trainer’s I
point of view
Mastering the System ~ The German Way By Amber Heintzberger
nstructor certification has been a hot topic in the United States for the past couple of decades. Several organizations including the U.S. Dressage Federation and U.S. Eventing
Association as well as the American Riding Instructors Association now offer programs for certifying riding instructors. Certification is not a requirement for riding instructors in this
country, so students are often on their own to sort out the truly qualified teachers from less experienced instructors. Anyone can “hang out a shingle” and declare themselves a trainer, and even when certified, trainers’ experiences can vary greatly. But certification gives students the confidence that an instructor at least has reached a certain level of competency. Because the number of horses used for pleasure and
competition and the number of active members of the riding community has been steadily increasing in recent years, there is a corresponding increase in the demand for qualified people for the education and training of horses, students, and for breeding and raising young horses, so business prospects are positive for qualified instructors. The German system of training horses and riders is globally
accepted as a successful method, and certified riders and instructors from Germany are generally recognized as having a solid education. We interviewed a variety of people in the U.S. who have been through the German certification system, and we asked them to help clarify the different German credentials they have earned. German-born and educated Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel is
\
a licensed Pferdewirtshaftsmeister (loosely translated, a “Horse Business Master”), who is head trainer at First Choice Farm in Woodbine, Maryland. She says, “Here you can become a licensed USDF instructor by taking intensive workshops. It seems that they’ve done it this way is to grandfather in people who are already instructors to get them certified. I feel the testing
Felicitas schooling Grand Prix on Roulette by Rampal owned by Gene Freeze at First Choice Farm. Photo by mary mcKenna
is legitimate here, and I’ve seen some really nice riders and trainers, like Courtney
King-Dye, who is a certified instructor. Some of my students have become certified as well. But in Germany of course a career
38 July/August 2010
with horses requires an apprenticeship.” Felicitas has trained many horses to the Grand Prix level in
dressage and has served as an instructor in the USDF Instructors Certification Program. She edited Reiner Klimke’s book, Ahlerich: The Making of a Dressage Champion and is a frequent contributor to Dressage Today and Practical Horseman magazines. Either becoming a licensed instructor or hiring one to train with is appealing to some American equestrians seeking to unlock the German secret to riding success. But beyond the literal translation of words such as Bereiter or Reitmeister, what exactly do these titles really mean?
BEREITER: PROFESSIONAL RIDER The job of a professional rider has a long tradition in Germany. Early in the 20th century civilians began training as Berufsreitlehrer, which was later approved by the State. Since November 1975, this profession is regulated by the Vocational Training Act. Formerly known as a Bereiter FN, the title was recently changed to Pferdewirt and a total of four training fields are offered: professional rider, horse breeder, jockey, and trotting horse driver. In the common vernacular however people still refer to the riding license as a “Bereiter”. The professional riding track starts with the Bereiter/
Pferdewirt license, which requires a three-year appren-ticeship ending with a written exam, a riding exam, and an oral exam. Occupational training for the Bereiter lasts three years, or if the student has already completed formal training for another job, the training lasts just two years. Dressage rider Silva Martin, now based in West Grove, PA,
did her three years’ apprenticeship at Paul Beck’s stables. She explains, “The first year you have to go to school twice a week—I went to Cologne—and then the next two years you go once a week. After three years you have the exams, and you prepare every day.” Martin received a scholarship to train for a year with Hubertus Schmidt after she qualified as a Bereiter. Horses have taken Silva, 28, around the world. She grew up
in Germany, qualified as a Bereiter, and then moved to Australia where she met her husband, three-day eventer Boyd Martin. The couple is now based in the United States and Boyd is now riding for the U.S. Silva is currently competing her self-trained Dutch Warmblood Jeff the Chef in Grand Prix dressage and has evented to the two-star level. Rather than going through an apprenticeship, if someone can document that they have double the amount of experience as a professional trainer that they would need as an apprentice,
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52