United States Eventing Association

The Benefits in Becoming an ICP Certified Instructor

Founded in 2002, the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program provides a standard of instruction unlike any other eventing program in the U.S. Any eventer can become ICP certified and will join a group of well-known eventers including gold medal Olympians like David O’Connor, Leslie Law, and Phillip Dutton - who are all ICP certified.

The ICP program educates all levels of eventing instructors to confirm their knowledge base, both theoretical and practical, upon which they will continue to build throughout their teaching lifetime. The mission of the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program is to produce and improve the craft and art in the teaching of riding and horse management for the sport of eventing through the application of the highest principles of horsemanship, which ensures the ethical and humane treatment of horses and the safety of both horses and riders and extends to all those associated with the health and well-being of the horses.

Becoming an ICP certified instructor will boost your resume, expand your skillset, and can grow your clientele base. Read on below to see more benefits of becoming an ICP certified instructor.

Benefits of ICP Certification:

• Name and contact information featured on the USEA ICP Directory.
• Name and contact information featured on the USEA Directory of ICP Certified YEH Instructors and/or the USEA Directory of ICP Certified YEH Professional Horse Trainers.
• Free team registration with the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL). For interscholastic teams that are associated with a USEA ICP certified instructor, the $75 affiliate fee will always be waived.
• Professional confirmation of the instructor’s teaching principles and practices and of the YEH professional horse trainer's riding/training skill and of their rider- and horse-care standards.
• Ongoing conversation with all other ICP certified instructors, with ICP certified YEH professional horse trainers, and with the ICP Committee via ICP’s Google groups email.
• Ongoing professional development via completion of ICP Continuing Education credits.
• Continued learning via participation in ICP Continuing Education co-teaching clinics.
• Opportunity to share teaching/training insights via articles accepted for inclusion in the ICP Workbook.
• Reduced premium for professional liability insurance.
• Reduced rate for attending or riding in ICP educational activities like the annual ICP Symposium.
• The ICP Sponsor Parker Equine Insurance offers a 5% discount to all ICP certified instructors.
• The ICP Sponsor Stable Secretary provides a 25% discount on their subscription services to all ICP certified instructors.
• All ICP certified instructors receive free 1-month access to all materials on www.equestrianprofessional.com and a free business consultation via phone with Equestrian Professional’s Elisabeth McMillan.
• Free listings of an ICP-certified individual’s equestrian activities/clinics with STRIDER.
• ICP instructors receive 15% off StriderPlus services.
• ICP instructors receive 15% off Strider eWaivers services.

To register with USEA’s Instructors’ Certification Program, ask questions, and obtain further information about ICP, contact Nancy Knight at [email protected] or (703) 669-9997.

About the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program

Instructors are essential to the training of riders and horses for safe and educated participation in the sport of eventing. The USEA Instructors’ Certification Program (ICP) was initiated in 2002 to educate all levels of eventing instructor with essential training principles upon which those instructors can continue to build throughout their teaching careers. ICP offers educational workshops and assessments by which both regular instructors, Level I through Level IV, Young Event Horse (YEH) instructors, and Young Event Horse professional horse trainers can become ICP certified. Additional information about ICP’s goals, benefits, workshops, and assessments as well as names and contact information for current ICP-certified instructors, YEH instructors, and YEH professional horse trainers are available is available on the USEA website. Click here to learn more about the Instructors’ Certification Program.