Press Releases

(November 2022) Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) members gathered to participate in the 2022 CHA International Conference in Murfreesboro, TN. During the event, attendees engaged in networking, expanded their knowledge over a variety of equine topics, and honored the highly anticipated award winners.

Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) gives many great awards out to its members each year. The CHA Volunteer of the Year is an award that recognizes the countless hours and dedication CHA volunteers spend changing lives through safe experiences with horses.  A big thank you and congratulations to the CHA 2022 Volunteer of the Year – Anne Brzezicki from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Anne is an unbelievably hard-working champion for CHA. She has worked not only on our 2022 conference as the host site committee chair, but on many critical educational initiatives, including the new CHA Level-Up Certification and the Amateur Initiative this year alone. With her leadership and expertise Middle Tennessee State University hosted CHA’s first Pilot Level-Up Certification which was a huge success. This will allow current CHA Instructors to attend certifications while testing up into the next level(s) of certification.

Anne has also been instrumental in supporting education and outreach on the new Armature Initiative. With her drive, passion, and industry contacts the American Horse Council posted a positive position on the Amateur Initiative, saying, “Due to the decline of youth and young adult involvement with horses over several decades, and for the urgent need to engage youth and young adults in equestrian sports, the Show & Competition Committee calls on all equestrian competition organizations to review their amateur rules, giving greater berth of opportunities for properly certified or supervised amateur exhibitors to provide fee-for-services introductory riding lessons without the threat of losing amateur status. And AHC Show & Competition Committee Chair, Dr. Billy Smith stated, “The horse community is missing that critical on-ramp for young riders. That same community can solve this problem if it works together, developing strategies that welcome young riders on a worldwide scale.” Reaching out and getting her voice heard on the national level shows Anne’s true dedication!

The CHA School Horse of the Year Award highlights the wonderful animals that spend countless hours being patient with riders new and not-so-new riders We all started out learning how to ride on a certain horse. If our family did not own horses, it was very likely that a wonderful school horse at a camp or lesson barn program taught us how to ride. So, it is only fitting that an outstanding horse be honored as the Certified Horsemanship Association School Horse of the Year. To commemorate such an outstanding honor, the winning horse receives a hand-painted oil painting from CHA member Julie Fischer from Colorado with bark from her Girl Scout camp as the frame and a wooden and leather trophy plaque from Lone Star Awards.

This year’s CHA School Horse of the Year was donated to Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, they suspect he was a highly trained western horse. This old man will surprise you with how quick he will turn a barrel, or spin in a reining pattern. Although he is a fantastic horse for our advanced girls to learn on, he is even better at taking care of all our Girl Scouts from the littlest of girls all the way up to our Adult Volunteers. He will lead a trail ride with a newly trained adult volunteer and make sure they find their way home

He is always a winner at “tag” making sure that girls can sneak up on their friends to tag them. Whether it’s horse painting, grooming, or a girl’s first time in the saddle, He is one we can always rely on. For several years, He was even featured on TV in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade carrying either the American or Texas flag for our Council.

In a head-to-head vote for CHA School Horse of the Year in a pool with 38 other horses Midas won by a landslide! (63% of the VOTES!!!) Not to mention he is also TikTok famous! This old man has over 260,000 views! In his 11 years with Girl Scouts – he has served roughly 40,000 girls at Misty Meadows!

The girls of Misty Meadows Camp call this year’s winner their very own Spirit the Stallion of the Cimarron. This 28-year-old Dun AQHA gelding is the 2022 CHA School Horse of the Year Midas from Girl Scouts of San Jacinto in Houston, Texas.

For a complete list of past CHA award winners, visit https://cha.horse/international-conference/#award-winners

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse. 

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(November 2022) – Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) members gathered to participate in the 2022 CHA International Conference in Murfreesboro, TN. During the event, attendees engaged in networking, expanded their knowledge over a variety of equine topics, and honored the highly anticipated award winners.

CHA Certifiers are vital in order to continue growing the association and accomplishing our mission. The 2022 CHA Certifier of the Year Award is reserved for someone who has shown outstanding service to CHA by conducting meaningful certifications and influencing the careers of equine professionals over many years. This year’s award was given to Debbie Holmes from Grants Pass, Oregon.

Debbie’s professional certifications include: CHA Master Instructor and Certifier in Western, English, and Jumping; CHA Master Instructor and Certifier for Instructors for Riders with Disabilities; CHA Regional Triad Director for Region 1; PATH CTRI, Equine Specialist, and Mentor; Her focus is preparing new instructors for certification and providing support for those starting new adaptive riding centers.

She has been instrumental in supporting CHA’s growth of IRD certifications this year. Debbie is always available to answers questions when new IRD host sites reach out to CHA and works with current IRD Certified Instructors who have strong potential as IRD Certifier Candidates. She has been a key certifier in promoting and growing the IRD program at this pivotal and opportune time for CHA. She is part of our IRD sub-committee which continually is looking at and building tools to help instructors prepare for this certification.

Some of her CHA certification clinic participants have this to say about her, “Debbie is so willing to share her knowledgeable. She made my certification a positive learning experience, not just a testing environment. I look forward to testing again as I grow.”

Our individual certified instructors are the life blood of our association. Without whom we would not exist. Each year CHA recognizes an outstanding individual that has been nominated by their students to receive recognition for what they do best – teach people to ride! This year’s 2022 CHA Instructor of the Year is Emily Padgett from Acadia, Indiana.

“When you think of a great Riding Instructor, they must excel at servant leadership. This leader must lift you to so that stepping out of your comfort zone is an empowering, upward growth with their trustworthy support. Emily Padgett is an Instructor, Program Director, and leader at Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources, who embodies just that. Through her efforts and endless enthusiasm as a CHA Instructor of Riders with Disabilities, hundreds of riders have had their lives transformed over the years because of Emily’s steadfast support and determination. Emily inspires not only her riders but her fellow colleagues to continually improve through research and continuing education as well as mentoring her colleges as they worked towards CHA IRD certification.”

A parent shared this about Emily, “Emily’s love for Agape Therapeutic Riding and her riders has been shown through her dedication, compassion, nurturing, caring, kindhearted, putting everyone else first and the love that she has shown throughout the years with our daughter, Stephanie.”

Emily always puts safety first and applies her years of experience to making her lessons fun and engaging.

For a complete list of past CHA award winners, visit https://cha.horse/international-conference/#award-winners

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse. 

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(November 2022) The CHA Distinguished Service Award is a lifetime achievement award for an individual who has gone above and beyond through the years promoting and upholding the mission of the Certified Horsemanship Association, helping in the horse industry, and believing in all we stand for. The 2022 recipient is Jo-Anne Young of Houghton, New York was recently recognized at the 2022 CHA International Conference in Murfreesboro, TN.

This year’s Distinguished Service Award winner Jo-Anne has been a certifier for CHA’s EWI certification program since the late 1980’s and has been a strong supporter of CHA since then. She was a CHA Regional Director for Region 5 for over a decade. She is still very active as she recently participated in the pilot certification for CHA’s EFM Program. She is also an Accredited Site Visitor.

She has also served on CHA’s Board of Directors. She has volunteered her time at most of our International Conferences by teaching riding workshops and donating her time to teach semi-private or private lessons at these conferences donating the fees to CHA’s Scholarship Fund. She donates lessons on her dressage masters in CHA’s silent auction and she houses and feeds them.

She has promoted CHA at different events and through her time teaching and directing Houghton College’s Equine Program. While at Houghton she had the college host a CHA Pack and Trail Certification at Cheley Colorado Camps in Este Park, Colorado.

Yet, one of her biggest contributions is that she wrote her Master Thesis on “Preparing students for riding instructor certification through the college curricula”. She encouraged CHA to develop a College Certification for the EWI programs and later added the EFM Certification to the college programs.

Jo-Anne has helped CHA to develop into a more respected program stressing our core values of safety, education, and fun. She has been a past recipient of CHA’s Volunteer of the Year Award (2001) and Certifier of the Year Award (2017). She also along with Larissa Ries was instrumental in Houghton College be awarded CHA Partnership in Safety Award (2017).

Jo-Anne is very humble, giving, and always teaching. She has received many awards by the State of NY and through the states 4H programs.

For a complete list of past CHA award winners, visit https://cha.horse/international-conference/#award-winners

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse. 

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(December 2022) The Certified Horsemanship Association’s 2023 Certification Scholarship Application is now available. These are for individuals in critical financial need seeking to develop career opportunities or program credibility through CHA certification please review the scholarship criteria. Scholarship Applications are due February 28, 2023!

CHA Certification Scholarship Application Criteria link!

CHA Certification Scholarship Application link!

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse. 

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(December 2022) – CHA welcomes four new board members to our fold for the 2022-2024 term. This group of professionals bring a wealth of new experience and knowledge to the board of directors.

Dr. Debra Powell is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Hampton University in Virginia and a master’s degree in animal sciences from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana before receiving her doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Dr. Powell owns and operates a mobile small business, Powell’s Equine and Canine Therapeutic Services (PECTS). With this business, she provides alternative therapies, including massage, therapeutic laser, therapeutic ultrasound and pulsed electromagnetic therapy, among others, to horses, dogs and cattle. She also provides nutritional and pasture management consulting for her equine clients.

Rebecca Halvorson grew up in Abilene, Texas with a ranching background.  She started riding, showing and rodeoing around the age of 6. Rebecca enjoyed numerous activities including 4-H, FFA, showing horses and pigs, competing on Horse Judging and Meat Judging Teams and played Varsity Basketball. Rebecca attended Texas A&M University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and continued graduate school studying Equine Nutrition. After leaving Texas A&M, Rebecca accepted a position at Northwestern State University as an instructor in Equine Science then moved to Colorado State University where she was an instructor in the Equine Science Department for 2 years.

Rebecca married Wayne Halvorson in 1997 and helped in managing Halvorson Ranch where they stood many of the top stallions in AQHA and APHA, breeding hundreds of mares while training halter horses full time and averaged foaling out 100 mares per year.  Rebecca holds judges’ cards in AQHA, APHA, NSBA and WCHA and has judged the AQHA World Show, AQHYA World Show, APHA World Show, All American Quarter Horse Congress, NSBA World Show and WCHA Championship Futurity as well as many shows internationally.

Josi Reed recently joined the APHA team as director of amateur and youth activities. Growing up in Southern Illinois, Josie always enjoyed horse showing and competitive judging; she continued these passions through college. After completing a master’s degree in agriculture at West Texas A&M University, Josi returned to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M University, where she earned her associate’s degree, to serve as head coach of the IHSA equestrian team, among other roles. She still owns horses and is ready to jump into her new role at APHA.

The founder of LOHR, Deanna Mancuso, is a well-established member of the local professional equine community.  Starting out as an exercise rider for various farms from Westchester to Columbia Counties, she successfully moved up to barn management, eventually transitioning to business-owner of Equine Escape Stable. Within a few years of opening Equine Escape, Deanna began to recognize a disturbing trend within the community.  She was receiving a growing number of inquiries regarding unwanted horses and how to report abuse and neglect.  This problem was only exacerbated by requests from the DCSPCA to foster seized horses which had begun to outnumber available spaces at their own facilities. Determined to be part of the solution, Deanna established Lucky Orphans Horse Rescue to offer permanent sanctuary to these otherwise unwanted, abused, or neglected animals, and provide them with a safe haven where they would never again experience the situations that led them to LOHR in the first place. Deanna is a CHA Certified English & Western Instructor, and site accreditation visitor.

CHA welcomes these amazing individuals with diverse backgrounds.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse. 

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(January 2022) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is proud to announce Brian Wee’s webinar on How to Build the Ultimate Lesson Based Horse Business. The recording is now available for purchase at https://cha.horse/shop-webinars/

As a second generation Certified Financial Planner, Brian went the route of the more lucrative family business of financial planning with his dad as his mentor. Even with modest success importing sale horses and as a horse trainer- it puzzled him why it was so difficult to be financially successful in the horse business.  The high overhead, the scarcity of clients, the culture among the horse industry, the difficulty in scaling – all these factors felt like headwinds for the horse professionals trying to carve out a living working with these beautiful animals. He made it his mission to help equestrians improve their financial mindset, business plans, and overall financial plans because he truly believes it will lead to a higher quality life for their horses.

Brian will be sharing his latest thinking on the six key elements of a profitable riding school: Your facility, your services and how you price them, marketing, sales, back office admin decisions, and the curriculum you teach.

CHA produces many webinars each year on a variety of horsemanship topics. Each are an hour in length. There are over 50 educational horsemanship webinars in our online store. These webinars are for riding instructors, barn managers, horse owners and those wanting to buy a horse. Some of the topics include:

• Helping Timid Riders Achieve Their Horsemanship Goals
• Horse Selection and Suitability
• Horse and Herd Management
• Yoga for Every Equestrian
• Exercises, Patterns and Drills for All Levels of Riders
• Risk Management in a Horsemanship Program
• Teaching Techniques for Riding Instructors
• Marketing Your Equine Business
• Equine and Disaster Planning
• The 9 Things the IRS Looks for in Your Equine Business
• Function to Form: A Novel Look at Conformation
• And Many More!

To select and watch these educational horse industry webinars, please visit https://CHA.horse/education/#CHA-webinars

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies riding instructors and barn managers, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(July 2021) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) International Conference is scheduled for November 9 – 11, 2021 at the Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas. Speakers at this event include riding instructors, horse trainers, barn managers, veterinarians, equine behaviorists, farriers, saddle fit specialists, equine association representatives, business and marketing consultants, and other equine professionals. Those wishing to attend the conference should register now at https://cha.horse/international-conference/

Full Conference participants get to ride in sessions with top instructors on horses provided by The Fort Worth Herd that are used by the Drovers who move the longhorns down East Exchange Avenue each day, and eventing horses from a local Fort Worth CHA certified riding instructor.  Sessions include classroom-style lectures, roundtable discussions, hands-on horse demonstrations, and mounted riding sessions.

CHA is all-breed and all-discipline organization. The audience at a CHA International Conference includes riding instructors, horse trainers, trail guides, barn managers, driving and vaulting coaches, horse owners, riders, and general horse enthusiasts. CHA members and non-members alike can attend as the conference is open to the public with prior registration.

Some of the speakers and sessions at this year’s event include:  National Cowgirl Hall of Fame winner Pam Minick, cutting horse trainer Barbara Schulte, Road to the Horse Winner Wade Black, CHA Spokesperson Julie Goodnight, Equine Nutrition with University of Kentucky professor Dr. Bob Coleman, Simple and Flying Changes with Ren Bannerman, Barrel Racing and Pole Bending with Amy Obringer, Jumping – Pace, Position and Line with Jody Taylor and many more!

For more information on the CHA International Conference and to register online, visit  https://cha.horse/international-conference/ Additional information will be added online soon, including the complete biographies and session descriptions for each speaker.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals such as riding instructors and equine facility managers, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational streaming videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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(May 2021) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) International Conference is scheduled for November 9 – 11, 2021 at the Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas. Speakers at this event include riding instructors, horse trainers, barn managers, veterinarians, equine behaviorists, farriers, saddle fit specialists, equine association representatives, business and marketing consultants, and other equine professionals. Those wishing to attend the conference should Save the Dates.

Full Conference participants get to ride in sessions with top instructors on horses provided by The Fort Worth Herd and eventing horses from a local Fort Worth CHA instructor.  Sessions include classroom-style lectures, roundtable discussions, hands-on horse demonstrations, and mounted riding sessions.

CHA is all-breed and all-discipline organization. The audience at a CHA International Conference includes riding instructors, horse trainers, trail guides, barn managers, driving and vaulting coaches, horse owners, riders, and general horse enthusiasts. CHA members and non-members alike can attend as the conference is open to the public with prior registration.

Some of the speakers and sessions at this year’s event include:  National Cowgirl Hall of Fame winner Pam Minick, cutting horse trainer Barbara Schulte, Road to the Horse Winner Wade Black, CHA Spokesperson Julie Goodnight, University of Kentucky professor Dr. Bob Coleman and many more!

For more information on the CHA International Conference and to register online, visit  https://cha.horse/international-conference/ Additional information will be added online soon, including the complete biographies and session descriptions for each speaker.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals such as riding instructors and equine facility managers, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational streaming videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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(May 2021) – Need to find a job for the summer?  How about finding qualified employees?  Want a place to sell a horse or some tack? Or a place to find an equine property?  Well, www.CHA.horse, the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) website, can help.

Just visit www.CHA.horse and go to the Find a Certified Professional tab and then click on the Job Board to post a job for an equine professional or to find one. Posting your equine professional job opening (for positions such as a riding instructor, barn manager, horsemanship director, stable worker, etc.) is available to everyone with CHA Individual Members getting a special rate and CHA Program Members get to do this for free as an added benefit.

Next, check out the CHA Classified Ads section of the site. Anyone can post a classified ad here that reaches equine professionals with CHA members that post under 25 words being able to do this for free as a member benefit.

Finally, CHA members can also post their resume for free here on the CHA Resume Board. This is a great place to find certified riding instructors, barn managers, trail ride guides and more!

Hope to see you soon on the CHA website equine industry job platforms!

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship streaming videos, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or an accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse     ###

(May 2021) – Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) will be on Horses in the Morning for our “Training Tuesday” show on Tuesday, May 19^th at 10 a.m. ET. This month’s show is sponsored by B-Free of Flies Insect Killer. This is a free podcast on the Horse Radio Network. Hope you can listen in!  https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show

Join Glenn and Jennifer Hebert, hosts of Horses in the Morning, and Christy Landwehr, the CEO of CHA, as they co-host this show each month. This episode will be about Virtual Horse Showing and will include CHA Board Member Jennifer Eaton from Massachusetts and CHA Regional Director Schellie Blochberger from Missouri. Jennifer puts on virtual horse shows as part of her job at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association and Schellie is a participant and judge for numerous virtual horse shows.

This show is being sponsored by B-Free of Flies – https://www.b-freeofflies.com/

Cami O’Neal is the Administrative Coordinator and Sales Representative for B-Free of Flies, which is a family owned business, located in Boyd, TX.  They have been in business for 30 years and their products are EPA approved and made in the USA!

If you can’t make the live show, you can find the free recordings here for this show and all the CHA shows we have done for the past years with the Horse Radio Network – https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(April 2021) – Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) has many educational horsemanship manuals to help the horse owner and those that take horseback riding lessons. These have been created and updated by a team of professional riding instructors and equine facility managers. The CHA manuals can be purchased at https://cha.horse/store/ for CHA member and non-member rates.  Anyone can join CHA by visiting https://members.CHA.horse/secure/membership.cfm and get 50% off the manuals.

The CHA manuals include:

1. CHA Composite Horsemanship Manual Levels 1 – 4 – Written by 30 professional horsemanship instructors from the United States and Canada. This four level manual contains a complete program for all levels of riders, with many illustrations by noted author and illustrator, Susan Harris. Written tests and riding test patterns at the end of each level.
2. Individual CHA Level Manuals 1 – 4 – Each manual can be purchased separately for riders to work through. Level 1 is also available in Spanish.
3. Equine Professional Manual: The Art of Teaching Riding – This 208 page manual is full of illustrations and photos that will help the professional riding instructor just starting out, as well as those that have been teaching for a long time. Learning styles, teaching styles, sample lessons plans and stretches for the rider are all included.  It is a comprehensive guide for all riding instructors.
4. CHA Trail Manual – This is a comprehensive manual to trail riding, camping and packing out with your horses and mules. It is a must have for all avid trail riders, overnight campers and wilderness packing guides. It has four levels of horsemanship, trail ride information, camping with your horse, knots, packing, Dutch oven cooking and much more!  Great detailed photos and illustrations.
5. Standards for Equestrian Programs – This manual lists standards for a safer equine environment for site, program, management, driving, trail and more. These standards are intended to serve as goals in order that facilities and/or individuals can develop an individualized program designed to promote safety. It is also used by equine facilities wanting to attain CHA Site Accreditation.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals such as riding instructors and equine facility managers, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational streaming videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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(April 2021) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is hosting a Vaulting Coach Certification June 25 – 27, 2021 in Hartville, Ohio at Pegasus Farm.

The goal of the CHA Vaulting Coach Certification clinics is to provide the vaulting community a certification process through which participants may be evaluated in their skills as coaches to provide a safe, enjoyable and effective vaulting program. The three-day Vaulting Coach Certification is conducted by two CHA Vaulting Coach Certifiers, whose job it is to evaluate the coaching skills of each participant and offer constructive advice for a safe and effective vaulting program.

Certification is available at three levels ranging from coaching vaulting at walk/trot up to canter in either a recreational and/or competition vaulting program. The level of certification attained, if any, is at the sole discretion of the CHA Certifiers and is determined by skills and knowledge demonstrated during the certification clinic.

Certification may be earned at these levels:

• ASSISTANT VAULTING COACH: Minimum age 16. Qualified to direct warm‐up exercises, spot or longe under the direct supervision of a Level 1 or higher certified vaulting coach.
• LEVEL 1 VAULTING COACH: Minimum age 18. Qualified to coach vaulting in a beginner or one‐time vaulting program at walk and beginning trot. Minimum written test score of 70%.
• LEVEL 2 VAULTING COACH: Minimum age 18. Qualified to teach in a vaulting program or club at walk‐trot and beginning canter. Minimum written test score of 80%.
• LEVEL 3 VAULTING COACH: Minimum age 18. Qualified to teach in a recreational and/or competitive vaulting program or club at walk, trot, and canter. Minimum written test score of 90%.
• VAULTING COACH ASSISTANT CERTIFIER: Minimum age 21. Must be a Level 3 Vaulting Coach and be recommended by both CHA Certifiers. An application process is required.
• VAULTING COACH CERTIFIER: Minimum age 25. Qualified to conduct CHA Vaulting Coach certification clinics and certify vaulting coaches in cooperation with another CHA Vaulting Coach certifier. Must complete an apprenticeship.

Please join us at the Vaulting Coach Certification – Pegasus Farm June 25, 2021 to June 27, 2021 in Hartville, Ohio by clicking here – Register Now

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals such as riding instructors and equine facility managers, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational streaming videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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(April 2021) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is seeking experts within the horse industry as speakers for the 2021 CHA International Conference. Part of CHA’s mission is providing quality continuing education within the horse industry, and the annual international conference is CHA’s ultimate learning opportunity. The 2021 CHA International Conference is scheduled for November 9 – 11, 2021 at the Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas. Speakers at this event include riding instructors, horse trainers, barn managers, veterinarians, equine behaviorists, farriers, saddle fit specialists, equine association representatives, business consultants, and other equine professionals. Those wishing to attend the conference should Save the Dates.

If you would like to speak, CHA is now accepting speaker applications for classroom-style lectures, roundtable discussions, hands-on horse demonstrations, and mounted riding sessions (using the Fort Worth drover horses and Eventing and Dressage horses from a local CHA instructor) with attendees who sign up on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sessions at the CHA International Conference are focused on safe, effective, and fun horsemanship.

CHA is all-breed and all-discipline organization. The audience at the CHA International Conference includes riding instructors, trail guides, barn managers, driving and vaulting coaches, horse owners, riders, and general horse enthusiasts. Attendees can sign up to ride these well-trained school horses in the educational sessions. CHA members and non-members alike can attend as the conference is open to the public with prior registration.

Those wishing to speak should contact CHA at clandwehr@CHA.horse. The deadline is April 15, 2021. Those applying to speak will need to send a professional biography paragraph, a photo, and a session title and paragraph description, along with anything needed to fulfill your session such as ground poles or cones.

More information about the CHA International Conference can be found at https://cha.horse/international-conference/ Additional information will be added online throughout the year, including the full line-up of speakers and sessions.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals such as riding instructors and equine facility managers, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational streaming videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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(March 2021) – Riding Program Success Lessons from the Pandemic by CHA Equine Facility Manager Certifier Jill Montgomery is the latest CHA blog post for readers to enjoy.

Jill interviews Jody Taylor who is a CHA Certified Riding Instructor and co-owner with his partner Kim of Star T Ranch in Aledo, Texas just outside of Fort Worth.

Jody describes their experience, “We started out 2020 with a well-established program and a great crew of six CHA certified riding instructors. When the Pandemic hit, we developed protocols to keep our students and boarders safe following guidance provided to area businesses by the City of Fort Worth. By showing leadership and sharing the plan with our clients – we made a smooth transition from closing the month of April through a graduated re-opening of services and were back to 100% by July – that led to the busiest Autumn in our history to date.” He went on to say, “Clear and regular communication with our clients about the rules and commitment to their health and safety were keys to our operation’s success dealing with COVID19.”

Susan Garside who is a CHA Board Member and Certifier and the Equestrian Program Director at Akron, Ohio’s YMCA Camp Y-Noah was also featured. Camp Y-Noah offers a year-round riding facility for youth and adults. Programs include riding lessons, trail rides, birthday parties with ponies and both day and overnight youth camps. Being part of a larger organization Susan’s program has several levels of management to clear when changing program details. She describes 2020 as a stressful year requiring creativity and adaptability. She also saw big pay offs in getting two parts of their Camp running for the 2020 season. The experience required recalibrating priorities.

To read more about Jody and Susan’s experiences and to read more great blogs from CHA visit here –  https://cha.horse/cha-blog/

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(March 2021) – Join us for our March CHA Monthly Member Chat at the link below on Wednesday, March 17^th at Noon Eastern Time. If you can’t join us live, not to worry, you can find the link on our website here the day after and CHA members are free and non-members pay a small fee to watch the recording – https://cha.horse/education/#cha-webinars

Jeff Tiessen, Publisher of the horse crazy kid publication – Blaze Magazine and Emily Blackborow the Communications Coordinator with ParaSport Ontario will be on to discuss the publishing industry and current social media trends and how you can use them to your advantage.

Certified Horsemanship Association produced many webinars, videos, articles and more!  Check out our site at www.CHA.horse to see them all.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(March 2021) – Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) will be on Horses in the Morning for our “Training Tuesday” show on Tuesday, March 16^th at 10 a.m. ET. This month’s show is sponsored by Reinbow Stirrups. This is a free podcast on the Horse Radio Network. Hope you can listen in!  https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show

Join Glenn Hebert, host of Horses in the Morning, and Christy Landwehr, the CEO of CHA, as they co-host this show each month. This episode will be about Teaching Riders with Physical or Cognitive Disabilities and will include CHA Certifiers Debbie Holmes from Oregon and Cheryl West from Oklahoma. Debbie is a CHA Instructor for Riders with Disabilities (IRD) and English/Western Instructor (EWI) Certifier, as well as a PATH CTRI, Mentor, and Equine Specialist. Cheryl is a CHA IRD, EWI and Equine Facility Manager Certifier.

This show is being sponsored by Reinbow Stirrups – www.Reinbowtherapy.org

Monica Wu, who owns Reinbow Therapy, is a Masters level registered and licensed occupational therapist with a specialty in pediatrics in Massachusetts. Monica founded her private Occupational Therapy practice called Reinbow Therapy in 2007 which incorporates equine movement which is known as “hippotherapy” as one of the treatment strategies in combination with other treatment techniques.

As a result of using her professional OT background of evaluating and addressing functional needs while utilizing equine movement, she realized that having a better safety stirrup system was needed and so she created the Reinbow Stirrup System.  This safety stirrup system evolved over a period of 10 years and finally received a U.S. patent in February after 3 years of hard work.  She is very excited to share this safety & functional product with the listeners on Horses in the Morning.

If you can’t make the live show, you can find the free recordings here for this show and all the CHA shows we have done for the past years with the Horse Radio Network – https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(February 2021) – Anyone who wants to further their career by earning a Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) Certification is encouraged to check out the CHA Certification Schedule online by type at https://cha.horse/find-cha-certification-clinics-by-type/ and by location at https://cha.horse/search-cha-certification-clinics-by-location/  and by date at https://cha.horse/find-cha-certification-clinics-by-date/    CHA Certifications are intensive multi-day events in which attendees learn and demonstrate their skills so they can be certified at one of CHA’s various certification types and levels. They are currently available for the English/Western Instructor (EWI), Equine Facility Manager (EFM), Vaulting (VTL) and Instructors of Riders with Disabilities (IRD) during 2021. Many more will be added in the next few months for this year. Join more than 30,000 experts who have been certified by the largest equine professional certifying organization in North America!

At this time, CHA Certifications are available in the following locations: Alabama, Alberta, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Manitoba, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Normally, CHA conducts over 80 certifications around the US and Canada each year. They are posted on the CHA website for 2021 at this time.

Certification offers many benefits to the equine professional, including showing the industry and potential customers that you have the skills and knowledge to teach riders or to run an equine facility according to strict industry standards set by an independent third party. In addition, certification demonstrates professionalism, dedication, and a commitment to horsemanship instruction and/or equine facility management. Certified individuals have demonstrated their focus on the safety and well-being of all participants in equestrian pursuits, humans and horses alike.

A person’s willingness to dedicate their time and money to the CHA certification process indicates that they are a serious professional. CHA certified equine professionals must demonstrate a high level of professional competence and adhere to continuing education requirements set forth by CHA to maintain their certification. In addition, many insurance companies recognize certification and will give discounts.

Certification includes workshops and hands-on demonstrations in five areas: safety, horsemanship knowledge and ability, teaching techniques, group control, and professionalism and ethics. Two CHA Certifiers evaluate each attendee, who must also pass written tests and competently demonstrate their skills during the event to receive their certification. The cost of the certification also includes the attendee’s membership in CHA, fees for the event, and all educational materials. Each host site will specify which meals are included and if a lodging option is available with the final price.

For more information on attending a CHA Certification and what to expect, please visit https://cha.horse/cha-certifications/

For anyone wishing to host a CHA Certification, the organization is taking applications to host in the fall of 2021 and beyond. Host sites must become a CHA Program Member that is pre-approved by CHA. If your facility would like to become a new host site for CHA, please visit https://cha.horse/how-to-host-a-cha-clinic/

To keep up-to-date on all news from CHA, please sign up for the CHA monthly email newsletter on the home page at www.CHA.horse.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, has educational webinars and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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(January 2021) The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) offers a variety of resources for horse professionals and enthusiasts alike to learn more about horsemanship. One of CHA’s most popular educational resources are the professional webinars, which are offered live and also in recorded format. Anyone interested in a past webinar topic can purchase a downloadable file at https://cha.horse/education/#cha-webinars. In addition to gaining more horsemanship knowledge, these webinars can also serve as continuing education credit hours for those that need them in the equine industry.  Business owners can use CHA webinars as educational training for staff.

These are just some of the many horsemanship webinars available on www.CHA.horse:

• Caring for the Senior Working Horse with Megan Bryant Purina Mills
• Equine and Disaster Planning with Jim Boller
• Equine Educational Opportunities at Colleges/Universities with Dr. Bob Coleman and Amanda Love
• Equine Assisted Learning and Working with At-Risk Youth in a Riding Program with Bonnie Riley
• Exercises, Patterns and Drills for Riding at All Levels with Julie Goodnight
• Insurance for the Private Horse Owner and the Equine Professional with Diane Lesher Equisure
• Form to Function: A Novel Look at Conformation with Dale Rudin
• Horse Trauma and PTSD with Nina Ekholm Fry University of Denver
• Marketing That Works with Jordan Manfredi
• Nine Things the IRS Looks for in Your Horse Business with Victoria Long, CPA
• Questions and Answers with Dr. Temple Grandin
• Risk Management: What You Need to Know About Liability, Contracts, and Releases with attorney Julie Fershtman
• Social Media and Marketing Tactics with Suzi Carragher
• Teaching Techniques for Riding Instructors with Christy Landwehr
• Test Before You Treat – The Right Way to Deworm your Horse with Tim Davis
• Yoga for Every Equestrian with Gabrielle Diakon

To be on a CHA webinar live and to keep up with new monthly webinars and other resources and information provided by CHA, please subscribe for CHA’s free monthly educational email newsletter at the bottom of the CHA website home page at www.CHA.horse

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(January 2021) Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) will be on Horses in the Morning for our “Training Tuesday” show on Tuesday, January 19^th at 10 a.m. ET. This is a free podcast on the Horse Radio Network. Hope you can listen in!  https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show

Join Glenn Hebert, host of Horses in the Morning, and Christy Landwehr, the CEO of CHA, as they co-host this show each month. This episode will talk about New Year’s Resolutions for Yourself, Your Horses, Your Clients and Your Barns and will feature Julie Goodnight Master Instructor with CHA from Colorado and Rashel Pack who is an attorney at Appleby Healy, Attorneys at Law in Ozark, Missouri.

This show is being sponsored by DiO – Draw It Out Veterinary Strength Liniment and owner Jon Conklin will be coming on the show to talk about this product and everything it can provide to your horses.

If you can’t make the live show, you can find the free recordings here for this show and all the CHA shows we have done for the past 5 years with the Horse Radio Network – https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show.

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(December 2020) Join us for the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) Monthly Member Chat Webinar on Function to Form: A Novel Look at Conformation on Wednesday, 12/16 at Noon Eastern Time for CHA members and then the recording will be available to everyone after.

Your horse’s conformation is a treasure trove of information that can give you valuable insight into your horse’s performance and well-being. Learn how to evaluate your horse’s conformation and what changes in your horse’s shape and structure can mean.

Dale Rudin is a welfare-centered horse trainer and CHA certified English and western riding instructor. Her passion is to help humans find joy with their horses. Her priority is to develop emotional balance and physical health in horses of all breeds and disciplines. She is a certified equine nutritionist, behavior specialist, and uses her background in biomechanics to help horses be the best they can. Dale’s experience with “problem” horses has made equine rehabilitation a big part of her life. She has recently created Pure Joy Horse Haven, an equine rescue and sanctuary that gives horses a chance at a better life or a forever home. Dale is a founding member of Force Free Tennessee, an animal advocacy organization. Her articles have been published in Horse Illustrated, HorseChannel.com, and WoofOnNashville. Dale offers training, instruction, and clinics at her farm in Santa Fe, Tennessee and surrounding areas as well comprehensive assessments, nutrition consulting, saddle fitting and online education. https://www.purejoyhorsemanship.com/

Here is the link to CHA’s educational horsemanship webinars topics. Explore them today! https://cha.horse/education/#cha-webinars

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals and webinars, produces educational horsemanship videos, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse. ###

(December 2020) We all started out learning how to ride on a certain horse. If our family did not own horses, it was very likely that a wonderful school horse taught us how to ride. So it is only fitting that an outstanding horse be honored as the Certified Horsemanship Association School Horse of the Year. To commemorate such an outstanding honor, the winning horse receives a hand-painted oil painting from CHA member Julie Fischer from Colorado with bark from her camp as the frame and a wooden and leather trophy plaque from Lone Star Awards.

Earning the title of 2020 CHA School Horse of the Year is 30-year-old quarter horse gelding Dallas from SpringHill Camp in Evart, Michigan. “Without fail, kids that come through the barn will ask who my favorite horse is,” says Katrina Lechlitner. “As the barn manager, I am always diplomatic and will say that I have lots of favorites it just depends on the job that needs to be done. Then I whisper, “It’s actually Dallas, but don’t tell the other horses.” They usually giggle and then ask if I always ride him because I love him so much. It’s then that I have to confess that I have never ridden him in the 15 years I have been in charge. “I only get to ride the ones that need help listening and Dallas never does anything wrong so you get to ride him.” “Why do you like him so much then?” That is my favorite moment. “Dallas makes me proud and I can trust him to take care of you. I’m kind of like his mom now and all the lessons he learned growing up he is teaching you. He’s my favorite because he’s using all of his lessons to help other people and I know that you will do the same thing when you are older. We should all want to be just like Dallas.”

“It doesn’t stop there though. The staff always ask that question too. With them I am a bit more coy. I’ll ask them who their favorites are and why. Without fail they will name a horse that they feel like they are training or one of our flashy colored horses. They are almost disappointed when I tell them it’s Dallas. My response it a bit more age appropriate though. “You like the idea of that other horse, I’d say that makes them ‘dateable’ – Dallas is marriage material.” Of course those conversations lead to talking about their future, but when they do get distracted by a boy at camp it gives me a chance to offer some perspective. “Is he a Dallas or just dateable?” That is the kind of reputation EVERY man should strive for. He’s 30. We’ll never be able to replace him. I am confident I will cry uncontrollably on his last day. Until then I will keep asking the dentist for the ‘live forever float,’ the farrier for the ‘stay sound forever trim,’ the vet for secrets to ‘make him live forever,’ and myself to learn how to care for him the best I can.”

“What an honor to have Dallas be recognized by CHA as the 2020 School Horse of the Year,” says Katrina Lechlitner. “There are so many special lesson horses in CHA programs everywhere and Dallas truly is our backbone. It was so hard to put his 18 years of service into words to nominate him because we felt we could not do his history with us justice. His name puts a twinkle in the eye of so many campers, guests and staff alike. It’s been fun to share this recognition with all those who have crossed paths with him. He might just be another sorrel horse, but he’s the heart and soul of our herd. SpringHill Camps has been blessed to have a horse like him. Thank you CHA!”

The CHA School Horse of the Year Program honors the best of the school horses who are part of CHA member programs. Each equine finalist receives a plaque from CHA and were also honored at the virtual CHA Awards Ceremony. The top five finalists included:
• Cresson – Whispering Willow Farm in Wisconsin
• Dallas – Spring Hill Camp in Michigan
• Indy – JT Ranch in Washington
• Maverick – Birch Bay Ranch in Alberta
• Sonora – Camp Chippewa in Kansas

For a complete list of past CHA award winners, visit https://cha.horse/international-conference/#award-winners
CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse.
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(November 2020) – For businesses who want to share their products and services with equine professionals, advertising in the Certified Horsemanship Association’s magazine, The Instructor, is the perfect way to do that. The Instructor magazine is published every spring, and readership includes riding instructors, equine facility owners, managers and staff, camps, trail guides, colleges and universities, and other equine professionals. Now is the time to book ad space in CHA’s official publication.

The Instructor is a full-color publication that includes CHA news and updates, informative and engaging features, and the CHA Annual Report. More than 4,500 issues are distributed to all CHA members and available at the CHA International Conference and other trade shows and events attended by CHA representatives. Full color ad spaces range from 1/6th-page ads to full-page ads, with premium placement ads available on the back cover, the inside front cover, and the inside back cover.

In addition, those who advertise in both The Instructor magazine and the 2021 CHA International Conference Program will receive 20% off on a conference program ad of any size. The program will be published for the 2021 CHA International Conference. The conference program is printed in black and white each year and given to all attendees at the conference.
Book your ad space in the full color The Instructor magazine by mid-February 2021! Ad materials are due by the end of February. In addition to CHA’s amazingly low rates, CHA Individual and Program members receive discounts on advertising in the magazine, the conference program, and the monthly e-newsletter thanks to their membership with the organization.
Opportunities are also currently available for advertising with the CHA Radio Podcast Show, which airs monthly on “Horses in the Morning”; in the monthly CHA e-newsletter; and in horsemanship safety videos produced by CHA for use by the equine industry.

For more information on rates and ad specifications, the CHA Media Kit can be found online at https://cha.horse/advertise/#cha-media-kit and to book your ad space, or for questions, please contact CHA’s ad sales representative Leigh Ann Matthews at sales@CHA.horse

CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse.
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(November 2020) Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) members, instructors, and speakers gathered to participate in the 2020 CHA Virtual International Conference, Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. During the two days attendees engaged in networking, expanded their knowledge over a variety of equine topics, and honored the highly anticipated award winners.

1. The first award recipient to be honored during the virtual awards ceremony was the CHA Volunteer of the Year. The coveted award that recognizes the countless hours and dedication CHA volunteers spend changing lives through safe experiences with horses. The winner is Pam Prudler from Sacramento, California.

CHA member Lisa Lombardi said this about Pam. “Pam has devoted her life to enriching newcomers to the safety and joys of horsemanship since 1972. At that time, she first became a CHA certified riding instructor and was immediately hired to teach at the location where she was certified, Shady Lawn Farm in Oakdale, CA. It was there at Shady Lawn that she met educators who wanted to include safe horseback riding at their camps, and she got involved with further developing what was then called Camp Horsemanship Association. The main idea was to come up with a leveling system that resembled what was already in place for Red Cross water safety. The earned certificate or patch would mean the same in any camp program, so that the campers riding skills would not need to be re-tested if they chose a different camp.

In approximately 1980, she and others from around the country met in Illinois to put together official CHA manuals that would include the written materials and illustrations already being used by Shady Lawn Farm. During her time at Shady Lawn Farm (1972-1989), Lois Orr, Pam and others pushed for having certified instructors, helmet use, coordination with liability insurance companies, and to expand the CHA program to include western states.

She still owns horses and has taught hundreds to ride including her own nieces and grandnieces. Today nothing gives her more joy than watching children with horses. She has dedicated her life to educating others in the safety and joy of horsemanship. Pam is, and always has been, a contributor to the horse world and to CHA.”

2. The CHA Partner in Safety Award is given to a person or entity that embodies horsemanship safety at the core. The CHA Partner in Safety goes to Marmon Valley Farm in Ohio.

Marmon Valley Farm was established in 1964 and began certifying CHA instructors and campers soon after. Programs have included both seats English and Western at all 4 levels, Jumping, Drill teams, Driving, Vaulting, Pack Trips, Gymkhana and simple Trail courses. All campers ride on the 250 wooded acres of trails. They also host small horse shows and have a public riding stables that serves hundreds of guests every year. They can put out 25 riders every half hour on a busy fall Saturday.

Marmon Valley began as a small Farm camp with 5 horses in 1964 on 75 acres. Now over 50 years later, it’s an established horse facility with 500 acres and 150 horses. Marmon Valley Farm and the Wiley family have been a supporting member of CHA holding clinics to provide safe programs for over 50 years! This family has three generations of CHA Certifiers! Marmon Valley Farm in Zanesfield, Ohio has hosted 49 certifications clinics since 1996, certifying 353 CHA Instructors.

“The Marmon Valley Farm Staff was excited to be this year’s proud winner of the “CHA Partner in Safety Award,” says Jane Wiley Olsen. “We appreciate the recognition for all the hard work our staff have put in, over the 50 years, to keep horseback riding and horse related activities safe in our organization and many others. Thank you for recognizing us in this wonderful association.”

3. CHA Certifiers are vital in order to continue growing the association and accomplishing our mission. The CHA Certifier of the Year Award is reserved for someone who has shown outstanding service to CHA by conducting meaningful certifications and influencing the careers of equine professionals over many years. This year’s award was given to Cheryl West from Oklahoma.

Cheryl is a CHA Certifier in the CHA English/Western Instructor Certification, Equine Facility Managers Certification and Instructors of Riders with Disabilities Certification. She has also been a very active Regional Director for her area of the country.

She has had this said about her, “It has been a pleasure to learn the ropes of how to conduct a CHA Certification from her. She runs a smooth, orderly and clearly lined-out clinic. She is quick to make adjustments and adapt when needed. She remains positive, fair and energetic throughout the process even during the long days. She challenges each equine professional attendee in a way to help them see their fullest potential and encourages them to shine in their unique individual style. She brings years of experience with passion, enthusiasm, pride and encouragement for each participant. She takes pride in representing CHA to others. Cheryl challenges herself and continues to grow in order to bring out her very best for those around her. She is an inspiration and models grit, determination, perseverance and passion.”

“It is humbling and gratifying to know that I could have a positive influence for others in our industry,” says Cheryl West. “It’s a huge responsibility to be a CHA Certifier and I enjoy making a difference.”

4. Often described as the life blood of the association, individual certified instructors undoubtedly play a key role in the success of the association and its mission. Earning the title of 2020 CHA Instructor of the Year is Trisha Kiefer-Reed from Montana.

Trisha has had this said about her: “She has the ability to teach each student regardless of what level they are at. She not only tells the students how to adjust themselves and their horses, she breaks down the mechanics and explains the why and how of the maneuvers and the adjustments. She has the ability to adjust how she explains things to the level of each rider. This results in success for each and every student. I think this is the “pot of gold” for the students that are fortunate enough to ride with her. Trisha is a powerhouse of energy. In the past twelve months alone, she has tirelessly spread enthusiasm for safe and sane horsemanship throughout her home state of Montana as well as Alberta, Wyoming, and the far reaches of Alaska.

Trisha is very involved with WE United Association that is about the sport of Working Equitation. One of the things that impressed me the most about Trisha is that she took the time to learn about the sport before she jumped in and began to offer instruction in it. Trisha began to teach clinics and private lessons grounded in the discipline of working equitation after over a year of intensive professional growth. As word of the quality of her instruction began to spread, her clinics began to sell out, and her weekends quickly filled.

Trisha is a CHA Master Instructor and Clinician and is the consummate professional. She is excellent at meeting the horse and rider where they are, on any given day. Her enthusiasm and humor make her instructions fun and memorable. She’s patient, fair, encouraging, and possesses the best sense of humor ever!”

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be recognized amongst this outstanding group of men and women,” says Trisha Kiefer-Reed. “My goal now is to keep learning and sharing information, keeping this chain of knowledge strong for our aspiring instructors.”

5. The CHA Distinguished Service Award is a lifetime achievement award for an individual who has gone above and beyond through the years promoting and upholding the mission of the association. The 2020 recipient is Beth Powers of Bellefontaine, Ohio.

For 30 years since the beginning of her equestrian career, she has been a friendly face to everyone she meets sharing her love for the CHA organization, its members, staff, and mission. Her passion for life is evident from your first conversation. It does not take long for you to know that she is a life time member of the CHA proud team! A fixture each year at the CHA booth at Equine Affaire in Ohio she continues to share her love of the profession & our organization. She has volunteered her time in that booth for over 20 years! Setting it up, spending each of the four days talking to members and prospective members, tearing it down and keeping all the furniture and carpet at her house during the year. Beth is a CHA Life Member and is certified in both English/Western Instructor and Trail. She is a CHA Site visitor and Site Visitor Trainer and she conducts our trainings of new site visitors at our International Conferences every other year. She has been many roles in leadership with CHA including committee chair, and even our President. Beth was nominated and elected to our Board of Directors in 1999 and is just now rotating off after 21 years of service!

“I was completely surprised by this recognition,” says Beth Powers. “I have had many opportunities over the years to tell our CHA story of safe, fun and effective horsemanship to anyone who would listen. I have traveled all over doing conferences and trade shows for CHA and realize CHA is still needed and is just as relevant as it was over 50 years ago. Thank you so much.”

For a complete list of past CHA award winners, visit https://cha.horse/international-conference/#award-winners
CHA Equine Professionals Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship videos and webinars, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse.
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(November 2020) The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) has new leadership on its board for 2021. We are excited to introduce them.

Dr. Bob Coleman is the new CHA President. Dr. Coleman graduated from the University of Manitoba with a bachelor’s in Agriculture with a major in Animal Sciences and then a Master of Science. He worked in the Canadian feed industry as a nutritionist for two major feed companies. In then became the extension horse specialist for Alberta Agriculture and completed his PhD at the University of Alberta with a focus in Equine Nutrition. He is now the University of Kentucky’s equine extension specialist in Lexington. He also teaches in the Equine Science and Management program, advises undergraduate students, and served as the program’s director of undergraduate studies until May 2017. He has researched voluntary forage intake of horses and the use of rotational grazing practices to meet maintenance needs of adult horses. He has worked with University of Minnesota faculty to develop the Healthy Horse app, which helps owners to estimate their horse’s current and ideal body weight. He is a CHA Site Visitor Trainer for the CHA Equine Facility Accreditation Program.
“I am honored and excited to be the incoming CHA president as CHA brings together people from all aspects of the industry to help those they meet have a safe experience with horses and those experiences do change lives,” says Dr. Coleman. “It is not just those new to horses this impacts, but all of us.”

Kristin Jaworski is the new CHA President Elect. She is from Fort Worth, TX and is the Director of the Fort Worth Herd where she manages and directs the world’s only twice daily longhorn cattle drive. She grew up raising mules and horses in northern Arizona and later graduated with her Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership from Tarleton State University. Since 2002 she has expanded all aspects of The Herd, including educational programs, facility operations, and horsemanship to support the economy and raise awareness of western heritage. Kristin was introduced to CHA through The Herd program and is a CHA Certified Instructor and a CHA Equine Facility Manager Certifier.

“The Certified Horsemanship Association has remained true to its why statement, by changing my life through safe experiences with horses, members of the organization, education and volunteers,” says Jaworski. “CHA has professionally influenced me as a rider and encouraged me to become a steward of the organization and I am honored to be elected President Elect. I believe in the excellence that this organization represents in the horse industry and am honored to serve.”

Katie Reynolds was elected to a second term on the CHA Board of Directors.
Katie is the Director of Youth Development & AQHYA at the American Quarter Horse Association. In this role since July of 2016, Katie is responsible for engaging a youth membership of more than 22,000, developing a diverse portfolio of programs and educational resources, and providing career and leadership development opportunities to tomorrow’s industry leaders. Katie is a graduate of Colorado State University. Katie spent several years as the Youth Programs Coordinator for Arabian Horse Association in Denver, Colorado, where she created programs, increased fundraising revenues, and advanced youth leadership development. It was during those years that Katie established a deep personal commitment to youth involvement. In 2008, Katie joined the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo as the Horse Show Director. There, Katie launched competitive events resulting in an increase of more than 260% in youth participation, worked with a committee of more than 500 volunteers, and managed a wide assortment of world-class events for thousands of exhibitors. A native of Wisconsin, Katie is a lifelong horseman. She resides in Canyon, Texas with her husband and their three children.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to continue serving as a board member of CHA,” says Katie Reynolds. “CHA’s mission is so important and I look forward to helping advance the association’s objectives in the coming years.”
Returning CHA Board members include: Hayley Eberle, Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association, Oklahoma City, OK; Teddy Franke, Camp Morrow, Pine Hollow, OR; Susan Garside, YMCA Camp Noah, Canal Fulton, OH; Jessica Hersey, Cowboy Mounted Shooting, Gettysburg, PA; Katrina Lechlitner, Spring Hills Camp, Reed City, MI; Amanda Reardon, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY; and James Rickner, Champ Chippewa, KS.

The rest of the CHA Executive Board consist of: Vice President of New Initiatives Anne Brzezicki, Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, Murfreesboro, TN; Vice President of Regional Relations Jennifer Eaton, Interscholastic Equestrian Association, Groveland, MA; Secretary Elizabeth Duffy, Camp America, Eatonton, GA; Treasurer Terry Williams, Blanchester, OH; and Past President Tammi Gainer, Pegasus Farm and PATH International, Alliance, OH

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and YouTube Safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America and to find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, please visit www.CHA.horse.

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(October 2020) – The Certified Horsemanship Association Online Silent Auction is open for bidding now at https://cha.horse/advertise/#donate-silent-auction-items. It is truly an All-Breed, All-Discipline Auction thanks to our wonderful donors!

Please share this event with everyone. Great horse owner supplies, travel, gift baskets, books, household items, gift certificates, clothing, art, jewelry and much more is up for bid.

The auction will be live until November 2, 2020 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. Any items you win will be shipped to you after the closing of the auction for FREE. Funds will go towards CHA Scholarships for those in financial need due to hardship to support attendance at a CHA Certification to jump start their careers as a riding instructor or equine facility manager.

CHA is also holding its first ever Virtual Conference on Friday, October 30, 2020. This event will be open to all horse enthusiasts with a CHA member and non-member rate for the educational horsemanship day.

This conference will not just be your typical Zoom call with talking heads and Powerpoint presentations. The sessions will be very interactive and some speakers will be doing videos ahead of time with riders up on horses to showcase what they are teaching during their presentations. They will then be online to answer any questions after the video sessions. Here is the schedule for the day and for the recording you can receive after the event if you can’t join us live.

Friday, October 30, 2020 – 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET
CHA Virtual Conference – $95 for CHA Members and $155 for non-members
9:30 a.m. Gabrielle Diakon – Yoga for the Virtual Equestrian Conference Attendee
10 a.m. Dr. Bob Coleman – 4H Resources Ready for You and Your Youth
10:30 a.m. – Jochen Schleese – The 8 Myths of Saddle Fit
11:30 a.m. – Julie Goodnight – Simple and Flying Lead Changes (video with horses)
12:30 – Lunch break
1 p.m. – Shawna Karrasch – Positive Reinforcement Training (video with horses)
2 p.m. – Tara Reimer – Turnbacks and Rollbacks (video with horses)
3 p.m. – Julie Fischer – Grant Writing and Fundraising
3:30 p.m. – Susan Garside – Ways to Help Your Lesson Horses Succeed with Their Students (video with horses)
4:30 p.m. Jo-Anne Young – Understanding and Developing the Half Pass (video with horses)
5:30 p.m. – Courtney Smith – How to Teach the Boring Stuff in a Fun Way
CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse
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(October 2020) – Certified Horsemanship Association is hosting an Online Silent Auction this year and it is open for bidding now at https://cha.horse/advertise/#donate-silent-auction-items. It is truly an All-Breed, All-Discipline Auction thanks to our wonderful donors!

Please share this event with everyone. Great horse owner supplies, travel, gift baskets, household items, gift certificates, clothing, art, jewelry and much more is up for bid.

The auction will be live from October 15 – November 2, 2020. Any items you win will be shipped to you after the closing of the auction and shipping is included for free. Funds from this auction will go towards CHA Scholarships for those that are in financial need due to hardship to support attendance at a CHA Certification to jump start their careers as a riding instructor or an equine facility manager.

Thank you for your support by bidding on auction items. And a huge thanks to our supporters who donated items to the CHA Auction!

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse ###

(October 2020) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is holding its first ever Virtual Conference on Friday, October 30, 2020. This event will be open to all horse enthusiasts with a CHA member and non-member rate for the educational horsemanship day.

This conference will not just be your typical Zoom call with talking heads and Powerpoint presentations. The sessions will be very interactive and some speakers will be doing videos ahead of time with riders up on horses to showcase what they are teaching during their presentations. They will then be online to answer any questions during the video sessions and afterwards. Here is the schedule for the day and for the recording you can receive after the event.

Friday, October 30, 2020
9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET
CHA Virtual Conference – $95 for CHA Members and $155 for non-members
9:30 a.m. Gabrielle Diakon – Yoga for the Virtual Equestrian Conference Attendee
10 a.m. Dr. Bob Coleman – 4H Resources Ready for You and Your Youth
10:30 a.m. – Jochen Schleese – The 8 Myths of Saddle Fit
11:30 a.m. – Julie Goodnight – Simple and Flying Lead Changes (video with horses)
12:30 – Lunch break
1 p.m. – Shawna Karrasch – Positive Reinforcement Training (video with horses)
2 p.m. – Tara Reimer – Turnbacks and Rollbacks (video with horses)
3 p.m. – Julie Fischer – Grant Writing and Fundraising
3:30 p.m. – Susan Garside – Ways to Help Your Lesson Horses Succeed with Their Students (video with horses)
4:30 p.m. Jo-Anne Young – Understanding and Developing the Half Pass (video with horses)
5:30 p.m. – Courtney Smith – How to Teach the Boring Stuff in a Fun Way

CHA will also have a virtual silent auction that companies can donate products and services to. Please visit here to find out more about the event and to register for the link to join or to for the recording afterwards!

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse
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(September 2020)  Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) can help you earn insurance discounts for your equine facility by going through the CHA Site Accreditation Program.

“The hardest part about this program is getting your binder done that has all the mandatory and recommended CHA Site Standard documents printed out and ready to be seen by the site visitors when they come,” says Christy Landwehr CHA Chief Executive Officer. “If your insurance has not heard of CHA, we will send our Standards for Equestrian Programs Manual and a cover letting explaining the process to them. We have received no less than 10% off for our sites when we have done this, and all the way up to 50% for one site on their equine facility insurance policy.”

Visit here https://cha.horse/cha-site-accreditation/ to learn more about this program. The fall and winter months are a great time to get this process done and then you can advertise that you are CHA Site Accredited and be listed on our site and on others where we partner such as American Horse Council’s Time to Ride and more.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(September 2020) – Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is hosting a webinar on Equines and Disaster Planning on Wednesday, September 30^th and you can also watch and listen to the recording afterwards.  To register today for the live webinar or the recording, please visit https://cha.horse/shop-webinars/

Jim Boller is with Code 3 Associates, Inc. and has been in the forefront of animal welfare and disaster response for more than 30 years. Jim is a full time instructor and disaster responder with Code 3 providing extensive training throughout the US to animal welfare professionals and those involved in animal emergency response.

Surveys indicate that only about 10-12% of animal facilities have written disaster plans.  Disaster planning has been shown to minimize the overall affects that can impact a facility shortening the recovery time for a facility when others may continue to struggle.  This discussion will cover some of those areas in the mitigation and preparedness stages of disaster planning that are overlooked and aid in reducing the effects of a devastating event.  Please join us as Jim shares some of his incite of over 30 years of responding to assist animals and their owners during natural and manmade disasters.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(September 2020) – Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) will be on Horses in the Morning for our “Training Tuesday” show on October 20th at 10 a.m. ET. This is a free podcast on the Horse Radio Network. Hope you can listen in! https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show

Join Glenn Hebert, host of Horses in the Morning, and Christy Landwehr, the CEO of CHA, as they co-host this show each month. This episode will feature CHA incoming President Dr. Bob Coleman as he discusses 4H Resources Ready for You and Your Youth and CHA member and Tennessee State Rep Courtney Smith speaking on How To Teach Boring Things in a Fun Way to your riding students.

This show is sponsored by the Mustang Heritage Foundation and Michelle Bonds will be on the show talking about the foundation and how you can get involved in their work with mustangs. https://mustangheritagefoundation.org/

If you can’t make the live show, you can find the free recordings here for this show and all the CHA shows we have done for the past 5 years with the Horse Radio Network – https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse
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(August 2020) Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) holds annual awards for horses, humans and companies. They include:

• CHA Certified Horseback Riding Instructor of the Year
• CHA Partner in Safety
• CHA Volunteer of the Year
• CHA School Horse of the Year
• CHA Certifier of the Year
• And the CHA Distinguished Service Award

Here is the list of our past award winners in each category since 1996. https://cha.horse/international-conference/#award-winners

In order to nominate a horse, human or company to win one of these annual CHA Awards, please return this form by no later than August 31^st to office@CHA.horse  – https://cha.horse/international-conference/#nomination-forms

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(August 2020) – Certified Horsemanship Association needs your donations today for an Online Silent Auction we are hosting this year in October in conjunction with our Virtual CHA International Conference, Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.

Visit this link today to put in your products and services that you want to donate to share what you do with over 12,000 equine facility mangers and horseback riding instructors. Please plan on donating items to support our CHA scholarship fund!  Will need the form filled out by no later than October 1, 2020. The auction will be live from October 19 – November 2, 2020.  Thank you for your support!

 CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

(August 2020) – Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) will be on Horses in the Morning for our “Training Tuesday” show on August 18^th at 10 a.m. ET. This is a free podcast on the Horse Radio Network. Hope you can listen in!  https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show

Join Glenn Hebert host of Horses in the Morning and Christy Landwehr the CEO of CHA co-host this show each month. This episode will feature Patti Colbert who has been active in the horse industry for 50 years having worked for AQHA and creating the Extreme Mustang Makeover for the Mustang Heritage Foundation among many other things.  She will be talking about different generations and how we all view the horse industry.

Then Julie Broadway, the President of the American Horse Council will be on the show talking about the current legislative issues in our country that involve the horse industry and how we can all get involved to work on change.

If you can’t make the live show, you can find the free recordings here for this show and all the CHA shows we have done for the past 5 years with the Horse Radio Network – https://cha.horse/education/#horse-radio-show.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

(July 2020) – The Certified Horsemanship Association’s (CHA) is happy to announce our July webinar Yoga for Every Equestrian with Gabrielle Diakon live on Wednesday, July 29^th at Noon ET with a recording to follow to be watched anytime. This webinar will be very interactive with Gabrielle guiding the viewer in yoga postures that will benefit equestrians as they are watching.

Gabrielle Diakon is the Owner/Founder of GMD Training. She is an RYT 200 Certified Yoga Instructor and teaches ‘Yoga for Every Equestrian’ which aids riders with their mental and physical balance in the saddle. Starting off as a timid junior rider and progressing to become a professional rider and trainer, Gabrielle created a program to create confident and strong riders. She specializes in riders’ body awareness in order to optimize their effectiveness, all while helping riders create a strong bond with the horses they ride.

In this webinar we will speak about how using yoga can help your students mentally and physically balance in the saddle. Yoga improves the rider’s concentration, attitude, and physical abilities.

Visit here today to register for the live event on Wednesday, July 29^th at Noon ET at https://cha.horse/shop-webinars/.   Register here as well to get the recording if you can’t join us live and CHA can send the link to you. CHA has a special on all of our Webinars in between now and July 31^st at half price!  So make sure to register before this deadline!

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(July 2020) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is holding its first ever Virtual International Conference on Friday, October 30, 2020.  This event will be open to all horse enthusiasts with a CHA member and non-member rate for the educational day.

This conference will not just be your typical Zoom call with talking heads and Powerpoint presentations.  The sessions will be very interactive and some will be doing videos ahead of time with riders up on horses to showcase what they are teaching during their presentations. They will then be online to answer any questions during the video sessions and afterwards.

We already have confirmed as interactive speakers: CHA Spokesperson and Certifier Julie Goodnight, Jochen Schleese with SaddleFit4Life, Dr. Julie Fischer on grant writing and fundraising for your equine business, Tara Reimer of Cloud 9 Ranch in Manitoba with Turnbacks and Rollbacks and many more!

CHA will also have a virtual silent auction that companies can donate products and services to. Please visit here to find out more about the event and to register for the link to join or to get the recording if you can’t be on with us live today!

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(July 2020) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) and the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) are hosting a CHA Equine Facility Manager Certification from November 20 – 22, 2020 at the Queenslake Facility in Georgetown, KY for only $650 a person.

This hands-on with horses certification includes four levels that participants can attain during the 3-day event based on their knowledge of equine safety, horse handling, horse husbandry, equine facility management and professionalism. There are four written tests and skills at each level that need to be demonstrated such as catching and tying a horse, trailer loading, taking vitals, and much more.

This link will provide participants with a free EFM webinar to find out more what to expect at the certification, as well as the details that are required at each level.

“CHA’s Equine Facility Manager Certification checks all the right boxes for a group of employers looking to qualify potential employee’s skill sets,” says Laurie Mays KEEP Equine Talent Pipeline Project Manager.  “The Sport/Show Horse Farm Employer Collaborative group is comprised of 11 facilities in the Central Kentucky area and is the brainchild of both the Kentucky Equine Education Project and the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center. This group of employers is looking for highly experienced and qualified individuals to manage their facilities and feel that by using the EFM certification they can find, and certify, top professionals. Overall, this bodes well for the growth of their businesses as well as the professional progress of the individuals.”

About KEEP

The Kentucky Equine Education Project, Kentucky’s equine economic advocate, is a not-for-profit grassroots organization created in 2004 to preserve, promote and protect Kentucky’s signature multi-breed horse industry. KEEP is committed to ensuring Kentucky remains the horse capital of the world, including educating Kentuckians and elected officials of the importance of the horse industry to the state. KEEP was the driving force in the establishment of the Kentucky Breeders Incentive Fund, which has paid out more than $177 million to Kentucky breeders since its inception in 2006, and pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse racing, which has been responsible for more than $40 million to purses and more than $24 million to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

KEEP works to strengthen the horse economy in Kentucky through our statewide network of citizen advocates. To learn more about how you can become a member or support our work, please visit www.horseswork.com.

About Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center

Launched in January 2017, and the first in the nation, the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center is the centerpiece of the efforts that grew out of the Chamber’s initial report on the state’s workforce challenges to meet the needs of business. The Center’s programs include Kentucky’s Talent Pipeline, Recovery Response Program for Business, and Bus to Business.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, has an educational horsemanship streaming video channel, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified equine professional or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse 

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(May 2020) – Anyone who wants to further their career by earning a Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) Certification is encouraged to check out the CHA Certification Schedule online at https://cha.horse/find-cha-certification-clinics-by-date/   CHA Certifications are intensive multi-day events in which attendees learn and demonstrate their skills so they can be certified at one of CHA’s various certification types and levels. They are currently available for the English/Western Instructor (EWI), Equine Facility Manager (EFM), and Instructors of Riders with Disabilities (IRD) this August 2020 on into 2021. Join more than 30,000 experts who have been certified by the largest equine professional certifying organization in North America!

Certification offers many benefits to the equine professional, including showing the industry and potential customers that you have the skills and knowledge to teach riders or to run an equine facility according to strict industry standards set by an independent third party. In addition, certification demonstrates professionalism, dedication, and a commitment to horsemanship instruction and/or equine facility management. Certified individuals have demonstrated their focus on the safety and well-being of all participants in equestrian pursuits, humans and horses alike.

A person’s willingness to dedicate their time and money to the CHA certification process indicates that they are a serious professional. CHA certified equine professionals must demonstrate a high level of professional competence and adhere to continuing education requirements set forth by CHA to maintain their certification. In addition, many insurance companies recognize certification and will give discounts.

At this time, CHA English/Western Instructor Certifications are available in the following locations: Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.

Those wishing to receive CHA Equine Facility Manager Certification can attend certifications in California, Colorado, and Kentucky.

Normally, CHA conducts over 80 certifications around the US and Canada. They are posted on the CHA website for the fall of 2020 into the spring of 2021 at this time.

Certification includes workshops and hands-on demonstrations in five areas: safety, horsemanship knowledge and ability, teaching techniques, group control, and professionalism and ethics. Two CHA Certifiers evaluate each attendee, who must also pass written tests and competently demonstrate their skills during the event to receive their certification. The cost of the certification also includes the attendee’s membership in CHA, fees for the event, and all educational materials. Each host site will specify which meals are included and if a lodging option is available with the final price.

For more information on attending a CHA Certification and what to expect, please visit https://cha.horse/cha-certifications/

For anyone wishing to host a CHA Certification, the organization is taking applications to host in the spring of 2020 and beyond. Host sites must become a CHA Program Member that is pre-approved by CHA. If your facility would like to become a new host site for CHA, please visit https://cha.horse/how-to-host-a-cha-clinic/

For questions, or if you have already been approved as a host site, please contact CHA at office@CHA.horse to receive your next steps.

To keep up-to-date on all news from CHA, please sign up for the CHA monthly email newsletter at www.CHA.horse.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and Safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399.  To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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(May 2020) Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) has launched a brand new interactive website at https://cha.horse/.

“We are so excited about this new website that has great resources for all equestrians including educational horsemanship video shorts, webinars, full length streamable videos on a variety of equine topics, articles under our fun categories such as:  Pet Peeves Around the Barn and the Solutions to Solve Them, On the Rail, Tricks of the Trade, Incidentally Speaking and so much more,” says Christy Landwehr, CHA Chief Executive Officer.

CHA members have their own member login section where they can find deep discounts in the online store on CHA manuals, posters for the barn, DVDs, CHA wearables, CHA gifts for riders and much more!

If you are wanting to find an equine professional near you, be it an instructor or equine facility manager, this new site can help you do that. You can also find a barn, camp, lesson program, trail ride operation, college/university and more by just typing in your city and state or province. Please visit https://cha.horse/ today and enjoy!

 CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship streamable videos and DVDs, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of equine professionals in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, or to find a certified horseback riding instructor, equine facility manager or an accredited equine facility near you, please visit https://cha.horse/ or call 859-259-3399.

(February 2020)  Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is excited to offer a webinar with Tim Davis from Zero Egg Count on Friday, March 27, 2020 at 11 a.m. PT, Noon MT, 1 p.m. CT and 2 p.m. ET. Those attending the webinar live will have an opportunity to ask questions. It will also be recorded for those who are unable to make it at the scheduled time.

The webinar is open for anyone to register. For CHA members the cost is only $20 and will count as one hour of continuing education. (CEUs) Those certified through CHA must earn 25 hours of CEUs every three years to keep their certification current. For those wishing to access the webinar, but are not CHA members, the cost is $40. You can register for the webinar here.

To view a complete list of horsemanship and equine business webinars available through CHA click here.

Zero Egg Count is an Equine Healthcare company offering diagnostic equine parasite test kits and laboratory services that provide information about your horse’s worm burden and the effectiveness of your deworming program. Zero Egg Count’s mission is to make fecal testing your horse easy and affordable. Zero Egg Count’s inexpensive mail-in equine parasite test kits use a non-invasive collection process that is quick and easy to follow. Each kit includes everything you need to collect and safely ship your horse’s fecal sample to Zero Egg Count’s laboratory. Zero Egg Count’s lab is staffed with professional laboratory technicians using the most accurate and sensitive fecal egg count testing methods recommended by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) for parasite testing.

Zero Egg Count Equine Parasite Test Kits provide vital information about your horse’s worm burden and the effectiveness of your deworming program. Zero Egg Count Parasite Test Kits are sold through e-commerce sites, catalogs, and retailers, and are available to trainers, barns, veterinarians and horse owners across the United States. The kits can be used on all horses regardless of age or breed. Each kit contains all the materials you need to test a single horse. Multi-packs and Barn Kits are also available for multiple testing environments. https://zeroeggcount.com/

Tim Davis, along with his wife, Diane, three dogs, and several barn cats, own and operate a boarding, training and retirement care facility for over 30 horses in the Midwest. One of their areas of focus has been successfully retraining “off-the-track Thoroughbreds” for new meaningful carriers. Close to a decade ago, Tim and Diane struggled to implement a comprehensive parasite control program and thought there had to be a better, less expensive, less confusing way to test and treat horses for parasites. So over the next few years, Zero Egg Count evolved. Tim and Diane’s current Test-Before-You-Treat Parasite Control Program has successfully lowered their herd’s average fecal egg count results over time. Zero Egg Count is Tim’s second venture into the world of laboratory testing. Tim previously founded and sold a successful microbiology testing business.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and video safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse.

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(January 2020) – Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is seeking experts within the horse industry as speakers for the 2020 CHA International Conference. Part of CHA’s mission is providing quality continuing education within the horse industry, and the annual international conference is CHA’s ultimate learning opportunity. The 2020 CHA International Conference is scheduled for October 30 – November 1, 2020 at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. Speakers at this event include riding instructors, horse trainers, barn managers, veterinarians, equine behaviorists, farriers, saddle fit specialists, equine association representatives, business consultants, and other equine professionals. Those wishing to attend the conference should Save the Dates.

If you would like to speak, CHA is now accepting speaker applications for classroom-style lectures, roundtable and panel discussions, hands-on horse demonstrations, and mounted riding sessions (using Parsons Mounted Cavalry school horses) with attendees who sign up on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sessions at the CHA International Conference are focused on safe, effective, and fun horsemanship.

CHA is all-breed and all-discipline organization. The audience at the CHA International Conference includes riding instructors, trail guides, barn managers, driving and vaulting coaches, horse owners, riders, and general horse enthusiasts. Attendees can sign up to ride well-trained school horses provided by the Texas A&M Parsons Mounted Cavalry. CHA members and non-members alike attend as the conference is open to the public with prior registration.

Those wishing to speak should contact CHA at 720-857-9550 or clandwehr@CHA.horse. The deadline is March 2, 2020. Those applying to speak will need to send a professional biography paragraph, a photo, and a session title and paragraph description, along with anything needed to fulfill your session.

More information about the CHA International Conference can be found here. Additional information will be added online throughout the year, including the full line-up of speakers and sessions.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and YouTube Safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse

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(January 2020)  Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) has expanded its educational offerings on its YouTube channel again. These free resources are great for all ages and experience level to watch and expand their knowledge and while keeping a focus on safety. Viewers can watch all the videos, which cover a variety of topics and range from three to 15 minutes in length by clicking on the links below.

The newest additions cover the following topics:

• Lunging the Horse Safely with CHA President Tammi Gainer
• How to Safely Hitch a Horse with Ellen Taylor from the Harness Horse Youth Foundation
• The Horse’s Digestive Tract with CHA Instructor and board member Susan Garside
• Sample Lesson: Simple Change of Lead with CHA Certifier Cheryl West

Past topics covered include Sample Lesson: First Trot, Lengthening and Shortening Horse’s Strides, Truck and Trailer Safety Check, Showmanship Tips, How to Pony a Horse Safely, How to Fit a Rope Halter, and much more.

CHA encourages the horse industry and the public to use these free videos and to embed them on their websites for their clients. CHA’s videos are created with the goals of helping to spread the CHA’s mission of safe, effective, and fun horsemanship.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and Horsemanship Safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information and Photos

Contact: Christy Landwehr
720-857-9550 or clandwehr@CHA.horse

Certified Horsemanship Association Seeking
Advertising Sales Representative

(November 2019) – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) is seeking an Advertising Sales Representative. The Ad Sales Representative would report to the CHA Chief Executive Officer and is a part-time 1099 contracted position. The Ad Sales Representative would sell advertisements on behalf of CHA for a variety of projects, including The Instructor annual magazine, the CHA International Conference Program, the CHA monthly podcast, monthly CHA e-newsletters, horsemanship safety videos and more.

Applicants should have experience selling ads within the equine industry, have his or her own contacts within the industry and be willing to generate a leads list. Some leads will be provided. CHA is seeking a detail-oriented self-starter who will work remotely from a home office. The applicant must have their own working computer, Internet, phone, etc.

This position is a commission-only position with no base salary and is a 1099 contracted position. Commission ranges from 10% to 30% depending on if it is a new advertiser or repeat business. To apply for the position, please email a resume, cover letter, and references to Office@CHA.horse with “Ad Sales Job” in the subject line.

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies equine professionals, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and Horsemanship Safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA.horse or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHA.horse .

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