and hit his head . Oh, and although I don't think it would stand up in court, you need to have some sort of contract between you and the student where you won't be held liable if something happens. If you're teaching 8 year olds, you need to get written permission from their parent or guardian.

Answer 11

In my mind you need to be with horses for a long time like I gave my first lesson on my QH and I've been with horses for 8 years + given lessons before that on other horses! Be careful though some times the horses/ponies get use to the "bad riders" and become lazy! I had to bring up some horses because they come sooo use to getting away with stuff!

Answer 12

One isn't considered an adult until the age of 18. Only adults can enter into contracts, and that includes buying insurance or liability releases signed by students' parents.

I'll tell you this, though; I wouldn't want anyone to teach a child of mine unless they had a minimum of 5 years of showing in open classes under their belt. There are so many ways to impart inaccurate and potentially dangerous advice to young riders, which they may have to unlearn later.

You are still a child and still have a child's capacity for judgement (or lack thereof). I hate to be such a downer for you, but that's a fact of the accepted understanding of human cognitive development and applies to you just as much as it does to any human being.

Answer 13

I gave children under 10 riding lessons when I was 12-13 yrs old.  Just Western/English pleasure simple starting lessons - taught to groom, clean feet, saddle/bridle, clean tack and just generally how to act around a horse or pony.  But I jumped and won a lot so I think that is why people brought me their dumplings. lol

You are right to stick to younger kids.  Now keep in mind, we had a dairy and big time liability insurance that covered everything on the farm.  I don't what your situation is but insurance is something to think about as if someone gets hurt it could come back and bite you.  Make sure they all sign Releases - as in if they get hurt You are not responsible.

Good luck.

Answer 14

Are your horses school horses.  There is a difference between just any old horse and a school horse.  School horses are bomb proof , safe for new riders.  Also are you taking lessons, riding is just more then sitting on a horses back where you are just along for the ride.  I would be really careful before you started giving any lessons.  It may be a law suit waiting to happen