One of our PATH Certified Instructors, Vali, is well on her way to teach driving lessons to therapeutic participants.
The certification process is intense. She had to have a minimum of 200 hours driving including at least 6 hours of current instructed driving and 25 hours teaching able-bodied students as well as passing an online test on PATH Standards. She then was allowed to attend the three day Driving Workshop/Certification Event at Touchstone Farm in New Hampshire, a PATH Premier Center. After the workshop, she passed four tests, over the course of two more days, to become eligible for certification. She was given 45 minutes to groom, harness, ground drive, and put to the carriage or cart and horse whichever we were assigned. She had three evaluators who watched her every move. The scutiny and need for expertise was very intense.
The first two tests she took scored her driving ability. She had to drive a dressage course and then a timed cones course. Upon passing, she had to submit a detailed lesson plan and teach an able-bodied intermediate driver from the ground. She was given 15 minutes for the lesson and then evaluated on how closely she followed her lesson plan. That evening the assessors gave her a profile for a disabled driver who she was to teach on the last day of the event. These were the farm’s actual clients! The next morning she handed in her detailed lesson plan and was given 20 minutes to complete the lesson. After the lesson, she was given individual feedback from the evaluators detailing her scores on all the tests.
Vali passed all the on-site tests! Yay! The last step is for Vali to take one more online test, a grueling 90 minutes/90 question exam. Upon her passing the exam, Vali will be certified to teach therapeutic driving! Please cheer Vali on while she immerses herself in studying!
Vali has already begun teaching able bodied drivers. If you are interested in learning to drive a horse and cart, please contact us!
The certification process is intense. She had to have a minimum of 200 hours driving including at least 6 hours of current instructed driving and 25 hours teaching able-bodied students as well as passing an online test on PATH Standards. She then was allowed to attend the three day Driving Workshop/Certification Event at Touchstone Farm in New Hampshire, a PATH Premier Center. After the workshop, she passed four tests, over the course of two more days, to become eligible for certification. She was given 45 minutes to groom, harness, ground drive, and put to the carriage or cart and horse whichever we were assigned. She had three evaluators who watched her every move. The scutiny and need for expertise was very intense.
The first two tests she took scored her driving ability. She had to drive a dressage course and then a timed cones course. Upon passing, she had to submit a detailed lesson plan and teach an able-bodied intermediate driver from the ground. She was given 15 minutes for the lesson and then evaluated on how closely she followed her lesson plan. That evening the assessors gave her a profile for a disabled driver who she was to teach on the last day of the event. These were the farm’s actual clients! The next morning she handed in her detailed lesson plan and was given 20 minutes to complete the lesson. After the lesson, she was given individual feedback from the evaluators detailing her scores on all the tests.
Vali passed all the on-site tests! Yay! The last step is for Vali to take one more online test, a grueling 90 minutes/90 question exam. Upon her passing the exam, Vali will be certified to teach therapeutic driving! Please cheer Vali on while she immerses herself in studying!
Vali has already begun teaching able bodied drivers. If you are interested in learning to drive a horse and cart, please contact us!
