BHS Stage 1 struggles

[merlo89]

I've just started equine college on level 3, and plan to do my stage 1, however I have never had a horse, so do not know loads and have much experience...

Everyone has told me I will struggle with stage 1 as I haven't done any pony club exams and never done something like this and am not learning much about the stuff in lessons.

Has anyone done it without the experience of owning a horse? Is there light at the end of the tunnel :confused3:

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

I have my own horse now but didn't when I did my stage one although I had a lot of help from the riding centre I volunteered at and now work at. All I can say is get the BHS stage 1 book and revise if u can go to riding centres and practice the practical side like tail bandages. Good luck😊

 

[teapot]

You can get through your Stage 1,2, and 3 without your own horse if you're training at the right place imho.

Get yourself a couple of the text boos, and see if you can work, even if it's one day a week at a where to train BHS yard.

 

[Red-1]

I helped a person with stage 1 and stage 2 and he did not have a horse. You do need a trainer IMO if you don't have a vast amount of experience, plus a facility were you have horses and equipment. The horses certainly don't need to be your own.

Come to that, when I did my stage 4 and II I did not have my own horse (or trainer come to that)! I got the BHS exam paperwork, and learned it from recommended books, rode for a SJer, and went to the local training yard to teach their exam students. I do think that it is easier to be independent when you have a depth of experience though.

Reading your OP, it concerns me that you are at equine college and are "not learning much about the stuff in lessons." Maybe a talk with the course tutor to put together an assessment of where you are now, and an action plan to fill the blanks?

 

[be positive]

Who is "everyone" and what qualifies them to put you down, there is certainly no need for your own horse at any of the BHS levels, in fact in some ways not having your own will mean less bad habits to eradicate in order to pass the exams, as long as your college is preparing you and doing the correct syllabus with you then there is no reason to be concerned, stage 1 is just that, it is the first stage of your journey and it should be possible to do most of the work with very little input from your instructors.