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    • Home
    • About
    • Region 1 Conference
      • 2026 Conference
      • Schedule
      • Award Nominations
      • Scholarship Application
      • Silent Auction
    • Certification
      • Certifications near you
      • About Certifications
    • Region 1 Awards
    • Contact
    • CHA Main
      • CHA.Horse
      • Find a CHA Member
      • Certifications
      • Conferences
      • SHOP
  • Home
  • About
  • Region 1 Conference
    • 2026 Conference
    • Schedule
    • Award Nominations
    • Scholarship Application
    • Silent Auction
  • Certification
    • Certifications near you
    • About Certifications
  • Region 1 Awards
  • Contact
  • CHA Main
    • CHA.Horse
    • Find a CHA Member
    • Certifications
    • Conferences
    • SHOP

Why certify?

Benefits of Becoming a CHA Certified Riding Instructor

 CHA offers a respected certification process for arena instructors, trail guides, instructors of riders with disabilities, vaulting and driving coaches, equine facility managers, and seasonal equestrian staff. Participants are evaluated on safety, horsemanship knowledge, teaching skills, group control, professionalism, and other criteria based on their discipline. Certification is not about teaching participants how to instruct, but about assessing and validating their existing skills against industry standards.

The benefits of CHA certification are numerous. It demonstrates a commitment to safety, professionalism, and quality instruction, while offering advantages like insurance discounts, marketing opportunities, expanded employment options, and valuable peer networking. Certification is affordable, accessible across North America, and typically includes lodging, meals, and CHA materials.

Horses and people are all different, and CHA recognizes that. Its standards are widely respected across the horse industry while allowing flexibility for individuals to choose the method, style, or discipline that best suits them. The CHA level system teaches fundamental horsemanship that applies to anyone involved with horses.

Certification Types

English/Western Instructor

English/Western Instructor

English/Western Instructor

 English (including jumping) Western Instructor  (EWI) Certification has 4 levels. English instructor certification can be achieved as flatwork or flatwork and jumping. Certification may be earned in a 40 hour certification, if standards are met.

This certification is good for three years and can be maintained.

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Equine Facility Management

English/Western Instructor

English/Western Instructor

 The Equine Facility Management (EFM) program is a twenty-hour certification clinic to evaluate participants on their skills and knowledge of equine facility management. Participants will demonstrate skills and take a written test at each of four levels of certification. 

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Level Up EWI Instructor

English/Western Instructor

Instructor for Riders with Disabilities

coming soon! 

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Instructor for Riders with Disabilities

Instructor for Riders with Disabilities

Instructor for Riders with Disabilities

 For instructors working in programs that provide recreational, instructional, or mainstream riding for persons with disabilities. The materials and curriculum of these certification clinics are specific to the various considerations, adaptations, applications, contraindications, adaptive equipment, and horses used in riding programs that serve persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities 

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Seasonal Equestrian Staff

Instructor for Riders with Disabilities

Seasonal Equestrian Staff

 This is a four level instructor or pack guide certification. Certifications last three to five days. This certification is good for three years and can be maintained. There are only a few host sites across the country each year and certifications typically run $750 to $800 including CHA  manuals. 

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Driver/Driving Instructor

Instructor for Riders with Disabilities

Seasonal Equestrian Staff

 For driving instructors who teach group lessons in the camp or commercial driving school setting, and for recreational or commercial drivers. Certification includes single and team driving with multiple vehicle types. Both breast collar and collar harness are addressed. 

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Vaulting

Combined Instructor/Trail Guide

Day Ride Trail Guide

 A 24-hour certification clinic, conducted in three days, is held as a stand-alone clinic. Certification is available at three levels and qualifies the individual to coach vaulting through walk/ trot and up to canter in either a recreational and/or competition vaulting program. 

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Day Ride Trail Guide

Combined Instructor/Trail Guide

Day Ride Trail Guide

For trail guides dealing with rides from very short up to day long. Day Ride Trail Guide Certification Clinics are similar in format and content to the EWI Clinic, but there is an emphasis on trail guiding skills displayed rather than teaching lessons in the arena setting. 

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Combined Instructor/Trail Guide

Combined Instructor/Trail Guide

Combined Instructor/Trail Guide

 For use in recreational programs, lower level instructional programs and programs that include both progressive skill building and trail riding. Combined Certification Clinics offer both English Western Instructor Certification and Trail Guide Certification, up to the second level in each program. 

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Trail Guide

Trail Guide

Combined Instructor/Trail Guide

 This is a four level instructor or pack guide certification. Certifications last three to five days. This certification is good for three years and can be maintained. There are only a few host sites across the country each year and certifications typically run $750 to $800 including CHA  manuals. 

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