I have never been so upset

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millreef

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I'm soooooo mad! I'd really appreciate your advice to see what you think I should do and if you think I'm being unreasonable.

Today, after an absence of 2 years the BHS came to Hong Kong for their BHS exams finally! Last time they were here I passed my stage 2 flat but failed the jumping. I had to ride a total of four horses I didn't know over the flat and jumping but I can honestly say that I agree I should not have passed the jumping.
So I went away and practiced and had private lessons and entered competitions and prepared really, really well for it.

I was the only candidate who was just doing the jumping and the four others in my group got on with their flat for about an hour. It was belting hot, swarming with mosquitoes (one of the examiners had to go off for treatment) and we kept getting interrupted with thunder storms and an Amber rainstorm warning.
Anyway, they called me up to get on the jumping horse - this is the first opportuntiy the examiners have had to see me riding and I got the lumpiest riding school horse imaginable. This horse is known for being slooooow. Then the examiners made us jump over a little cross pole in trot (they had a trotting pole in front). They told us to jump it twice then go back in walk. I thought I'd go first and be proactive but the horse was sooooooo slow and he heaved over it. I wanted to come over in canter which seemed a better gait for him but they wouldn't allow it. Anyway, they asked us all to jump a small double with a stride bounce IN TROT again. I tried to show them that he was better in canter by cantering across the school (safely) and then bringing him back to trot when I set up my line. Again he heaved over it. Then they came over and asked me to get off because they didn't feel I was competent enough to continue! I told them please let me change horses and try a different one to show you or at least let me canter but they were adamant.
So! This 15 minute ride has cost me 1)BHS membership, 2)a day off work, 3)about 6 months of private lessons AND 4) if I appeal an extra 75 quid for the pleasure!
Do you think I can appeal? I really wasn't given any opportunity of showing I was able to ride a decent horse (there were two really nice ponies which jumped the course so well but they're used a lot in competitions as my daughter often rides them).
Go on, let me know what I should do:confused::mad:
 
Sorry, I don't get it but then I've never taken any of these exams! Do you need to do these or something? Personally, I wouldn't bother unless you for some reason need them for a job/career.

It is pretty daft judging someone in 10-15 mins of watching them ride. I would have probably told them no, I am not getting off. I have paid for this so i am staying on board for the full time allowed even if I school it on my own in the corner! :D
 
To be fair to them, they were asking you to do one thing and you were doing another. Your riding may have been good, but you weren't safe because you weren't following instructions...
 
Lolo said:
To be fair to them, they were asking you to do one thing and you were doing another. Your riding may have been good, but you weren't safe because you weren't following instructions...
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well from what ive read she did follow instructions.....she trotted over the jump both times! that was what the examiner asked for, that is what she did. the fact that she gave the horse a canter way before the jump was at her own discretion (she trotted before she presented the horse to the jump), and i think it was unfair of the examiner to pull her out if all she did was a small canter down the side of the school...
 
Lolo said:
To be fair to them, they were asking you to do one thing and you were doing another. Your riding may have been good, but you weren't safe because you weren't following instructions...
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Sorry, but I agree with this. I don't see how you complain as you weren't doing what they asked you.

You might think you'd get the horse going better in canter, but the instruction was to canter. You wouldn't take an English exam and write an essay on a different question from the one set because you could answer it better, and expect to pass. You wouldn't take your driving test and ignore the directions the tester gave you, and expect to pass.

It's an exam, you do as you're told!
 
Thats a tiny bit harsh Lolo, they asked the OP to jump in trot which she did do but I get what you are trying to say.

OP I have no idea what these exams 'do' for you but would say that any exam of horsemanship using strange horses would probably focus on the candidate being able to get the best out of the exam horse no matter how bad it was, perhaps they didnt feel that you did this and thats why you failed rather than your actual technique over the fences

I feel your disappointment though and hope things go better next time - if there is to be a next time
 
The BHS still teach that you MUST get on the near side (this is through tradition from when riders carried weapons)

Though to my knowledge, there isn't any other reason why we cant mount from either side (it is probably better for the horse to practice this)

Sorry, but not too sure how much credibility the BHS stages carry...

(runs and ducks!)
 
Sorry, I didn't explain really well. You were allowed to canter around the school but not over the jump. I was doing exactly what they asked me to do but the blinking horse was sooooo lumpy.
 
Don't take this the wrong way, but surely one of the points of these exams, is that you should be able to ride any horse, not just the ones you choose to ride? How he deals with the jump is not what they're assessing, they're assessing how you are riding him.

If I were paying someone to ride my horse on the basis that they had passed their BHS Stage 2, I wouldn't expect them to say "oh I can't ride this horse, give me a different one".
 
I think you did as asked, took the obstacle in trot, but used your initiative as an experienced rider to set the horse up for success. I don't think initiative is always rewarded in the BHS. What about this situation led them to decide you weren't competent beats me to be honest. If you were clearly in control, and we have to take your word on that, the least they could have done was treat you as a sentient being and asked what your reasoning was for doing your little canter before dropping to trot.
Maybe this is how they increase their income?
 
I'm not sure how it works nowadays, in my day they gave you feedback straight after, don't you get written feedback a week or two later? If so, wait and see what that says, and go from there.

I would add that you need to be riding that horse as often as possible and getting used to geeing him up. I was always better on fizzy horses, so before my exams my instructors would only let me ride the plods so that I would have to get used to "razzing" up rather than riding quietly and calmly like I was used to on my own horses.

Although I do feel sorry for you, part of me is feeling that you already had the advantage of knowing the horse, so you had an easier job than someone who had to get on "blind" in an exam.
 
Shame you couldn't have handed the reins to the examiner to show you how it should be done eh? I have respect for someone who can get on to illustrate how it could be done better. Maybe not so much for someone who stays firmly
on the ground.
Honestly people - don't you think Op rode the horse taking into account the fact that she knew what would help him to carry out the task? And really - knowing that this was her first chance to get assessed in 2 years - couldn't the examiners have applied a bit more sense and at least considered her reasoning?
 
JennBags said:
Don't take this the wrong way, but surely one of the points of these exams, is that you should be able to ride any horse, not just the ones you choose to ride? How he deals with the jump is not what they're assessing, they're assessing how you are riding him.

If I were paying someone to ride my horse on the basis that they had passed their BHS Stage 2, I wouldn't expect them to say "oh I can't ride this horse, give me a different one".
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But that's just it - this is the first jumping level of the BHS and you're supposed to be able to jump in harmony with a well schooled horse but one with a pulse! If I was assessing the horse I'd be going for stage 3 or 4 but I'm not.
 
millreef said:
Sorry, I didn't explain really well. You were allowed to canter around the school but not over the jump. I was doing exactly what they asked me to do but the blinking horse was sooooo lumpy.
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Ah. Well that makes it a bit less fair, I see your point a bit more now! Agree with WelshD's comment " you but would say that any exam of horsemanship using strange horses would probably focus on the candidate being able to get the best out of the exam horse no matter how bad it was" though. If you compete in BUCS (British Universities and College Sport) than you get given a horse, get a short warm up period, and go into your competition. Ditto modern pentathlon athletes.

I would be more tempted to ask the examiner if they could explain their actions, rather than go down the complaint route straight away.

What are you taking the exams for? Personal wish, or for a job? If it's the first, I wouldn't bother re-taking it. Think they might be worth it if you want to work with horses (I don't work with horses so this is only my opinion!) but if you're only doing it for yourself, I wouldn't bother going through all that effort again.
 
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Ok so sorry I dont mean to sound harsh but...
The examiners must have felt you were fairly unsafe to not let you jump the course, as this is not often done. Also at stage 2 you should be able to get any horse jumping over a small fence in trot. did you have a whip? Did you use it? and did you change something after the first jumpe was not so good? if you just ride around aimlessly you cannot expect to go though you need to change something and show them you know how to adapt to the horse. You should recieve exactly why they failed you in writing a few weeks after the exam.
 
Honey08 said:
I would add that you need to be riding that horse as often as possible and getting used to geeing him up.

Although I do feel sorry for you, part of me is feeling that you already had the advantage of knowing the horse, so you had an easier job than someone who had to get on "blind" in an exam.
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The exam takes place in a private club and we were told we weren't allowed to even use the rest rooms! They let us use one toilet but as I'm not a member I can't ride their horses to practice:( We didn't even have anywhere to eat and were told to bring all our food for the whole day - that's at a temp of over 30 degrees and 98% humidity, yummy).
 
What you should have done is do a few transitions from walk or halt to trot to get the horse more active in the trot. If he was still lazy back your leg up with the stick and get the trot more active. This is what they would have wanted to see. You can't canter to a jump with a pole set at trot distance as you will be far too deep to the fence.
 
2horsesnomoney said:
Ok so sorry I dont mean to sound harsh but...
The examiners must have felt you were fairly unsafe to not let you jump the course, as this is not often done. Also at stage 2 you should be able to get any horse jumping over a small fence in trot. did you have a whip? Did you use it? and did you change something after the first jumpe was not so good? if you just ride around aimlessly you cannot expect to go though you need to change something and show them you know how to adapt to the horse. You should recieve exactly why they failed you in writing a few weeks after the exam.
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I did get the horse to jump the fence three times but each time it was like lugging dead weight. I used the whip in the appropriate way and got him to canter after the first jump was slow. I just feel that they didn't give me a chance.
 
Tinypony said:
Honestly people - don't you think Op rode the horse taking into account the fact that she knew what would help him to carry out the task? And really - knowing that this was her first chance to get assessed in 2 years - couldn't the examiners have applied a bit more sense and at least considered her reasoning?
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This is what is so upsetting. The fact that they didn't let me even try the other horse. Bearing in mind that I had already attempted the exam once before AND they let me ride the course then. So in two years of preparing for this exam my riding must have actually deteriorated:(
 
Depending on why you are taking these exams I would review how relevant they are. I know you probably only have a small amount of instructors out there but I would get one who does not normally teach you to asses you. Your normal instructor may be either not teaching you well or not teaching to pass the exam or not being critical enough ether way your not getting the desired result.
I would save your money and go for a crash course at Tallland in the UK. They will work you hard, be critical but you will learn and it will be something on your CV.
My friend who is 50+ ,has ridden and taught since she was a teenager took her BHS stages for work and thought they were a load of c**p. She passed but there is a method and a very set standard, with often what appears to be very little logic.
 
Antw23uk said:
'A bad workman always blames his tools'
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No, I'm just a horse rider who has been awake since 5am travelling the length of Hong Kong to the Chinese border to take an exam I started in 1988 and would really like to complete so that I can help teach disadvantaged children in my yard in Morocco during the summer and was merely asking for advice and opinions for which I am very grateful.
 
honetpot said:
Depending on why you are taking these exams I would review how relevant they are. I know you probably only have a small amount of instructors out there but I would get one who does not normally teach you to asses you. Your normal instructor may be either not teaching you well or not teaching to pass the exam or not being critical enough ether way your not getting the desired result.
I would save your money and go for a crash course at Tallland in the UK. They will work you hard, be critical but you will learn and it will be something on your CV.
My friend who is 50+ ,has ridden and taught since she was a teenager took her BHS stages for work and thought they were a load of c**p. She passed but there is a method and a very set standard, with often what appears to be very little logic.
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Yes, I did think of doing something similar to this actually. My instructors are great but the exam is taken in a private club where we are not allowed to ride.
I'm taking the exam because got the horse care in 1988 and would really like to get the rest of it so I can run a pony club in Morocco (which I do every summer during my holidays).
 
millreef said:
No, I'm just a horse rider who has been awake since 5am travelling the length of Hong Kong to the Chinese border to take an exam I started in 1988 and would really like to complete so that I can help teach disadvantaged children in my yard in Morocco during the summer and was merely asking for advice and opinions for which I am very grateful.
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Have you thought about the UKCC route rather than the BHS route if what you want is to teach? I think you'd find that more satisfying, more rewarding and ultimately more useful for what you want to do. UKCC L2 would be appropriate.

I've never bothered with BHS exams for exactly the reasons you outline - I'm perfectly competent, been placed at BE100 and competed BE Novice, but I have no doubt I would fail BHS exams!
 
The only thing I will add is that the examiners wouldn't know you have taken it before.
Apart from the horse being lazy were you in balance?
I have done all mine up to senior coach and stable managers up to bhsi level so know pretty much what they are looking for.
They want to see an effective rider in balance. They also want you to make a quick assessment of the horse and improve it.
did you have chance to warm up before jumping? If so what did your warm up consist of.
 
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