Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) promotes excellence in safety and education by certifying riding instructors, accrediting equine facilities, producing educational conferences, and publishing educational resources. To visit CHA’s website, go to www.CHA.Horse for more information.
Horses in school? Yes! Upper Columbia Academy (UCA), a boarding school outside of Spokane, Washington (in a little prairie town called Spangle) runs a riding program for their students and a few outside clients. The program allows students to board and ride their own horse at the facility, or students can participate by riding one of the school horses which are leased from the CHA accredited program Camp MiVoden, a summer camp located on Hayden Lake, ID.
This unique student experience is managed by Holly Haeger, CHA Master Instructor and Certifier, and is supported by two CHA Certified Instructors, Luke Torquato and Laurel Siapco. Currently there are 27 students who ride in the program at least twice per week, and another half dozen who additionally participate in private lessons to further their equestrian goals.
The multi-discipline program runs out of an indoor riding arena, enclosed sand round pen, and numerous open fields for riding. It’s a future goal to have this site and program accredited with CHA and to offer CHA Instructor Certifications for its senior students and other interested participants. This program is in early development and they are excited to continue growing and improving the facility, the horses, and the program.
With its firm foundations in CHA instruction and certification and its recent national listing as a USPC Pony Club Riding Center, this little horse and lesson program is off to a great start. You can follow their journey on Instagram @uca.equestrian or Facebook (UCA.EquestrianCenter). If you have questions about the program, email the program director Holly Haeger at [email protected].
CHA Region One conference is March 3-6, 2022 at Warm Beach Horsemanship in Stanwood WA. Swing by and say hello! Find more information about Northwest programs and certifications at www.charegion1.com.
See this article in the March/April 2022 online edition:
The Northwest Horse Source is an independently owned and operated print and online magazine for horse owners and enthusiasts of all breeds and disciplines in the Pacific Northwest. Our contemporary editorial columns are predominantly written by experts in the region, covering the care, training, keeping and enjoyment of horses, with an eye to the specific concerns in our region.
