How many with BHS quals actually teach?

~ Clear Light ~

~ Clear Light ~

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Just wondering... there always seems to be so many people on here taking BHS exams at all different ages and stages of life, but what happens after that? Do people end up working full time with horses, teaching, working on yards, or how many have then pursued non horse related jobs and why? I always assume all those who take their BHS stages eventually want to teach, freelance, whatever, but there never seems to be a great abundance of instructors around, or perhaps they don't advertise much, as there are certainly a lot of names on the BHS register!

Just curious to hear what people's different paths have been really, and whether people who take their exams later on in life stick with it more, or not. I just remember a few friends after school starting down the horse route but many now have office jobs and have their horses on full livery. I also then have a friend in her late forties who has recently decided to pursue horses seriously, quit her profession, got qualified and is working for an international dressage rider in Germany. I also guess its something you can have a break from and come back to. So just wondering at what age you passed your exams and what happened after that :)
 
I teach, I have my BHS stages 1-4 complete, my BHSAI, BHSII, BHSI stable managers, BHS senior coaching certificate and my BHS UKCC level 3 in teaching sport and riding.
I spent several years teaching in a large riding school and now run my own livery yard where I teach the liveries there, have clients from else where come to me and I also freelance off site. I teach all levels , ages and abilities. I also train people for their exams.
I haven't had to advertise so far as I seem to get clients from word of mouth.
Eta...I passed most of my exams in my twenties apart from the UKCC and senior coaching where I was in my thirties.
 
I have BHS 1-4 , AI & II all taken by early 20's

Did everything I could - produce, teach at PC for many yrs, back, school & re-hab......

These days I am a part time office wallah, 2 x equine owner, empty stables in my small yard and am still pretty happy at doing things wth a horse that I never really had time to do in the past :)
I occasionally help out with the odd friend who may have a specific issue to work through, tho equally I am happy with having help myself - most recently from one of the respected HHO'ers :)

TFF, old codger :D
 
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I did my AI back in the 80s purely as something I wanted to do. Did some PC teaching and private but too busy competing to do much. Prob haven't taught since mid 1990s
 
Did my Stages 1-4 at equine college when i was 18 alongside my PTT, had no idea about whether i wanted to teach but college course paid for them so thought i would make the most of opportunity. Since decided i dont want to teach, just enjoy competing and work in an office but glad I did my stages as its knowledge i will keep for life!
 
Did my AI in 1979 :eek: Taught for many years, absolutely love it but somehow over the years morphed into an IT person :rolleyes:

I converted to classical yonks ago and wish I had the time to teach now as it is the foundation theory that is missed out so often when people learn to ride and then when they go on to train their own horses they can get in to a pickle. This frustrates me, it isn't difficult, most people have a huge appetite for learning, so do the horses, they just don't get the right information. I am often tempted to throw up the IT job, but I quite like that as well. Certainly like the money :cool:
 
I did my AI in the late 80s. Always wanted to teach and work with horses. Worked in a few yards afterwards - two riding and livery yards, an event yard and a hunt yard. Finally realised I was skint, and would never have my own decent horse or house, so went to uni to do languages. Now have a non-horsey job that allows me to have two nice horses of my own. I too have a nine stable yard, but only us on it, and we love it that way. I still like to teach, but people want regular slots for regular lessons, and I work shifts and am away a lot, so I just do the odd pc or rc thing nowadays, and even that is few and far between as I'm often away for rallies etc. I tend to be someone they call over when someone doesn't turn up if I'm already there with my stepson and his pony!
 
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Did my AI in the early eighties, worked full time as an instructor then went p/t when I had family and ended up teaching on a casual basis and now not at all.

I've also worked in customer services for a large store and in a school.
 
I competed extensively as a child and then rode for clients, competing their horses while at university. After I graduated I began a career in higher education but at the same time bought a small farm and developed a livery yard and small, select business sourcing and producing Irish horses (I'm from there originally). In my 20's while I was working full time it made sense to take my BHS exams as I was working at that level anyway and so did Stages 1-3 and thr PTT, getting my AI in 3 months taking a day off work for each exam.

I continue to support the BHS by being vice-chair of our regional committee and covering welfare for our region but I rarely teach as my time is spent on my non-horse job, sourcing nice horses, helping clients, competing our horses and the horses and ponies that my two sons have.
 
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I did my AI in the mid-80's, but never actually went on to use it in a job as my parents didn't think working with horses was a career - so I got a "proper job". Now 30 years on, I never teach - I may pass the odd comment if someone asks for advice, but would never call myself an AI.
 
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