Credential Program with the FEA
The Foundation for the Equestrian Arts offers varying levels of Certification.
Education for those who are not training to be a professional has two levels:
Introduction to French Classical Riding: Level one.
“Introduction to French Classical Riding” is the initial level. This is for people who are first starting this work, and is intended to be relatively simple to accomplish in a year with regular lessons and practice. This level is achievable for someone who doesn’t own a horse but would like some supportive structure to learn the basis of the French Classical work.
Advanced Practice: Level Two.
“Advanced Practice”, though still intended for the amateur rider, is much deeper. This level will take approximately 8 to 12 years to accomplish, and is endlessly repeatable to the rider’s benefit. The rider who achieves this level will have the fundamentals strongly in place, now intuitive rather than memorized. This rider will be progressing in the riding on a personal journey with the horses they ride, learning more and more deeply as the years pass. The rider engaged in advanced practice will be creating a positive effect on each of the horses they ride, will be comfortable and adept in work in hand and longe work, will be enjoying exploring higher level work including haute ecole.
Then there are the professional levels.
These are much more rigorous, and they’re for people who will be training and teaching many horses and people over their lives. These professional credentials represent a serious commitment to years of intense study and practice that results in a recognizable quality of mastery in this work. Expect the trainer’s level to take from 4 to 6 years, the Instructor’s level from 8 to 12 years. And… plan to repeat the work throughout your life as a professional, it’s endlessly rewarding and endlessly perfecting itself. This keeps your attention! So prepare for a deep, joyful life-long adventure in the conversation between horse and a human.
Professional Certification as a Trainer
“The trainer” has to understand how to apply this work with the horse, how to improve it, why we do the movements we do. This is taking understanding into feel. The trainer will have to work successfully with several different horses of different breeds and types, learning how to listen to more than just one horse. This level does have a section for the trainer to explain their thinking process around heath care. The trainer’s skills should also include basic ideas about the business of training in their country, we want to not only teach them how to ride well but give them a basic nuts and bolts about doing it as a professional.
Professional Certification as an Instructor
“The instructor” is the hardest level of certification. The instructor has to have accomplished all of the trainer’s level, PLUS… the instructor’s credential shows that they’re adept at working with people. That they can teach a beginner and bring them along to advanced practice. The instructor also has to host a clinic with a certified instructor from the FEA so that we can evaluate their ability to teach as we’re working with their riders.
All of the levels have specific clinics with FEA instructors that the applicant will need to have attended successfully to succeed in credentialling..
The professional credentials must be renewed through regular scheduled submissions of your records of ongoing growth in the work. You’re never done learning this beautiful work!
Why become Professionally Accredited?
The Trainers and Instructor’s credential commitment is not to be undertaken lightly. We assume you’ll be working for several years to attain the trainer’s level, and even more if you reach for the instructor’s level. But if you do undertake it, you will find yourself with rich resources and support available every step of your professional path. When a horseman has begun their commitment towards a professional certificate other doors open in the Foundation. The equestrian becomes eligible to apply for scholarships to clinics and other learning events hosted by the Foundation, and becomes a member of a larger community of credentialed teachers and applicants sharing knowledge and supporting one another across time.
If you’re working towards professional accreditation with a credentialed instructor who has a work-study program the costs associated can be paid for in full or in part through work study, mentoring programs, or in some cases through scholarships from the Foundation.
So don’t let finances be a deterrent to starting your path towards accreditation!
Once you’re a credentialed instructor, you’re supported by becoming a part of a global community of like-minded trainers. Being a riding instructor can be an isolating career, and with FEA certification you have colleagues you can talk to, dream with, commiserate and celebrate with. People who are engaged in the same path and can give suggestions when you could use some support. Additionally there is grant funding available for the professional with accreditation when the outcome of that grant will promote French Classical Equitation.