BHS or UKCC?

ridefast

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It's been on my mind for a while to train as proper instructor, and I was wondering what difference there is between the two, BHS or UKCC? Do they train any different or is it just BHS is better recognised?
 
It is two different things. I have my UKCC level 2 which I took through the ABRS. Levels one and two are generic across all equestrian sports. When you get to level 3 it can be discipline specific. The BSJA, BD and BE all do UKCC courses at times. I had a wealth of experience having shown at County level both under saddle and in hand. I had done a little eventing prior to that, until I decided I wasn't brave enough and stuck to showing and dressage. I am a listed judge. The BHS wasn't for me. They insist you jump. I am no longer permitted to do so after a serious accident. I would maybe have been prepared to risk it on my own horse, but not on the kind of horses most exam centres give you. The UKCC gave me a way to show how well I could coach. They took my APL into consideration. I had to coach a basic group jumping lesson which I scraped through. But my private lesson was flatwork which is my speciality. I have some counselling qualifications, a deep interest in psychology and have been a race relations and equal ops trainer for a large organisation. So I had a lot of skills to draw on. Even so I found the completing of the portfolio a challenge. You have to make sure you know the buzz words they want to hear etc. It had a subsidy with the ABRS when I took it, but I understand that has now finished. I enjoyed it and of course having it has meant my insurance premiums are much lower. You will need to do your child safeguarding course and first aid too. I already have enhanced CRB clearance for my current work. Good luck whichever route you take.
 
A riding school I used to teach at a few years back decided we were all going to do our training through the UKCC, we were all currently at various BHS stages.

The 'training mob' came swanning in and basically told us we were to forget everything BHS and learn the new way. No kidding, we spent two hours doing the most BASIC stuff, we were bored to tears. They shadowed our lessons and interfered to the point we couldn't actually teach, as instead of leaving it to the end to give us their 'constructive criticism' they just jumped in there and then. So we had a school full of pupils but had to be talking to this 'trainer' about how to word the lesson and how to teach. Then they'd have the cheek to tell you never to take your eye off the pupils as 'horses are soooo unpredictable!"
I hadn't been there long, but other instructors who had been teaching there for years were understandably not happy with the 'trainer' interrupting the lesson to broadcast to the clients in the MOST patronizing way "You'll have to excuse X, she is only just starting her training and quite clearly has a lot to learn!"

It was a complete disaster. I left the yard for various other reasons anyway, so I've no idea how they're all getting on with it now.
 
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