BHS - what would encourage you to join?

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ruth83

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Following on from the thread about how many people are BHS members, what would encourage you to join the BHS?

Is it simply something that you have not yet considered?

Is the BHS active in your area - do you think the area committee need to do more? If so, what sort of things and what area are you in?

Is the cost an issue?

Have you had any interaction with the BHS?

Do you see it as purely for exam students?
 
I only ever joined to take the exams, and never have since, and probably never will again!

I'm afraid I see the BHS as being rather outdated... they need to modernise their reputation imo...
 
I have recently joined for the insurance cover as am no longer insuring and putting vet money away each month instead but needed third party cover.
 
ruth83 said:
Following on from the thread about how many people are BHS members, what would encourage you to join the BHS?

Is it simply something that you have not yet considered?

Is the BHS active in your area - do you think the area committee need to do more? If so, what sort of things and what area are you in?

Is the cost an issue?

Have you had any interaction with the BHS?

Do you see it as purely for exam students?
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Just wondering why you are asking these questions - are you a BHS rep or is this a study you are doing? Thanks. :)
 
Well the reason I mainly say that is in the way they train and the standard they want from students taking their exams. Their standards are not best practice in my opinion... Take the stage 3 riding exam for example, there will be loads of threads on here if you do a search on the ridiculous sort of riding expected from you to pass that exam. Even if you can ride a horse well, if you don't ride it their way, you fail.... What is the point of jumping through hoops just to pass an exam...?

They are supposed to be an 'industry standard' but think they fall well short of what that standard should be.

I did see their new website and it does look smart, I agree! One step in the right direction :)
 
I also find them as a whole organisation very out dated. I only joined for exams and would not carry on my membership in the future. I think it takes more than a shiny new website to modernise something that, in my opinion, is just living in the past. I just think theres 'more than one way to skin a cat' so to speak and BHS are very blinkered to their own views.
 
dressagelove said:
Well the reason I mainly say that is in the way they train and the standard they want from students taking their exams. Their standards are not best practice in my opinion... Take the stage 3 riding exam for example, there will be loads of threads on here if you do a search on the ridiculous sort of riding expected from you to pass that exam. Even if you can ride a horse well, if you don't ride it their way, you fail.... What is the point of jumping through hoops just to pass an exam...?

They are supposed to be an 'industry standard' but think they fall well short of what that standard should be.
If I were an employer I would expect a certain standard, and that should be evidenced by their exam result.

I did see their new website and it does look smart, I agree! One step in the right direction :)
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All exams require you to jump through hoops, from art o grade to a PhD
 
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Well as others have said i too originally thought the BHS were a bit snobby and outdated.... But since doing my exams - which i do think are to expensive, they are changing there approach and taking more modern ideas and as for stage 3 exam i found that when acting and doing things like the college told me was the BHS way i failed and on 2nd attempt i was honest and told them what wasnt great and what i would improve on and hay ho i passed!! they want people with industry experience and sometimes people and colleges lead you to believe other wise.

I am interested in this post, i do think the BHS in dorset could do more to raise awarness and stuff.
 
I am a member because I'm on the Register, but frankly it costs me a fortune to stay on the Register and it is highly inconvenient for me as I have to do 200 mile round trips every time I update my 1st aid/cpd/r&rs trainers days etc (plus losing income, paying for cover for yard, diesel, paying for the actual training), because there is nothing in my area, so the thing that would encourage me to STAY with the BHS is if they either made it cheaper to be on the Register or improved the training days, which atm are a bit of a joke, sadly.

The last 1st aid refresher course, the woman couldn't get away quick enough, and rattled through it so she could get away after lunch and miss the traffic! The cpd days could potentially be good, but since all you have to do to update is attend, which basically means paying your money and sitting on a deck chair for a couple of hours, so I can't see how it does a lot to improve or educate poor instructors.

Which brings me to the other thing ;) we constantly hear criticisms of all the "bad" AIs out there (and there are some and some) but the exam structure and pricing means that it is expensive enough to get the AI qualification, which after all is the first rung of the ladder, and there are a lot of people out there who could potentially progress and improve if only the exams were cheaper to do.

I personally think the unitising of the exams has rather dumbed them down. I see no reason why a competent person shouldn't be able to pass the care or riding sections in their entirety in one go. That would also be a mark of quality, rather than getting bits at a time. However I do think a lot of really good people are put off progressing by the price, and if you can get insurance as an AI, why would you bother going any further?
 
nikicb said:
Just wondering why you are asking these questions - are you a BHS rep or is this a study you are doing? Thanks. :)
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The main reason for asking the questions is purely curiosity, however I do volunteer on the BHS committee in my region and would like to improve what we offer members in our area if possible.

2horses - I agree that the approach to exams is changing in a positive way, not sure how the BHS can put this across though?
 
No one has really answered the question "what would encourage you to join." It seems a bit sad that the largest equine charity in the UK, representing the whole of the riding population and the horses in the country, gets a response from people that they only join for the insurance cover. Shame on you.

What would the situation be like in the UK if the BHS didn't exist?
 
I would be encouraged to join if the exams where changed slightly.
I agree with dressagelove. They pass you on doing things 'their' way which is not always the 'right' way to do things. Having taken a couple of the exams myself I had to completely changed the way I rode just for the exam. Although I've had my own horses since I was 4 and been jumping since I was 8? At the time I was competitively competing at 1.15.But had to change my way of riding just to take my stage 3? Does baffle me slightly?
Although it is good for people to Achieve the exams and it can open doors for job opportunities for people ect..
I am a firm believer that you can't buy experience. And I know a few people that have passed their exams through books (teaching and stages)
Now that's not real life equine experience is it?
 
I joined for the 3rd Party BUT for years I suppose I didnt think it was for happy hackers like me! Most magazines always seem high flying competitive, rich people and for plodders like me didnt know what it was all about(ignorance on my part). But I think its brilliant and love my magazine that turns up, and that it is about BRITAIN and BRITISH horses, welfare everything horsey, all sorts of people, local people too. Even Martin Clunes! I think he is great as he seemed quite novicey and I like seeing how he has learnt about horses etc and his interest in them.

I like the Britishness of it. Naff I know but thats it.
 
OK They need to advertise it is a magazine for all local & UK riders(by area too), joined together with National UK interest etc etc. Perhaps the offer of a Bridle/Riding way book(ie ordnance survey type etc, this could be updated and sold to raise funds(I see maps in the mag but not my area)?? Perhaps thats my fault for not being more active.
 
I am a member of the British Horse Society and am a volunteer Bridleway Officer for North Hertfordshire. In the last 22 years since living in North Hertfordshire I have put a lot of my spare time in to getting unrideable bridleways and by ways repaired and also creating new routes. We now have an excellent network which will continue to improve. The British Horse Society head quarters gives me the back up I require. I suspect that many riders are unaware of the amount of work that is put in by BHS volunteers in the areas of bridleways, road safety and welfare. If more horse riders were members then a lot more good work could be done in these areas as the BHS is the only national organisation that represents horse riders.
 
Ruth

I think it will be quite hard to change peoples perseption of BHS but i think as long as good instructors are coming through the system it can only improve. I know of some bad AI's but there are also some good ones and i think the dedication and cost proves they are commited. So people please sont be down on all us hard working AI's!

Also someone posted earlier about travelling miles for the CPD etc, child protection is only once every 3 years first aid every 2 and cpd can be any form of education based on teaching it doesnt have to be the BHS ones it can be any lectures or info evernings to improve and progress. People need to be positive about the changes and the new Instructors coming out of the system can help change the attitude as it is becoming more modern in its approach.
 
3BayGeldings said:
No idea what the benefits of it are. I don't need it for the insurance, I'm not an instructor, I don't want to do my exams... so...
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As others have mentioned there is the magazine, every couple of months, with news of the work the BHS is doing and what events are happening in various areas.

There are helplines for legal, VAT and tax issues (not just equine related)

Access to your local committee who help with access, safety and welfare issues as well as organising events for members

Reduced fees for training events/clinics/lecture demos/talks run by the BHS

Your membership fees go towards the welfare of horses in the UK - cases of which are sometimes reported in the magazine.


I really like the idea of the bridleways book - perhaps one for each area would be most paractical? I have found it difficult when riding in new areas to find the best routes.

ETA - 2horses, thanks for that
 
Orangehorse said:
No one has really answered the question "what would encourage you to join." It seems a bit sad that the largest equine charity in the UK, representing the whole of the riding population and the horses in the country, gets a response from people that they only join for the insurance cover. Shame on you.

What would the situation be like in the UK if the BHS didn't exist?
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In what way would it be different?

"up north" they do nothing constructive, and although I agree some sort of representation is vital, I am not sure how they do this,, and if they are effective.

To be effective these days, politicians need to be massaged, I don't know if they can do that. It is not the sort of thing they put in their magazine.

There are a few good BHSII and higher level instructors in Scotland, these tend to be people who are out of the ordinary. They may have their own yard and do external instructing and training, for extra income.

The average instructor can get by with Lantra training, which I assume is supported in another way. I have seen some paper homework, but this is not "corrected" as I would have expected, so somewhere there is an instructor out there telling her pupils that SALT is a form of energy!
As a horse owner, I don't want exams, and I only took the membership for insurance, which is available elsewhere cheaper [BDS]. Currently not insured as horse is not at home.
 
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Orangehorse said:
No one has really answered the question "what would encourage you to join." It seems a bit sad that the largest equine charity in the UK, representing the whole of the riding population and the horses in the country, gets a response from people that they only join for the insurance cover. Shame on you.

What would the situation be like in the UK if the BHS didn't exist?
Click to expand...

This is harsh. Shame on them for joining? Don't be silly. Until I read this thread I had no idea what the BHS did. And I've had horses 17 years. Whose fault is that?
 
I'm already a member, it was the insurance that I initially joined for but I do think that membership is worthwhile for other reasons. The BHS are the representative for equestrian enthusiasts in the UK, they are our representatives who can lobby government and make representations for change, they can liaise on our behalf with other groups such as the CTC, the Ramblers, the national trust, the forrestry commission etc. I support their work on welfare issues and access, on road resurfacing and on consultations regarding wind farms. The BHS are also the governing body for affiliated riding clubs and for trec. They also run a xc series. Worth my £50 a year imho.

One thing I wish they would change though is the register of instructors. I like the service but the problem is that as it is expensive to be on the register many instructors don't bother making it difficult to check the qualifications of instructors independantly. Personally I wish that they would list everyone with the PTC or higher on a limited listing so that customers can check qualifications and then you pay to upgrade to a listing that includes contact details and a profile. I can understand that the register could be considered pointless for those that are employed rather than freelance or those who only do very limited amounts of teaching but I feel that the usefulness of the register is limited by this. I also feel that it is a barrier to improving the quality of instruction and of riding schools.

Doing exams is expensive, I'd love for it to be cheaper as I've been on the verge of doing them for yonks but can't really justify the expense as I have a non-horsey career and would only be doing it for personal acheivement and maybe to do a bit of teaching in my spare time. However I doubt that the price will come down as it must be costly to run the exams and doing any non-funded qualification is expensive.
 
What would me encourage to join? Clarity! A one stop shop for all my needs. When you're interested in e.g. dressage, show jumping and (one day) eventing, how many organisations do you need to join? I have no idea how to get involved in local bridleway groups, if there are any. And what is the BEF all about?
I'd like to see a big reorganisation of all horsey organisations. One organisation, one membership, and separate divisions for the different disciplines.
Sadly unlikely to happen, too many interests to protect, I guess.
 
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