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Post by horseguy on May 28, 2016 10:06:13 GMT
I have been thinking abut our national standards for equestrian teaching, so I went to the USEF website to look for anything similar to the British Horse Society standards, or the German Equestrian Federation, both of which have instructor certification and a well defined educational curriculum that allows a rider to move around the country and find their next instructor who will continue the same standard of their education. These European federations insure high standards and continuity of education that results in steady performance in international competition. I found the USEF Mission and Vision Statements at www.usef.org/_IFrames/AboutUs/MissionStatement/ If you go there you will read pages of good intensions about safety, access, and many other good things as well as a great deal of commitment to "growing the sport" expressed in terms of more sponsors, more TV visibility and lots of marketing jargon. What I did below is copy ALL that I could find about standards of the quality if instruction of riders. MISSION STATEMENT
To raise the level of access to and participation in equestrian sport at all levels by ensuring its continuing creativity, growth, and excellence.
*Attracting and assisting in setting standards for the development of grooms, vets, physios (?  not a typo), coaches, and all enabling roles *Ensure trainers and coaches are performing to a quality standard we help to develop
VISION STATEMENT
To continue to lead equestrian sport in the United States while ensuring fairness, safety and enjoyment for an ever growing number of people. *Provide value system *Provide standards that are well conceived and follow them
What I didn't find was a standard or curriculum for teaching riding. I am pondering the bit about "trainers and coaches are performing to a quality standard we help to develop". I don't think the Germans particularly would say something like "quality standard we help to develop". I believe they would just develop it and be done. My point is that our national body is not serious about improving the quality of riding in the U.S. If you read the "more behind the statement" segments you will see a greater commitment to promotion of the business of riding that the quality of it. Their extensive website is sprinkled with ads for Rolex watches and info on the TV channel. The USEF is more of a business lobby than a typical equestrian federation like the ones from countries who routinely do better in competition than we do as a country. It reminds me of Walmart, who is huge and makes a ton of money but sells crap.
And one more thing, nearly all the pictures of participants on the USEF website are of girls. A boy exploring the website would definitely think, "This is not for me".
And then the token male ... an old guy like me.   |
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Post by jimmy on May 28, 2016 12:46:04 GMT
Obviously they don't want to see a standard developed that they didn't "help to develop".
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Post by horseguy on May 28, 2016 13:28:45 GMT
Obviously they don't want to see a standard developed that they didn't "help to develop". Why do you suppose that is? All the successful country's federations make rider education a top priority. The Germans actually license instructors. In America we license hairdressers and manicurists. Certainly a riding instructor can put a person at greater risk than someone working in a salon. The tragic thing is we had a standard, the Fort Riley Seat. Then beginning in the 1970s every breed association, discipline and Tom, Dick, Jane & Harry had their own seat. When the Fort Riley Seat was the standard the U.S was always in the medals.  |
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Post by Maritza on Jun 2, 2016 20:29:45 GMT
I wish there was a certification process. As I am getting ready to once more do a barn search to find where I will be riding at in Colorado it makes me cringe. I was so lucky to find Bob's farm. But since then I have found its hit or miss. I end up looking at photos of riders from that farm seeing where the riders hands are during a jump or overall body position. I also look for key words like "fun" (I am not looking for just fun or "sport" and "athlete" (because in truth horseback riding is the sport I want to pursue and I see myself very much an athlete) but all these hoops wouldn't be necessary if there was a standard.
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Post by horseguy on Jun 3, 2016 11:50:54 GMT
It is difficult to find a quality instructor in many parts of the US. I hear from former students that they have found it difficult. It comes down to training. If a rider is not well trained, they cannot teach. Secondly, some riders who were well trained cannot teach because they lack the required perceptive skills or communication skills.
At this point I doubt the USEF will define a standard for any seat and therefore certification will be impossible. I believe this is the result of America's "freedom" of expression that has encouraged the idea of "nonjudgmental" in everything to a fault, followed by political correctness. It may take generations before any sense of quality is applied to a national standard of riding. Or, maybe it will never happen. One good thing is I see that more and more high quality American riders are going to Europe to compete. Perhaps this exposure will create an initiative to set a meaningful riding/teaching standard and then as a riding country we can once again judge good from bad.
We had great.
1936 Olympic Team Captain C.C. Jadwin, Major W.B. Bradford, Major Hiram Tuttle, Captain I.L. Kitts, Captain C.S.Babcock;(2nd Row) Lieutenant H.S. Isaacson, Lieutenant R.W. Curtis, Captain E.F. Thomson, Captain M.H. Matteson;(3rd Row)Captain J.M. Willems, Major A.H. Moore, Captain C.W.A. Raguese (USET)
US Cavalry Seat/Fort Riley Seat
interesting Jim Wofford article |
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Post by jimmy on Jun 3, 2016 21:52:08 GMT
Captain Kitts was Alfred Kitts father, I think.
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not a typo), coaches, and all enabling roles
