Nagling
Well-Known Member
I'm looking into taking my stage 3 this year and Bicton offer a course leading up to the exam. Does anyone know what the horses, teaching, facilites etc are like?
Many thanks in advance
Many thanks in advance
BHS exams at Bicton College, Devon
- Thread starter Nagling
- Start date
sarcasm_queen
Well-Known Member
um, facilities wise there's an indoor (about 20x40 i think), outdoor which is bigger, about 60x30, not sure. Um, xc course.
Horses aren't anything ludicrously special, they're mostly riding schooly types or people's own horses that are on working livery (but that have to be safe enough to be ridden by novices)
It's a nice enough place, and out of the area I don't think you'd find anywhere better to do it tbh
Horses aren't anything ludicrously special, they're mostly riding schooly types or people's own horses that are on working livery (but that have to be safe enough to be ridden by novices)
It's a nice enough place, and out of the area I don't think you'd find anywhere better to do it tbh
Santa_Claus
Well-Known Member
ditto above. only other place locally (ish) would be duchy college but the horses would be very similar types and cant comment on level of teaching as only training i had at bicton was nearly 10 years ago now!!
Dizzyblonde99
Well-Known Member
My friends did their stage one exams there, I think they found the riding quite hard as they were on challenging horses but I suppose that would make it more intrersting 
jhoward
Demon exorcist...
my 5 yo tb x show horse had a short time at Bicton on working livery, she certinally wasnt a "riding school" horse!
facilities are very good and the instructers are good.
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
Mine was at Bicton on working livery for two years; it did him good as gave him the basic schooling he badly needed. He was apparently a very popular horse there but now has gone back to slopping around on a disgracefully loose rein with me!!!
Are you thinking of going to Bicton as a full-time student? Or doing the BHS courses which I think run in the evenings.
I would think Bicton would be as good a place as any to do it. I've only got pony club C test which shows how long in the tooth I am! So know nothing about BHS exams, but Bicton do have "standard setting" days occasionally to show what the required standard is and you might find this helpful? If you contact their equestrian dept they'll let you know when the next one is.
As far as horses are concerned: most equine colleges have a mix of horses, ranging from a plod which is usually there and which everyone wants to ride, to the weird and wacky/quirky. Most horses on working livery are there because their owners don't know what to do with them, for various reasons, so I would certainly not presume that they're all "riding school types"!!!
If you do anything at a college, they'll give you a riding test to suss out your ability, and on that basis give you suitable horses to ride according to your ability.
Are you thinking of going to Bicton as a full-time student? Or doing the BHS courses which I think run in the evenings.
I would think Bicton would be as good a place as any to do it. I've only got pony club C test which shows how long in the tooth I am! So know nothing about BHS exams, but Bicton do have "standard setting" days occasionally to show what the required standard is and you might find this helpful? If you contact their equestrian dept they'll let you know when the next one is.
As far as horses are concerned: most equine colleges have a mix of horses, ranging from a plod which is usually there and which everyone wants to ride, to the weird and wacky/quirky. Most horses on working livery are there because their owners don't know what to do with them, for various reasons, so I would certainly not presume that they're all "riding school types"!!!
If you do anything at a college, they'll give you a riding test to suss out your ability, and on that basis give you suitable horses to ride according to your ability.