Opportunities

I got an exciting phone call this morning!

I have the day off and have been spending the day trying to neaten up the house a bit and spending some quality time with my dogs. My phone rang later in the morning and it was the director of a local therapeutic riding program associated with a center for youth at risk. They've recently hired a new director of the equine programs and she found my name in the NARHA (formerly the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) directory.

Apparently, the previous director has moved on to another opportunity and this woman has been hired in her stead. She was previously certified as an instructor, but her certification lapsed five years ago, which means that she'll need to start the entire process over again if she wants to teach at a NARHA approved center. Their other instructor recently blew out her knee and is having surgery in March. Which is where I come in. As a certified instructor (and, particularly, one who has a college degree) I am qualified to "mentor" new instructors, which would allow her to get her certification again. She is hoping to attend an On Site Workshop and Certification in March, so she's going to have to boogy to make the requirements (25 supervised teaching hours) in time. She also might be interested in having me join the team for their spring and summer session to teach.

I am SO excited about this! I'm happy and grateful that I'm in a position where I can have my own horse and train and ride her, and Indigo is a joy every time I work with her (even if the cold sometimes cuts those training sessions short!) but I miss teaching in a way that I can't even describe.

I'm meeting with her in person at the riding center on Monday and I'm already so excited and nervous I can hardly sit still. I am really really hoping this will work out so I can get back into the EAAT (Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies) world. It's been too long.

And, I can't lie, a little bit of extra income while saving for a wedding wouldn't be a bad thing either! Mostly it's about the horses and the riders though, I swear! I'll update after Monday after our meeting with how things went.

I can't wait!