THE REQUIREMENTS ARE THE SAME TO UPGRADE FROM COMPETENCE TO MASTERY WITHIN A LEVEL, OR TO UPGRADE TO A HIGHER LEVEL.

The time taken by a coach to become accredited varies depending on the riding/coaching experience she brings with her, and how much she ‘goes for it’. There is no set number of either ridden or teacher training courses that have to be attended, and no set amount of co-teaching that is required. Basically, you have to prove to me that you have ‘got it’. This would take most people between one and two years, and possibly longer.

CASE HISTORIES AND VIDEOTAPES FOR ACCREDITATION.
For each level, and for upgrades from Competence to Mastery within a level, you need to produce: 2 videotaped lessons and 3 written case histories, one of which can concern the same pupil as one of the videotapes.

VIDEOTAPES
One tape can be of the first RWYM lesson given to an already experienced rider.
The other must be of someone you have worked with over time, ideally at least 6 months.
Tell me how long and give me some background at the start of the tape.
The camera needs to be held by someone other than yourself, preferably just outside the arena. It does not matter if the horse is not always in the frame. You should be in the frame most if not all of the time. If the microphone on the video camera is not picking up the pupil’s responses to your questions, you may need to repeat them. Sound quality is the most difficult problem to overcome when producing tapes – beware of outside arenas on windy days, and do a sound test before you commit time and resources to producing a tape. If you are talking to the pupil in halt, your camera person may need to come closer to pick up the sound. The biggest problem in indoor schools is likely to be light levels. Be sure that your pupils wear light coloured and body-shaped clothing.
If you watch the tape afterwards and realise what you could have done better, sit yourself in front of the camera and tell me your thoughts about the lessons, and how you might improve them given another chance.
If seeing and hearing yourself shows you where there is major room for improvement, learn the lessons of that feedback and start again!
I am well aware that by Sod’s Law, you will give the lessons of your life on days when there is no possibility of videoing (and anyway, you will not know in advance when they are going to happen). By definition, you are likely not to be showing me your best work. Such is life.

CASE HISTORIES
One of these can be a first lesson.
One can be of a rider you have also videotaped.
Two must be about riders you have worked with over time, ideally at least six months. One of these can focus on the lesson itself, and one must be a review of the pupil’s progress over time.

If you are writing by hand, I would expect each case history to be at least 2 sides of A4 paper. Typing will make it take less space. It is fine to write more than this if you get going and find you have lots to say. Be realistic about the issues you have faced, what worked well and what did not, what you consider to be the pupil’s key issues both physically and in relation to the learning process, how you find her easy or difficult to work with, what you think are next steps etc. Do not try to pretend that everything was perfect. Instead, show me how you learn from your mistakes. The life of a Zen master, they say, is one mistake after another.
Higher up the levels, I expect to see greater insight into the pupil’s and your own issues both within the lesson, and in relation to learning and teaching, and how easily you  communicate with each other and keep rapport.

NB. IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE CASE STUDIES ETC. AND BEEN ACCREDITED, YOU MAY SAY ON YOUR ADVERTISING THAT YOU ARE TRAINING WITH ME. BUT IF YOU DO SO YOU MUST ALSO SAY IN THE SAME SIZE LETTERING, ‘BUT I AM NOT AN ACCREDITED TEACHER OF HER METHOD’. YOU MUST ALSO MAKE THIS CLEAR IN ANY VERBAL INTERACTIONS THAT YOU HAVE WITH CLIENTS, OR YOU WILL BE IN BREACH OF MY TRADEMARK.