Annual Salary for a Horse-Riding Instructor
Horse-riding instructors teach students of all ages how to ride, maintain and relate to a horse in a safe, constructive manner. They may work at stables, country clubs, summer camps, ranches or other such facilities. Horse-riding instructors typically teach a mix of private and group classes. Their hours are relatively easygoing and normally limited to daylight hours. A horse-riding instructor’s annual salary depends on many factors, including level of experience, geographic location, hours and the type of facility she works in.
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Job Requirements
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Horse-riding instructors must be experts at riding and handling horses. They must also understand safety precautions, and many employers require their instructors to be certified in life-saving procedures such as CPR and first aid response. This job requires excellent teaching and communication skills, strong interpersonal abilities and tremendous patience. Many employers require their instructors to be certified by the American Riding Instructor's Association (ARIA), Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) or other professional organizations.
Salary Range
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The annual salary for this career varies considerably. Riding instructors who teach top-level competitors tend to make a lot more each year than instructors who teach beginners, for example. Salary also depends on the number of hours you teach in a day. Riding instructors typically charge between $12 and $80 per lesson, according to Riding Instructor University. A riding instructor charging $25 a class per student who teachers five classes of three students each per day can earn roughly $2,250 a week, which translates to $100,000 per year.
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Considerations
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Financial agreements between horse-riding instructors and their employers vary considerably. Full-time riding instructors typically receive benefits such as health care coverage, sick days and vacation time, while freelance and non-full-time employees usually do not. Riding instructors who own their own stable keep 100 percent of the profit they earn from lessons, though they must maintain their stable and horses. Instructors who work at other people’s stables must pay a “grounds fee” to their employer.
Employment Outlook
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Horse-riding instructor jobs are competitive and only highly qualified and knowledgeable candidates usually get hired. High-income rural areas generally offer the most opportunities because there tend to be more stables and people with the cash to pay for the relatively expensive activity. Candidates should look for jobs at summer camps, dude ranches, horse farms, riding academies and equestrian centers. Strong networking skills are extremely helpful when looking for jobs, as the riding community is small compared to other leisure and sports activities.
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