Bhs stage 1 exam

Yes agree with Charlie 76 re college mounts, and the time of year, but perhaps, just perhaps this student wasn't really ready to take stage one surely her instructor/adviser should have been aware, instead of letting her go ahead and end up feeling let down, let alone putting a big dent in her confidence, however lets hope she puts it all down to experience and uses it all as a learning curve :cool:
 
Oh this post is bringing back memories of when I used to let my ginger boy be used for BHS exams :eek: :eek: :eek:

The number of people who couldn't ride a beautifully schooled (well to BHS Level 3/4 standards easily) responsive little wb was scary! He's the kind of horse who will do exactly what you ask if you ask correctly. If you are incapable of asking correctly he will carefully nanny you round at a steady walk until you learn how to ask correctly :D
 
lol at Shils!

I think most of the time the horses are perfectly suitable but as mentioned , it is 'spring' and some will be a tad fresh.
I didnt do my stage 1 as had my NVQ 2 so bypassed, I could have gone straight in to do my stage 3 but chose todo my 2 as I hadnt been in the exam situation before and didnt want to fail!
I also believe some candidates have an inflated impression of themselves ( prepared to be shot down) but I did my stage 2 at a college and I was the only person who wasnt a student at said college. One girl boasted to me she was at distinction level for her lunging, ok...we both lunged at the same time (large indoor split in to 2) the girl who had boasted to me couldnt get her horse out of canter and just seemed the fall apart and started crying ( I suppose nerves may have been a factor here) when it came to riding I kept hearing 'Oh no ive got X,' or 'yes ive got Y!' then when we got to jumping I was given some very 'helpful advice' as I was given a cob who 'cant jump'....on the contrary I had a grin on face as we popped round the course a little quick perhaps but my it was fun!
Best bit was I passed :)
I do think that colleges and examiners have a difficult time sourcing decent horses for such a range of riders....
 
neelie OAP said:
Yes agree with Charlie 76 re college mounts, and the time of year, but perhaps, just perhaps this student wasn't really ready to take stage one surely her instructor/adviser should have been aware, instead of letting her go ahead and end up feeling let down, let alone putting a big dent in her confidence, however lets hope she puts it all down to experience and uses it all as a learning curve :cool:
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Or perhaps your just stop judging people because of a fail, and blamming the instructor, because you don't know us or are capabilities. Perhaps i wasn't ready by atleast i am trying!
 
Nobodys judging you op, there is nothing wrong with you perhaps needing a bit more time, but for me the way forward is to look at how you can improve instead of focusing on other factors. If you had said one or 2 horses had misbehaved or all were slightly fresh I for one would have probably believed you. For me, it just came across as tho you were exaggerating about the horses behavior instead of looking for ways to learn for next time.
 
I can admitt i need to improve and can admitt that i should of coped with it better, but that still doesn't change the fact of the way in which to college dealt with the situation, or the horses being quiet 'fresh'.

I don't like arguing and posted this just to express an experience i had that was unfreindly and quiet negative. This is not meant in a bitchy was nor have i wanted any of this to be, but i would just wish people would put themself's in other people's shoe sometimes, without taking a dig before they even know a person.
 
Danni, you're going to come up against 'negative and unfriendly' in the equestrian world so you need to be determined and hold your nerve.

Horses tend to buck due to incorrect leg position and incorrect use of crop. I'm sure you know this and what to do to avoid this happening.

It seems you are still stressed-out a couple of days on. Go for a ride and chill.

Procedure for assessment:

Candidates will ride in groups of 6
Session lasts 50 mins
Candidates will ride 2 or 3 horses
Walk and trot with/without stirrups
Trot over line of poles
Canter on both reins
Carry stick up to 75cms
Commander to call out exercises.

(Just thought I'd post that for anyone not familiar with stages)
 
Fellewell said:
Danni, you're going to come up against 'negative and unfriendly' in the equestrian world so you need to be determined and hold your nerve.

Horses tend to buck due to incorrect leg position and incorrect use of crop. I'm sure you know this and what to do to avoid this happening.

It seems you are still stressed-out a couple of days on. Go for a ride and chill.
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Agree totally with all of this!!! Methinks OP is being unnecessarily morbid in her assumption that she has "failed"; as no formal indication has been given yet????

In a lot of yards, i.e. a dealers yard or whatever, you're just given a horse to show off to a prospective client and just have to knuckle down and get on with making the most out of bad material and its no good grousing about it or you're up the road.

So TBH don't expect much sympathy or touchy-feely on here - its the last place on earth!!
 
Fellewell said:
Danni, you're going to come up against 'negative and unfriendly' in the equestrian world so you need to be determined and hold your nerve.

Horses tend to buck due to incorrect leg position and incorrect use of crop. I'm sure you know this and what to do to avoid this happening.

It seems you are still stressed-out a couple of days on. Go for a ride and chill.

Procedure for assessment:

Candidates will ride in groups of 6
Session lasts 50 mins
Candidates will ride 2 or 3 horses
Walk and trot with/without stirrups
Trot over line of poles
Canter on both reins
Carry stick up to 75cms
Commander to call out exercises.

(Just thought I'd post that for anyone not familiar with stages)
Click to expand...

That does make it sound really basic though, when its actually the first of a series of professional exams, so should be tougher than someone doing riding club exams for example. For example, when I did my stage 3 many years ago, all 60 of us at the college took our RC grade 3 first. Everyone passed. When the 60 took the Stage 3 a month later only 12 passed..

I took my stages 1 and 2 at different venues as a private candidate. (I failed my 2 first time round). I took my 3 at a college that I was training at. It was actually harder to take it at the college as you already knew and anticipated the horse's faults rather than just getting on and assessing like you would on a strange horse.

OP you don't know you've failed yet, so fingers crossed for you. These exams are a lot about how you react when things go wrong.. Out of those 12 that passed their stage 3 with me, one was the only one of the day to fall off, and another fainted before she got on her first ride!

If the riding centre and the BHS did not react to your complaints, I kind of get the feeling that they may not have seen it as as big an issue as you did...?? Sorry to be negative.

If you have failed, bite the bullet and get back on at it..x
 
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