Our Focus

Professional Education

Training horses, caring for them, and teaching riding, each require different skill sets, each of which is specialized. An excellent trainer is not necessarily an excellent instructor; an excellent rider is not necessarily an excellent barn manager. Many of our peer countries require horse industry professionals to be certified by an accepted educational program and to undergo continuing education over the course of a career in horses.

The United States is an outlier. Except for veterinarians, there is no formal certification or licensing requirement for people who make a living with horses. The result is too many instances of consumer confusion, unsafe riding, and the perpetuation of animal husbandry practices long since discredited by science.  

There is no one-size fits all certification program for the Maryland horse industry because our industry is so diverse. We have over 800 licensed stables, 58 licensed rescues and sanctuaries, and 67 therapeutic riding centers. We are home to 40 breeds of horses and 35 different equestrian disciplines, including: barrel racing, competitive trail riding, cutting, dressage, draft horse pulling, driving, endurance, eventing, fox chasing, harness racing, hunter/jumpers, jousting, mule jumping, polo, polocrosse, ranch riding, reining, rodeo, show jumping, side saddle, steeple-chasing, therapeutic riding, Thoroughbred racing, vaulting, western dressage, western equitation, and working western, as well as several others. We have unusually high number of riding schools teach beginning riders of all ages, in various styles of riding.

There are, however, numerous programs that already provide professional education for a variety of disciplines and breeds. Until we develop a program specific to Maryland, HSM will recognize any-one who is certified or licensed by any one of the programs listed below as an HSM Equine Professional. 

HSM Recognized Programs

GENERAL:

  • Equine Studies Institute
    • Professional Stable Manager Certification
    • Professional Horse Trainer Certification
    • Professional Riding Instructor Certification
  • American Riding Instructor Association (ARIA)
    • Stable Management Certification; Certified Stable Managers in Maryland as of 09/2024:
      • Arthur, Charish; 10714 Todds Corner Road | Easton, Maryland 443-786-3607
      • Calver, Sarah; 1770 William Road | Millersville, Maryland 410-349-6052
      • Hoobler, Marilyn; Silver Spring, Maryland
      • Rilee, Jessica; 4278 Hawthorne Ridge Farm | Harwood, Maryland 443-867-2979
      • Roberts, Scott; 1007 E. Church St. | Salisbury, Maryland 443-523-6146
      • Sipe, Aleece Mathura; 1300 Sundee Drive | Edgewater, Maryland 443-223-4428
      • Tomlinson, Joel; 32121 Huntly Circle | Salisbury, Maryland 443-523-4609
    • Riding Instructor Certification in any of the 14 competition disciplines offered; list as of 12/2024
      • Dressage
        • Arthur, Charish; 10714 Todds Corner Rd | Easton, Maryland 443-786-3607
        • Ford, Laura; 8346 Roundhill Road | Charlotte Hall, Maryland 301-481-8314
        • Lau, Megan; 12751 Layhill Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 301-962-1699
        • Reilly, Tate; 15415 Tanyard Road | Sparks, Maryland 907-602-2867
        • SanNicolas, Eliza; Germantown, Maryland 240-477-2062
      • Driving
        • Altieri, C. Karen Altieri; 8530 Mitchell Road | La Plata, Maryland 301-266-9220
      • Eventing
        • Hagen, Kelley Hagen; 12751 Layhill Rd | Silver Spring, Maryland 301-949-3010
        • SanNicolas, Eliza; Germantown, Maryland 240-477-2062
      • Hunt Seat
        • Altieri, C. Karen Altieri; 8530 Mitchell Road | La Plata, Maryland 301-266-9220
        • Arthur, Charish; 10714 Todds Corner Rd | Easton, Maryland 443-786-3607
        • Calvert, Sarah; 1770 William Road | Millersville, Maryland 410-349-6052
        • Ford, Laura; 8346 Roundhill Road | Charlotte Hall, Maryland 301-481-8314
        • Ganske, Jessica; 2318 Sykesville Road | Westminster, Maryland 410-848-2371
        • Goodman, Katherine; 206 Tunbridge Rd | Baltimore, Maryland 410-925-6881
        • Hall, Gina; 35866 Army Navy Drive, Mechanicsville, Maryland 717-446-4530
        • Holbrook, Rae; 7220 John Pickett Road, Woodbine, Maryland 410-375-3016
        • Reilly, Tate; 15415 Tanyard Road | Sparks, Maryland 907-602-2867
        • Smith, Jennifer; 105 E Timonium Road | Timonium, Maryland 443-604-8904
      • Show Jumping
        • Arthur, Charish; 10714 Todds Corner Rd | Easton, Maryland 443-786-3607
        • Ganske, Jessica; 2318 Sykesville Road | Westminster, Maryland 410-848-2371
      • Side Saddle
        • Altieri, C. Karen Altieri; 8530 Mitchell Road | La Plata, Maryland 301-266-9220
      • Western
        • Rilee, Jessica; 4278 Hawthorne Ridge Farm | Harwood, Maryland, 443-867-2979
      • Other ARIA Certified Professionals in Maryland
  • Certified Horsemanship Association
    • Equine Facilities Manager Certification
    • English/Western Instructor Certification
    • Driving Instructor/Driver Certification
    • Trail Guide Certification; Certified Maryland Trail Guides:
      • Dzimiera, Judith; 404 Pinehurst Ave | Salisbury, Maryland 443-783-5439
      • Kulynycz, Maribeth; 12124 East Ridge Road | Princess Anne, Maryland 443-235-6156
      • Winter, Sandra; 5367 Sixty Foot Road | Parsonsburg, Maryland 410-835-8814

UNITED STATES DRESSAGE FEDERATION (USDF):

UNITED STATES EVENTING ASSOCIATION (USEA):

UNITED STATES HUNTER JUMPER ASSOCIATION (USHJA) RESOURCES:

OTHER UNITED STATES EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION LICENSED OFFICIALS (as of 12/2024)

  • Reining — Laporta, Robert; Damascus, Maryland 301-466-8367
  • Morgan Breed — Swartz, Stasha; Frederick, Maryland 717-460-2080
  • Welsh Breed — Bigley, Shawn; Colora, Maryland 443- 466-8787

FÉDÉRATION ÉQUESTRE INTERNATIONALE (FEI) LICENSED OFFICIALS (as of 12/2024)

  • Eventing
    • Butts, Gretchen; Laytonsville, Maryland 240-401-4010
    • Domino, Katelyn; Harwood, Maryland 410-353-8269
    • Keefe, Rumsey; Sandy Spring, Maryland
    • Mansfield, Patricia; Brookeville, Maryland
    • Pariso, Peggy; Frederick, Maryland 240-506-1895
    • Pride, Valerie; Harwood, Maryland 410-353-3813
    • Pritchard-Bryan, Eileen; Jarrettsville, Maryland443-417-7371
    • Taylor, David; Keymar, Maryland 240-388-2519
  • Show Jumping
  • Dressage

If you would like us to consider a professional certification program that is not already listed above, please send an email to [email protected]. 

1 We have over 800 licensed stables, 58 licensed rescues and sanctuaries, and 67 therapeutic riding centers. We are home to 40 breeds of horses and 35 different equestrian disciplines, including: barrel racing, competitive trail riding, cutting, dressage, draft horse pulling, driving, endurance, eventing, fox chasing, harness racing, hunter/jumpers, jousting, mule jumping, polo, polocrosse, ranch riding, reining, rodeo, show jumping, side saddle, steeplechasing, therapeutic riding, Thoroughbred racing, vaulting, western dressage, western equitation, and working western, as well as several others. We have unusually high number of riding schools teach beginning riders of all ages, in various styles of riding.

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