by Peter Ibrahim Abisheganaden

Buying a Riding Instructor’s License online has become a reality for some Asian riders. The Korean-based Asian Equestrian Association (AEA) has begun marketing operations in selected countries in Asia, offering three levels of FEI-AEA Riding Instructors Licenses.

Three levels of instructor’s licenses are available for sale on-line from AEA.

• Level 3 – Qualified to coach National Teams at Regional Games (Asian & SEA Games), World Championships and Olympic Games – US$500
• Level 2 – Qualified to coach at CSI, CDI, CEI, CIC and World Cup Level – US$350
• Level 1 – Qualified to coach at Club and National level – US$200

The level 3 is the equivalent of a Masters degree, while the Level 2 has a Bachelor’s degree equivalency. The Level 1 is similar to a diploma.  All levels come with an International Instructor's Passport, enabling the recipient to work worldwide.

The cost of purchasing these licenses is vastly cheaper than the Malaysian Equine Council’s National Coaching Accreditation Scheme license which is offered in Malaysia, and does away with the need for practical riding and coaching assessments. In fact, this new license requires no assessments at all.

As the FEI-AEA license is only available online, countries with a high-internet penetration were chosen first. The FEI-AEA Riding Instructor’s License has already been available in Korea, Japan, India and Singapore since the start of this year. Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines will follow in the next stage of internet sales of instructor’s licenses, with sales beginning 1st April 2007.

No practical training is necessary for someone to be licensed as it is based on collective community prior learning. Anyone can apply online to obtain a riding license from the AEA. All that is necessary is a valid credit card and a club membership.

Club membership determines the highest level that applicants may be accredited for. Riders who are members of the oldest clubs in Malaysia will be eligible for the prestigious Level 3 qualification. This is to reflect their club’s collective history in equitation, which is quantified as the club’s prior learning.

In Malaysia only the Royal Selangor Polo Club, with a 105 year history is pre-eligible for up to Level 3 status. RSPC members who apply for the online application are now favourites to coach Malaysia’s teams at this December’s South East Asian Games.

Members of younger clubs can only apply for Level 2 or Level 1 accreditation. Bukit Kiara and the mounted units such as PDRM, DBKL and SIB fall into the level 2 category.

A bone of contention is the limitation of 3QE riders to Level 1 status. The AEA insisted that there was no bias in this listing. They defended their decision based on the timing of the first shows ever held by those clubs. Bukit Kiara ran their own horse shows since 1991; however 3QE first hosted a horse show in 1996.

Akademi Equestrian DiRaja Selangor (AEDS) has not been listed, making their riders ineligible to become accredited FEI-AEA instructors. No reason was given for this exclusion.

Applicants wishing to purchase riding licenses need only submit a proof of club membership and their credit card details. Submission of Curriculum Vitae is necessary only if a Level 2 or Level 3 license is applied for.

No customer has yet been turned away. Every applicant whose credit card was not rejected has received their online license.

A spokesperson for the Malaysian Equestrian Federation defended this license: “It is very good that those who cannot pass the MEM-NCAS Level 1 will be able to obtain some other professional coaching license. It is much the same as purchasing a Masters degree online. Naturally, I am not against it.”

Sales of online riding licenses have been brisk. Singapore has led the way in Level 3 sales. Ko Takeda, Secretary-General of the Asian Equestrian Association said, “It is not surprising that Singapore has led the way in internet sales. Their clubs are very old, so their riders are pre-qualified for Level 3, which has the highest selling price. The citizens there are used to the paper chase and of course Singapore has a large virtual riding community.”

Not everyone is in favour of an on-line instructor’s license. Some have questioned the credibility of an online riding instructor’s license that is totally based on a perceived prior learning of an entire club or community. Former MEM-NCAS Coach Educator Lorna Fisher had a lot to say on this subject. Her initial remarks are likely to be condensed in a future article on Equestrian.Com.My as they are rather lengthy. The gist of her argument is that perceived theoretical knowledge based on community prior learning cannot make up for a lack of practical riding skills.

It has not deterred Malaysians hoping to make a career in equestrian sport. Said a former Malaysian SEA Games showjumper, “I have been trying to get the Level 1 License for many years. I failed a few times because the NCAS examiners who watch me ride do not speak Malay. This way I can get an FEI-AEA Level 2 Instructors License online because my unit is already established for it. All I need now is for MEM or LTM to give me their credit card number.”

To buy an FEI-AEA Instructor’s License online, please click on this link: http://equestrian.com.my/form_app/form.php

The FEI-AEA Riding Instructors License is marketed in an advanced direct-selling programme. If you join the programme, you too can make large commissions by becoming a direct-selling agent of Equestrian.Com.My. To find out how you can make money by selling the FEI-AEA Riding License programme, please click here: http://equestrian.com.my/form_app/form2.php

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