This is the foundation and stepping stone to your professional guide career. The Basic Program provides the knowledge and experience for an outdoor enthusiast to lead and coordinate guiding and outfitting adventures. The basic program is conducted over a two week period clocking 120 hours of instruction and exercises. This is a prerequisite course for the advanced COAGS courses. Below are the topics of instruction and time allocated for each.
Basic Guide Curriculum
Introduction – 10 hours |
School Standards |
Outdoor Recreation Opportunities |
Qualifications and Skills Needed |
Basic Horsemanship – 30 hours |
Introductory Riding Lessons |
Saddles and Equipment |
Horse and Mule Behavior |
Horse Care and Common Health Problems |
Trailer Loading and Transportation |
Repair of Tack/Equipment |
Safety |
Leadership Development – 10 hours |
Based on the concepts of Dale Carnegie’s How to win Friends and Influence People |
Standard First Aid and CPR Certification – 10 hours |
Orienteering – 20 hours |
Using a Compass |
Using a GPS (Global Positioning System) |
Maps (Topos, US Forest Service, BLM) |
Day/Night Navigation |
Wilderness Survival – 10 hours |
Safety and Prevention |
Hypothermia |
Dehydration |
Emergency Procedures |
Emergency Shelters and Fire Starting |
Outdoor Recreation – 30 hours |
Hiking and Backpacking |
Biking and Mountain Biking |
Trail Rides and Pack Trips |
Outdoor Photography |
Camping and Tent Construction |
Outdoor and Camp Cooking – 10 hours |
Cooking on Camp Fires |
Dutch Oven Cooking |
Cooking on Wood Burning Stoves |
Menus (Nutrition and Diet) |
Safe Food Storage |
Conservation – 8 hours |
History |
Organizations and Funding |
Ethics |
Patterns/Practices |
Animal Activist |
National Forest Service use and regulations |
“Leave No Trace” Techniques |