Annual Salary
£14,000 to £25,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Horse riding instructors teach children and adults of all abilities, how to ride.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; as customers demand
There will be
0.5% more Horse riding instructor jobs in 2027.
in your day-to-day duties you might:
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
You could work at a riding stable.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.
You can get into this job through:
You could take a course at college that will give you some of the skills and knowledge to get into this role.
Relevant courses include:
You'll usually need:
You may be able to start through an intermediate equine groom or senior equine groom advanced apprenticeship.
Once you complete your apprenticeship, you could apply for jobs as a riding instructor's assistant and take further coaching qualifications on the job.
You'll usually need:
Volunteering and seasonal work at a local stables or riding centre can be a good way to get started.
You can complete training and pass exams with the British Horse Society (BHS) or Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS).
You'll need to be a member of the BHS to follow their Coaching Pathway. You can train for the Stage 3 Coach award to qualify as a riding instructor.
The ABRS training route and practical exams include:an Initial Teaching Test; a UK Coaching Certificate
You do not need to be a member of the ABRS to take their exams.
You can also complete other specialist instructor awards through organisations like the Pony Club.
You can work with people with disabilities by following the Riding for the Disabled Association's Coaching Pathway.
You'll need to:
You'll find more advice about becoming a riding instructor from the:British Horse Society; Association of British Riding Schools; Riding for the Disabled Association
With experience, you could supervise junior staff and train other riding instructors. You could become self-employed and work on a freelance basis for several centres.
You could take higher level qualifications like a Level 4 Certificate in Horse Care and Management or a degree in Equine Business Management to run your own riding school, pony trekking or riding holiday centre.
You could become a head or senior instructor, a competition judge, or move into management.
Once experienced, you could also apply for the IGEQ Equestrian Passport, making it easier for you to find work abroad.
Visit careersinracing for more information about working in this industry.
The British Horseracing Development Programme (formerly known as the British Horseracing Graduate Development Programme) is well known and highly regarded throughout the British Horseracing industry
This Programme, which has been running for over 30 years, provides an invaluable source of talent to the sport and its supporting industry. For the 31st running in 2021, we were delighted to announce that the Programme was renamed to the British Horseracing Development Programme and is now an early careers programme suitable for candidates with Degrees, Higher Apprenticeships or equivalent skills and capabilities.
You'll need: