An education, mentoring, and certification process built from a proven process that results in better prepared, more confident, and faster-growing professionals ready to take on complex teaching environments.
The HF&F Academy + Certification process is built off from nearly two decades of teaching, mentoring, and watching what actually creates successful instructors and sets them up for long-term success.
Free to apply. We’ll email the full Information Booklet, At-A-Glance, and details for scheduling a 1:1 informational call.
Our industry has called for higher standards and stronger preparation of instructors. This Academy + Certification was built to answer that call — a scaffolded, bottom-up process that meets you where you are and challenges you to grow from there. Designed to serve as either a standalone certification or a powerful complement to other certifications you may already hold.
Safe, ethical, effective instruction — every level, every lesson, every student.
Equine welfare and instructor sustainability as non-negotiables.
A thinking instructor who can show not just what they’re doing when teaching but how, why, and when — or when not.
Every phase of the Academy and Mentoring is intentionally designed to prepare you for these competencies — and Certification itself is granted on demonstrated ability, not just completion of coursework. Your work is evaluated across eight competency domains:
What is expected of instructors going through our Academy + Certification process is woven into the clinic and every live online meeting, video review, oral board, and Certification decision — so the language and expectations given during the Academy and Mentoring phase is the same you’ll be assessed on at Certification.
Safe, effective personal horsemanship on the ground and mounted, plus a working understanding of how horse and rider biomechanics influence each other and how they are impacted when students have different physical, cogntive, emotional, and learning needs.
Designing and delivering 1:1 lessons and croup mounts & dismounts that are grounded in sound biomechanics, learning theory, and individualized planning — meeting students where the are yet challenging them to meet their full potential.
Student-centered instruction that supports riders across physical, cognitive, sensory, and emotional needs — with or without a formal diagnosis.
Proactive safety practices for horse, student, and lesson environment, with clear scope-of-practice boundaries, sound real-time judgment, and understanding precautions and contraindications associated with teaching students with disabilites.
Clear, respectful communication with students, families, mentors, and peers — across diverse learning styles and across professional contexts.
Decisions that reflect sound horsemanship experience, student needs, equine welfare, and ethical clarity.
Purposeful teaching guided by human learning and psychology principles — prioritizing and creating true learning and progression.
Integrity, accountability, ongoing growth, and the kind of conduct that represents the profession well.
Motivated instructors start with the A+C clinic and advance through education and mentoring to Certification in 6–8 months. You have up to 12 months to complete the process just in case life needs the runway. Mentors are sourced for you, support is built into every phase, and we work to make every step as clear and low-stress as we can.
A portion of the 80 required teaching hours may be accumulated prior to starting the process with HF&F, provided they meet the Academy’s eligibility criteria. See the Information Booklet for full details.
You’ll go through the process as part of a cohort — a small group of instructors who move through Phase 2 together. The in-person clinic and live online classes are shared experiences with your cohort, while Mentoring is one-on-one between you and your assigned mentors. Cohorts are kept intentionally small with limited seats, so every instructor gets meaningful attention from the team.
This is where you decide if the Academy is the right fit for you — and where we make sure it’s the right fit on our end too.
A 4-day in-person clinic at Hoof Falls & Footfalls in Phoenix, jumpstarts your education. From there your education continues in the comfort of your home barn
Submit your final teaching documentation, two recorded lesson videos, and sit for a live oral board. Certification is granted on demonstrated competency — enrollment doesn’t guarantee certification, and we think that’s exactly the point.
From your in-person clinic through your first year as a certified instructor — it’s all in one enrollment fee.
Spots are intentionally limited so every applicant gets real, hands-on attention.
The Hoof Falls & Footfalls Academy + Certification is led by founder Saebra Pipoly and supported by a team of respected professional mentors with decades of combined experience in adaptive and traditional instruction, mentoring, and instructor education. Pairing years of firsthand teaching and mentoring experience with the most current knowledge and applications in equestrian education, movement science, and adaptive instruction.
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Barn owner or program director? Want to send an instructor through the Hoof Falls & Footfalls Academy + Certification process? Use the form above and we’ll route you to the right next steps.
