How much would you pay....?

Lots of people are likely to disagree with me but I don’t do things by BHS standard. some of the best riders I know don’t even have stage one and I know some rather poor riders who got lucky with their exams! I like someone who has proven experience and has ridden a variety of horses, they don’t necessarily have to have ridden competitively or anything like that but I just don’t look at the BHS stages as a guideline. But if it was someone who met that criteria and mine I would likely say around £30 an hour - more if they were really good. Hope that helps and didn’t come across rude.
 
As Bexaco - depends on what experience they had other than doing BHS exams ;) I know that you have to ride a variety of horses in order to do the exams (have done them myself) but it's a bit like driving a car - I think you learn so much more after passing your test:D

Bearing in mind that my friend-come-instructor would ride her for £20/hr and she is BHSI with vast experience from dressage training abroad... I prob wouldn't pay more than that tbh. Hope that helps :)
 
As others have said, BHS stage 3 doesn't neccessarilly (sp) mean they are a good rider, or have experiance of riding different horses. Some of the worst riders I know have their stage 3 (God only knows how they passed!). Look for other (competition/breaking etc) experiance rather than the Stage 3. As a guide I charge £20 to ride other people's horses. I have competed at CCI* and BE Intermediate, worked on a Olympic rider's yard (riding their horses), broken horses in, and reschooled racehorses, and problem horses. I am also a BHS registered instructor.
 
I had a supposed stage 3 rider come to trial one of mine for share last year, she had her overbent and couldn't sit to her canter (rocking horse canter). Despite this I thought as she was vastly more experienced/qualified than me she could come and try her but then she also didn't sponge or hose her off after riding her on her firsttrialridingwithoutmethere session. She was sacked.

I currently have someone rebacking my horse, yes he is BHSAI but I've seen him ride and handle horses and that was more important. I'm paying £25 a session.
 
Ditto this. I have no BHS exams and have my own yard, run a business, and can ride and school to a good standard. Know people with BHS exams who swan round all "Im an AI" and then parp their pants if the horse jumps sideways.

With regards to riding, I would watch someone ride my horse and pay them what they asked if I thought they were worth it!
 
Ditto to all of the above...

I have met people who had not taken any BHS exams and were wonderful riders - they just never thought of doing it as a career or never thought of actually taking those exams (but rather went on competitions, etc.).

And yet I have met one awful woman who two years ago told me that she could not trust me handling my youngster (who is a challenge, I admit) because she herself wouldn't be able to train her properly, and she not only had God knows how many of those Monty Roberts qualifications, but was also a fully fledged BHSAI.

In fact, several so-called qualified people who I paid a lot of money for and had passed the right exams told me they couldn't handle/ride my horse at all after trying and that she belonged in the hands of "proper professionals" - aka someone who might have a go at the Olympics, I assume. The result: I had to get on her myself. I still wish they could pay me back the thousands I paid for their service - yes, indeed, I was pretty desperate at that time as I had a full-time career and not enough time to bring on a youngster. Circumstances have changed, and now I do have a bit more time to squeeze that inbetween my full-time career and private life. I have taken no BHS exams whatsoever - and might never take them at all - nor am I Ellen Whitaker (wishful thinking).

Similarly - in my career, I got a job once for answering a mathematical question correctly that the interviewer asked to candidates with a PhD in Mathematics - only they couldn't answer it correctly. I never knew that until another trainee asked him why he specifically asked for me as his "personal trainee" and I overheard him saying that.

Moral of the story: just because someone has passed exams, nobody should assume they are so much better than themselves. They just went through the right hoops.

For someone who is a really good rider, I would pay up to £30 a session (45mins-1hr).
 
Thanks everyone, I fully understand that BHS Stage 3 doesnt necessarily mean a good rider, just using it as a very rough guide. There are so many other things to be factored in. I also didnt want it to sound too much like an advert. Thanks again for the replies. ooo P.S Mrs Mozart I maybe having a bit of a dumb moment but what does 'bumping up your post' mean?
 
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