greybadger_19
Active Member
I am considering, in my 30s, a fairly radical career change, from a stable career (in the military) to working in the equestrian sphere. To work towards this, I am aiming to work towards the BHS Performance Coach (BHSI in old money), as best I can around my current work commitments. I would welcome comments from anybody has has done similar, who has worked for the higher BHS exams around existing commitments, or who is otherwise engaged in the training / examining system.
From speaking to my instructor of many years, who has trained many BHSIs and a few FBHSs herself, I am confident that my riding and training knowledge is at a level above that required of the Stage 5 (her comment when discussing my madcap plan with her was that I should aim for the FBHS as an end aim - step by step...), but I am aware that my stable management is lacking, and my teaching has been primarily biased towards competition riders on their own horses, or helping people with backing / schooling youngsters, and helping riders work with 'difficult' horses. I love working with young horses, horses considered difficult, and enjoy properly executed flatwork as much as hooning around a XC course on a jumping machine.
My aim is, over the next couple of years, to work in focussed 2-3 week blocks at a well-regarded training centre (Ingestre comes well recommended from a few sources - and seemed to have a good atmosphere when I visited recently) to fill in the gaps in my knowledge / experience, and to turn it in to 'exam-ready' equestrianism. I have the required references to apply for direct entry at either Stage 3 or 4; I am minded to approach it from Stage 3, where the content wouldn't be technically demanding, but it would allow me to get in to the exam mindset, and experience how they are run before the technicality ramps up.
I would love to know if anybody else has managed to do a similar thing around other work commitments? At some point I will have to bite the bullet and move full time, and it may well be that the Stage 5 is not realistically achievable prior to doing that. I'm just considering options at the moment...
From speaking to my instructor of many years, who has trained many BHSIs and a few FBHSs herself, I am confident that my riding and training knowledge is at a level above that required of the Stage 5 (her comment when discussing my madcap plan with her was that I should aim for the FBHS as an end aim - step by step...), but I am aware that my stable management is lacking, and my teaching has been primarily biased towards competition riders on their own horses, or helping people with backing / schooling youngsters, and helping riders work with 'difficult' horses. I love working with young horses, horses considered difficult, and enjoy properly executed flatwork as much as hooning around a XC course on a jumping machine.
My aim is, over the next couple of years, to work in focussed 2-3 week blocks at a well-regarded training centre (Ingestre comes well recommended from a few sources - and seemed to have a good atmosphere when I visited recently) to fill in the gaps in my knowledge / experience, and to turn it in to 'exam-ready' equestrianism. I have the required references to apply for direct entry at either Stage 3 or 4; I am minded to approach it from Stage 3, where the content wouldn't be technically demanding, but it would allow me to get in to the exam mindset, and experience how they are run before the technicality ramps up.
I would love to know if anybody else has managed to do a similar thing around other work commitments? At some point I will have to bite the bullet and move full time, and it may well be that the Stage 5 is not realistically achievable prior to doing that. I'm just considering options at the moment...