greybadger19
Member
As I got some very helpful and useful advice on here for applying for direct entry to the BHS exams, I thought I'd write a little on the Stage 4 riding and lunge exams I took last week. Haven't got the results yet; they'll be coming in the week.
Started with flat riding - assessing two horses, each with about 25 mins riding time. First brief was to warm up the horses, and identify their overall way of going and what we'd improve there and then, without worrying about assessing them for elementary level movements. I had a nice responsive chap of about 15-20y/o, but whose standard way of going was to look like a giraffe and set his neck. When persuaded to work he did have a nice engaged frame, but it wasn't quite working through the back. Explained all this, and that I'd work on lots of flowing lateral work in rising trot to encourage his softness and throughness. Also identified a canter asymmetry, and discussed how I'd work that in the longer term with counter-canter and counter-flexion work. Worked him in a bit more like this, and he was improving. Second brief was that the horse we were on had been in the riding school at stage 1-3 level all week, and we had a client coming the next day for an Elementary schoolmaster lesson. We had to assess the horse for using as a schoolmaster, and comment on what we would do to improve it ready for the lesson. My horse was a lovely clearly ex-competition horse, in his early 20s, who had the feel of one trained to advanced levels (bit of an indicator when you're given a horse in a double bridle too...). Plenty of buttons - took him through all the elementary movements and a bit of medium work, very fun to ride - I stated he would be a pleasure to both teach and learn on as a schoolmaster - but had the classic over-collection issue of blocking in his shoulder rather than remaining fluid in front. Also discussed that his ongoing riding should be for maintenance and longevity, rather than performance. He'd done quite a lot at this point as I was his second rider, so I was asked to just continue schooling him gently in walk to work on the areas identified.
Jumping next - showjumping track was definitely up to height, and felt on the 1.10m side of 1.07m syllabus. Had a nice teenager to jump, who again felt like he had a competition background. He was in a gag which I found a bit odd as his way of going would have been just fine in a snaffle; jumped him once each over a cross, upright and spread, and the jumps were lovely - rhythmical, fluid and bold - didn't feel the need to jump him any more than that when working in. Discussed with the assessor that given his bitting I expected he may change his nature a bit on a course, especially in the get-away. Expressed this as a concern for the 6 stride dog-leg, as the second fence was only about one stride after the intersection of the midlines, so discussed I'd ride a slightly unconventional wide line in order to give him time to balance prior to the fence. The round, though, was not as I would have liked. The first two oxers were very sticky - I let him get too close in rather than allow him a longer stride to the fence. He cleared them, but it lacked fluidity. The rest were OK, and the final one-stride double (oxer to upright) was very nice - but I just don't think I rode the rest of the course well enough. XC was on a little pocket rocket. Came out of the stable feeling pretty lazy - he certainly liked things his way, as he had no suppleness to speak of. Gave him a canter around the field and he set off in a lovely series of uphill bucks - clearly liked the grass on his toes! He was a touch enthusiastic over the warmup fences, and really set his neck on landing and took a hold. I took it as a schooling round, having to make some circles between fences and come back to a trot occasionally as he was just setting his jaw and running through the hand. Jumped absolutely everything, but lacked the way of going for a balanced consistent round. I commented as much to the assessors afterwards - that thinking of the brief (assess for a client who wants to buy for eventing) while he's fun to take on individual fences in a schooling context, he'd be dangerous on a competitive round without significant re-schooling. Now, what I don't know is if they were wanting a fluid round regardless of horse, or what...
Lunging was amusing. Had a 7-10ish y/o mare. Brief was just to work them as we would a horse that had just come to our yard. Assessing on the left rein, she lunged just fine - but was a touch ignorant of personal space and inward flexion - so I noted that to work on, and changed the rein... Cue a rear, a run back, and an attempt to turn in and double-barrel me. Mindful that another candidate was lunging a nice quiet horse at the other end of the arena, I started sorting the mare out quietly, trying to avoid upsetting the other horse. The assessor said that she's ask them to bring another horse as it wasn't fair for me to have a horse behaving like that in the assessment; I commented that I'd happily carry on lunging her, but I would be slower to sort her out than I would usually due to it not being my horse, no knowing its full background, and not wanting to disrupt the other candidate. Fixed its nappiness, and had it working nicely both ways in the session. Also had a discussion about long-reining, and on views on gadgets in lunging (stated I never used them, less some crossed side-reins when long reining, backed up by my experiences).
There were also group theory sessions for flatwork and jumping, covering from breaking in up to competing at Novice BE, Newcomers BS and Elementary BD. Fluffed a really stupid bit of the jumping theory when having a complete mind blank about placing pole distance when jumping from a trot (one of those "I just put it in the right place" moments), but the rest seemed OK.
The examiners were incredibly friendly throughout, and the exam was actually really fun to take. I have absolutely no idea how I did - while being friendly and approachable they give you no indication of good / bad! I will honestly be surprised if I pass the jumping as I just wasn't happy with the SJ round, or the lack of fluidity in the XC, but having never taken any of the exams before, it was useful in itself to experience the day whatever the outcome. Here's to the results...!
Started with flat riding - assessing two horses, each with about 25 mins riding time. First brief was to warm up the horses, and identify their overall way of going and what we'd improve there and then, without worrying about assessing them for elementary level movements. I had a nice responsive chap of about 15-20y/o, but whose standard way of going was to look like a giraffe and set his neck. When persuaded to work he did have a nice engaged frame, but it wasn't quite working through the back. Explained all this, and that I'd work on lots of flowing lateral work in rising trot to encourage his softness and throughness. Also identified a canter asymmetry, and discussed how I'd work that in the longer term with counter-canter and counter-flexion work. Worked him in a bit more like this, and he was improving. Second brief was that the horse we were on had been in the riding school at stage 1-3 level all week, and we had a client coming the next day for an Elementary schoolmaster lesson. We had to assess the horse for using as a schoolmaster, and comment on what we would do to improve it ready for the lesson. My horse was a lovely clearly ex-competition horse, in his early 20s, who had the feel of one trained to advanced levels (bit of an indicator when you're given a horse in a double bridle too...). Plenty of buttons - took him through all the elementary movements and a bit of medium work, very fun to ride - I stated he would be a pleasure to both teach and learn on as a schoolmaster - but had the classic over-collection issue of blocking in his shoulder rather than remaining fluid in front. Also discussed that his ongoing riding should be for maintenance and longevity, rather than performance. He'd done quite a lot at this point as I was his second rider, so I was asked to just continue schooling him gently in walk to work on the areas identified.
Jumping next - showjumping track was definitely up to height, and felt on the 1.10m side of 1.07m syllabus. Had a nice teenager to jump, who again felt like he had a competition background. He was in a gag which I found a bit odd as his way of going would have been just fine in a snaffle; jumped him once each over a cross, upright and spread, and the jumps were lovely - rhythmical, fluid and bold - didn't feel the need to jump him any more than that when working in. Discussed with the assessor that given his bitting I expected he may change his nature a bit on a course, especially in the get-away. Expressed this as a concern for the 6 stride dog-leg, as the second fence was only about one stride after the intersection of the midlines, so discussed I'd ride a slightly unconventional wide line in order to give him time to balance prior to the fence. The round, though, was not as I would have liked. The first two oxers were very sticky - I let him get too close in rather than allow him a longer stride to the fence. He cleared them, but it lacked fluidity. The rest were OK, and the final one-stride double (oxer to upright) was very nice - but I just don't think I rode the rest of the course well enough. XC was on a little pocket rocket. Came out of the stable feeling pretty lazy - he certainly liked things his way, as he had no suppleness to speak of. Gave him a canter around the field and he set off in a lovely series of uphill bucks - clearly liked the grass on his toes! He was a touch enthusiastic over the warmup fences, and really set his neck on landing and took a hold. I took it as a schooling round, having to make some circles between fences and come back to a trot occasionally as he was just setting his jaw and running through the hand. Jumped absolutely everything, but lacked the way of going for a balanced consistent round. I commented as much to the assessors afterwards - that thinking of the brief (assess for a client who wants to buy for eventing) while he's fun to take on individual fences in a schooling context, he'd be dangerous on a competitive round without significant re-schooling. Now, what I don't know is if they were wanting a fluid round regardless of horse, or what...
Lunging was amusing. Had a 7-10ish y/o mare. Brief was just to work them as we would a horse that had just come to our yard. Assessing on the left rein, she lunged just fine - but was a touch ignorant of personal space and inward flexion - so I noted that to work on, and changed the rein... Cue a rear, a run back, and an attempt to turn in and double-barrel me. Mindful that another candidate was lunging a nice quiet horse at the other end of the arena, I started sorting the mare out quietly, trying to avoid upsetting the other horse. The assessor said that she's ask them to bring another horse as it wasn't fair for me to have a horse behaving like that in the assessment; I commented that I'd happily carry on lunging her, but I would be slower to sort her out than I would usually due to it not being my horse, no knowing its full background, and not wanting to disrupt the other candidate. Fixed its nappiness, and had it working nicely both ways in the session. Also had a discussion about long-reining, and on views on gadgets in lunging (stated I never used them, less some crossed side-reins when long reining, backed up by my experiences).
There were also group theory sessions for flatwork and jumping, covering from breaking in up to competing at Novice BE, Newcomers BS and Elementary BD. Fluffed a really stupid bit of the jumping theory when having a complete mind blank about placing pole distance when jumping from a trot (one of those "I just put it in the right place" moments), but the rest seemed OK.
The examiners were incredibly friendly throughout, and the exam was actually really fun to take. I have absolutely no idea how I did - while being friendly and approachable they give you no indication of good / bad! I will honestly be surprised if I pass the jumping as I just wasn't happy with the SJ round, or the lack of fluidity in the XC, but having never taken any of the exams before, it was useful in itself to experience the day whatever the outcome. Here's to the results...!
