Experience Vs Qualifications

Bit of both.

The bonus of qualifications means you are well versed in the theoretical basis of what you are doing- then you can apply this (thus gaining experience).

;)
 
I think it was Thomas Hardy who said, "Experience is proportional to intensity, not duration".

Some newbies have learnt a lot in a short time (many haven't!:D), others have been doing things the wrong way all their lives!
 
a bit of both, experienced person may have come across alot more horses with different issues and you learn an awful lot more in practise than in theory you may be trusted alot more by people who know you and have seen your way of working however the qualifications show people that dont know you that you do know what your talking about and that there is a 'back bone' to your teaching and people can be assured its not just you making it up!! x
 
There are sides to each,

I prefer a person with a high level of experioence with a broad spectrum. Someone who has rode a variety of horses in various disciplines and not jsut stuck on one idea.

Those that have gone the BHS route don't apppeal to me, I have passsed Stage 1 and 2 and stopped with personnal reasons that don't matter just now.

A piece of paper to say you've passed a stage means nothing to me, all that says is that yoiu were good enough to pass the criteria on the day but that's it.

However saying that where you trained and how you trained is another matter. I went to a college and found the horses bored, dead to the leg, resistant to aids etc. Not enough time was sspent with the horses in my view. Where as say working on a working yard being involved with everyday structiures having time to attend and watch clinics and ride decent horses makes a huge factor.

Okay waffled long enough but to give a direct answer, experience wins every time.
 
At least Mum is free!! Spoken by a mum with 48 years experience but no qualifications beyond PC exams. Must admit I did most of the early bit (from aged 4)nbut once we got to mid teens we started to get additional teaching.
 
For an instructor ideally I would want experience, not necessarily of competition riding, but of teaching successfully. Teaching is much more than being a good rider. So I would be looking for someone who experience of teaching people and the people they taught being happy with the experience and improving.

However I presume to pass the BHS instructors exams you would need to have your teaching skills accessed not just your riding.

Sometimes however young people or those just starting out can be very keen to prove themselves and can make more effort than people who might have been doing it for years and getting a bit fed up.

So I think both really can be good and will depend on the individual.
 
Personally I think in today's day and age to much emphasis is put on bits of paper rather than experience.

I took my BHSI many, many moons ago (when they were held at Melton Mowbray) and can honestly say that it has never go me a position in the equine world.

I have had people with good qualifications from colleges and they are totally useless and inexperienced in what working is all about.

Ditto, I had a BHSI who was a good rider as long as everything was a normal problem but, get something that was really naughty and she hadn't a clue. Nor could she get a horse to lunge unless there was someone leading it to start with.

So, as far as I am concerned a bit of paper doesn't mean much more than the holder has the ability to study and pass exams on the day.
 
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