Would You Like to
Become a Horse Riding Instructor,
But Don’t Know Where To Start?
Don’t Risk No Correct Training,
No Qualifications and No Insurance
You may have far more knowledge than your riding friends and they ask you to help them.
However if you don’t have training on how to teach safely, recognised qualifications to prove that you know how to teach safely as well as insurance then you are taking a HUGE RISK!
Before you start teaching, make sure you
- learn how to keep your lessons safe and organised, with students learning and horses happy
- receive a recognised Government Accredited Qualification
- have reliable insurance, specifically designed for the horse industry
At International Horse College, we believe that the quality of training to receive the depth of knowledge required to be a safe horse-riding instructor cannot be gained in just a few days at a workshop.
If you are serious about improving your skills, keeping your students safe, delivering interesting lessons for your horses and students as well as teaching your students real skills and horsemanship then we have a course to suit you!
About Our Horse Riding Instructor Courses
You may not realise that if you plan to become a horse-riding instructor, there are many specialised career niches within the wide career of becoming a Horse Riding Instructor.
At International Horse College, we have identified six main areas of this career and we have six courses ready for you to start with electives that drill down even further to your specific interest with in this very popular career.
If this ‘Pathway’ below looks like a bit of a maze, don’t worry!
Have a look at the information about the courses below.
Otherwise, please have a chat to our friendly team who will assist you to find the right course for you!
To find the right course for you, the first step is to find out where you are now, what you would like achieve with your course and where you would like your ultimate career pathway to take you
- Do you have a lot of people asking you for lessons and would you like to teach beginners?
- Are you a competition rider and would like to train others?
- Do you have a speciality and would like to teach your speciality?
- Are you an equine body worker and need to keep your clients safe while you treat their horses?
- Do you love trail riding and would like to take others on trail?
- Would you like to teach people how to ride without all the fancy dressage stuff
If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then keep reading below to find our the best course option for you.
Q1. Are you interested in teaching horse riding or horse handling?
- Horse Riding
Continue - Horse Handling
Choose this course
The Horse Handling Instructor course has has been designed for; - a starting point for a career as an instructor
- supporting instructors with preparation of horses for lessons
- body workers so they can keep their clients safe while they work on their horses
- qualified therapists working in Equine Assisted Therapy
- others working in Equine Assisted fields
My name’s Madeline, an eighteen year old from the UK who moved to Greece at the age of 9. After having a devastating lack of equestrian activity in my area, I gave up hopes of ever having a career in the equestrian industry, when a nearby stables opened up and I began to work there in exchange for lessons. I had two instructors. Noticing that I had stopped attending school at a relatively young age, Irene asked what I wanted to do with my life and offered me the chance to enrol in the Certificate 3 Instructor’s course. I accepted, and I’m so glad I did. I had a set work schedule for my practical side of the course and I worked full time, doing general yard duties and eventually teaching regularly under supervision. As for the theory, I studied and completed quizzes whenever I possibly could. I didn’t have a set time limit for tasks and this made me comfortable, and I’d like to say even more motivated to study. Glenys and her team show an excellent standard of customer service, and were always there to answer any questions I had, at times even helping me with more personal issues relating to my work. At the end of my course, just as I completed the last few sections, I was offered a teaching job in Scotland. My current employers wanted evidence that I had completed my course, as I had only just finished and certificates are sent after two weeks or so. I cannot say how grateful I am that everyone went completely out of their way to process all of my assessment papers before they were even due to be assessed. I recommend this course to anyone looking to start their career with horses and riding, be it teaching or having your own business. Finding a job was pretty easy with my qualification, and I was offered quite a few. I am so glad I completed this course, and have the opportunities I do today. Life would be very different, had I not enrolled. Thank you, Glenys
Maddy B
Horse Riding Instructor graduate
Hi! I just wanted to say a big thank you for today and let you know that we had loads of fun at the workshop! Megan was an amazing teacher I don’t think I’ve even had a normal school teacher teach like she did, she was so thorough and we learnt so much from her it was really awesome.
Ebony S
IHC graduate
Q2. Will you be taking riders on trails?
- No
Continue - Yes
Choose this course if you already hold an instructor qualification, or continue to gain your instructor qualification first
The Trail Ride Leader course has been designed for;
- qualified instructors who would like to expand their teaching area
- those working in trail riding centres who are not yet qualified
- people who love trail riding and would like to work as a professional
I wanted to have some sort of qualifications in the horse industry as I plan to work with horses in a future career, and thought “Why not start now?” I would recommend the course to anyone who wants to gain a career or more knowledge in the horse industry. So, I would recommend the course for them, to learn some general horse handling tips also.
Emily Johnston
The course is going great so far! I’m really enjoying the content and watching the videos. I haven’t been sceptical about enrolling in the course. I feel like it’s a good platform for the other courses and I’m glad I decided to do this course first. I have often thought about doing a riding instructors course and I thought the Riding lessons course would be a good place to start. I think the biggest benefit I have received so far is to never forget the smaller details – that there are reasons behind why things are done the way they are and that even small details (whether they be about choosing the right horse or grooming) are very important. I would definitely recommend the courses. I think the course I am currently doing would be an excellent course for anyone who is thinking about buying their first horse or who has started learning to ride and would like to do some ‘theory’ along with their lessons. Thanks! Regards,
Alyssa K
Excellent course!. Good information and overview of horse problems. I am understanding a lot better that not all problems are behaviour problems and where to possibly start looking when a horse is displaying certain symptoms. I have learned of health problems I never knew existed. This knowledge will help improve my horse management standard. Thank you Glenys for the time, energy and experience put into this great course, Regards
Elizabeth H
IHC Graduate
Q3. Will you teach recreation riders or equestrian riders?
- Equestrian Riders
Continue - Recreation Riders
Choose course below if you are over 18, if you are under 18 please continueThe Recreation HorseRiding Instructor course has been designed for;
- those already teaching and not yet qualified
- teaching recreational riders
- instructors who prefer not to teach all the ‘fancy dressage stuff’
Very happy . . . definitley recommend
I’m very happy so far with this course. 
I enrolled in this course as after losing my gelding to surgical colic. It was most definitely the hardest thing I’ve done as he was my best friend. It made me want to specifically study in Equine so I could learn more skills about preventing sickness and just being so interested in horses. I wasn’t really interested in the other online horse college sites, as this one caught my eye from the fact its Australian! I love it! If i was talking to someone that was interested in learning in Equine or even my friends if they wanted to go deeper in study i would most definitely recommend this site!
Kirsten B
I have enjoyed reading the course content, it is very simple and easy to understand which is how I aim to teach! I was sceptical about enrolling in the course, mainly because I doubted my own self-confidence in sharing my knowledge as an instructor although I know deep down I have the developing skills and knowledge to be a great instructor. It is a mind battle thing and I am positive that I will develop self-confidence throughout this course. I made my final decision to enrol based on your help throughout the enquiry process, I felt as if you went above and beyond to assist me in enrolling in the right course which was suitable to my needs and giving RPL where recognised to help reduce fee costs, so to me it did not feel like a money hungry approach which I really appreciate. I would recommend this course to any one looking to develop their skills within the Equine Industry. Thanks
Jess LP
As soon as I found out about the course through a friend I knew it was for me. The convenience of being able to do it online is awesome for my busy schedule and I would recommend this course to other horse lovers.
Jessica McI
Q4. Do you have at least 200 hours teaching experience and competitive experience?
- Yes
Continue - No
Choose course below
The Equestrian HorseRiding course has been designed for; - those looking for a full certificate qualification to teach
- instructors teaching competitive riders
- teaching sound basics in preparation for competitive riders
- serious career instructors who will continue to progress to higher levels
A massive thank you to you and everyone else at International Horse College for helping me so much within this course and teaching me many new things.
Amber S
I am really enjoying the content of the last 2 modules as I work in a produce store so it is very relevant. I am also enjoying learning at my own pace
Kelly E
At first I was unsure about enrolling in this course because I needed to drop another subject to be able to do it during school hours, but I know I made the right decision because this certificate will have more benefit down the road when I get my future jobs. I enrolled because it would help me in the future because it is along the lines of what I want to do. During my course I have received more knowledge about horses and having this opportunity will only help me through out my schooling years. I would recommend this course to people who want to know what to know more about horses or people who want/need to get the Working with Horses qualification to further their career choices.
Amellia M
IHC Graduate
Q5. Have you completed the Specialised Horseriding Instructor course?
- No
Choose course below - Yes
ContinueThe Specialised HorseRiding Instructor course has has been designed for;
- experienced instructors who already teach in a speciality area
- teaching specialist competitors
- teaching in preparation for specialist areas of the equestrian industry
- qualified instructors who are interested in exploring further career opportunities
Thank you so much! I am just so excited to start my own business course and theses courses are amazing.
Jaclyn W
I must say that my favourite thing so far is how helpful and friendly you are! It is wonderful to be able to ask questions and get a response so quickly. I feel “looked after”. I was never at all hesitant about enrolling in the course. The price was excellent and the fact that I could take longer or less time to complete the course was great, and that it is all online is wonderful! The videos and power points are brilliant and the idea of a quiz helps to take the pressure off too. There so far isn’t anything about this that I don’t love. The decision to enrol was based on my new instructor recommending that I do it. I wouldn’t have even thought about it otherwise, and would have just spent my time scouring the internet and not learning as much. My instructor recommended this one, as she is going to transfer over to this school too. Also the fact that it is a Centrelink supported course was a big plus. I would recommend this course to anyone working with or owning a horse, or even just anyone who is really interested in horses. Often there is the love of horses but it is not a practical to own your own, and this opens into other avenues that could, say, help a riding school to agree to swap lessons for work around the stables etc. Loving this course,
Laura M
I would like to thank you and your amazing team for ongoing support you have provided to Bailey. You have gone above and beyond.
Antonetta DC
High School Careers/ Pastoral Leader
I am really enjoying my course thank you for making it so interesting and easy to learn. Regards
Jayne P
IHC Graduate
Q6. Have you completed the Equestrian Coaching Diploma course?
- No
Choose course below - Yes
Please contact us for further course optionsThe Equestrian Coaching Diploma course has been designed for;
- experienced instructors teaching higher level specialist riders
- qualified instructors who are furthering their career
- those teaching higher level specialist competitive riders
- elite level competitors expanding their skills
Or if you are still not sure,
organise a time to talk to an Equine Career Specialist by
While you are here,
remember to pick up your free copy of the book
‘101 Careers in the Horse Industry’
Our Happy Students
“As a horse lover, owner/rider and pony club instructor I have been using the online course Cert II in Business (Working with Horses) for the last two years with 3 high school students. I have found the course interesting and engaging and all three girls have completed the course and gained their accreditation. Personally I enjoy getting the emails that Glenys sends out as they always contain so much good down to earth information and always on varying topics. The content has never failed to resonate with my own years of experience and personal feelings for the horse. I keep them all in a special file and revisit when I want a boost. Well done Glenys and the team.”
Pam Shipman
Moura High School, Queensland
“The course is fun, educational and assists in broadening my knowledge of the equine world.”
Lisa H
“Materials have been relevant (to my career with horses) and interesting.”
Amanda E
“Very useful information. Pictures very appropriate.”
Belinda S
“This course gives me a systematic knowledge of horse industry”
