National Shooting Horse Association
NaSHA’s goal is to support those who guide and develop others within the shooting horse discipline by providing clear tools, shared language, and practical frameworks—without adding red tape or interfering with individual teaching styles.
Most of these resources are provided free of charge because we believe education should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn, improve, and contribute to the sport.
Teaching in this discipline carries real responsibility. These resources exist to help bring clarity, consistency, and thoughtful progression to training—while always protecting the horse as speed, pressure, and complexity increase.
The Instructor Pathway offers structure and guidance for riders who want to take on a teaching or leadership role within the sport.
It provides shared frameworks and support tools that can be used, adapted, or built into individual programs. There are no certifications, approvals, or required processes—those using these resources remain responsible for their own decisions and approach.
Lesson Levels are a training and communication tool designed to help identify readiness, organize priorities, and provide clear, consistent feedback based on observable skills and the horse’s response.
They are most commonly used in lesson settings, where progress can be observed and adjusted over time. Lesson Levels are not competition rankings, certifications, or requirements, and they do not replace existing classifications.
They exist to support learning and development—nothing more, and nothing less.
To support Lesson Levels and structured teaching, NaSHA provides a range of practical resources designed for real-world use. These include lesson planning and tracking tools, lesson-level guides, visual progression references, and quick-reference materials to support day-to-day instruction.
Many of these foundational resources are available free through the NaSHA Resource Center. A Pro Instructor Toolkit is also available for those who want deeper teaching guidance, integrated materials, and additional decision-support tools.
Use as much or as little as is helpful.
Use and Attribution
If you choose to use NaSHA Lesson Levels or related materials in lessons, clinics, or educational content, please credit NaSHA as the source. Clear attribution helps maintain consistency, supports continued development of shared resources, and allows others to locate and benefit from the original materials.
What This Is—and Isn’t
This is not a certification program.
It is not a ranking system.
It is not an attempt to control instruction.
It is a set of practical tools and shared frameworks, built from real-world experience, designed to support learning, guide development, and protect horses within the shooting horse discipline.
How These Pieces Fit Together
The Instructor Pathway provides structure and guidance
Lesson Levels provide clarity and feedback in training
The Pro Instructor Toolkit provides practical, day-to-day teaching tools
Together—or used individually—these resources form a flexible system that can be adapted to different programs, goals, and approaches, while keeping the horse at the center of the work.
Our Purpose
NaSHA Standards & Frameworks are developed to support safe, ethical, and effective shooting horse education. By providing many of these resources free of charge, we aim to remove barriers to learning and support a stronger, more informed community.
NaSHA Standards & Frameworks are published by the National Shooting Horse Association and support safe, ethical shooting horse education.
This isn’t about certification. It’s about building a confident new generation of educators who can keep this sport growing the right way — with integrity, skill, and a horse-first mindset.