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What classes are good to take in college to be a riding instructor?

I do not know what kind of classes are out there and which ones would be right for me. :) #college #equestrian

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Michelle’s Answer

Hello
You need to be involved with an equestrian group, maybe animal behavior, training and management and husbandry. You are going to have to find very specialized program. There are Animal Behavior training programs and schools that are geared for this. I would google Animal Trainers education and you will find a variety of ways to do this.Becoming a large animal vet is a great field to be in.
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Jenn’s Answer

Hi Dakota,
Along with the advice Michelle offered, I'd also advise you to talk with any riding instructors you know about their career path. It may be that they find certain training programs outside the classroom/affiliated with their local stables to be much more useful than any college class or major, and that would be a great thing to know. For example, if that's the case, you might decide that you want to study something unrelated to riding, but pursue training in your free time or after college to become an instructor.
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Jayne’s Answer

Most riding instructors are entrepreneurs. To be successful, they need something more than excellent riding and teaching skills. They run a business at a stable they manage or that is managed by someone else. Some also travel and teach on a free lance basis. Some also train horses, as well as teach riders. For all these things, you need to understand how a business operates. You need to know how to develop a business plan. You need to be familiar with things like banking, marketing, accountancy, taxes, insurance, and legal issues. If you want to own or manage a property, details related to that are needed too. These are all things You can study in business classes at college.

Another department that may have classes that pertain to the teaching of riding would be Education. The study of how people learn, teaching strategies, educational psychology, and other areas of study can help you to be a more effective instructor. You could also look for classes in sports psychology, coaching skills, exercise physiology, and a whole host of things that are used in the development of athletes.

Anything you can do hone your oral and written communications skills will also be of value.
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