Riding and Road Safety training

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showjumper06

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I'm currently going through the tedious process of doing my BHS exams and it seems before I can take my stage 2 exam I need to complete the riding and road safety exam. Now there isn't a centre closer than an hour away offering this exam and all the centres seem to offer the test as part of a training package involving 3 or 4 training sessions. Now my questions is can I get away with just one training session the day before the test if the centre will allow this? I already work as a freelance riding instructor and horse trainer and compete at a decent level so my riding isn't the problem. I have the riding and road safety book so can swot up on the theory, so surely it will be fine just to have a run through the ridden exercise so I know what to expect? I don't have the holiday allowance at work to take more time off for this training.

I'd love to hear what others did to reassure me that this is a good plan (or tell me this is a stupid idea!)
 
Don't nkow if this helps at all but I did mine in Pencoed College quite a few years ago as an external candidate and I had quite a few training sessions before hand. However these were only ever in the school and we never went out on the road until the actual exam so I don't see any reason why you couldn't just have one training session then go for it if the center allows it............if you have a horse to practise on maybe give the book to a friend and get them to watch you? In Pencoed they use to put dressage piping out or poles to park wear the road is and used to park a jeep in the school etc

Sorry if that's no help or the wrong thing :S
 
showjumper06 said:
I'm currently going through the tedious process of doing my BHS exams and it seems before I can take my stage 2 exam I need to complete the riding and road safety exam.

I already work as a freelance riding instructor and horse trainer and compete at a decent level so my riding isn't the problem. I have the riding and road safety book so can swot up on the theory, so surely it will be fine just to have a run through the ridden exercise so I know what to expect? I don't have the holiday allowance at work to take more time off for this training.
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I'm sorry you are finding the BHS system tedious! It's a series of professional exams culminating in a qualification that's recognised worldwide, so perhaps warrants a bit of preparation and commmitment? :)

The R&RS exam is "training for life" - as the spiel goes, probably the only training that could save your, your horse's and another road user's life. I don't think it's about swotting up the theory and having a quick run through the day before.

Maybe it's because I train a lot of children and teenagers for it, but I see first hand their knowledge (or lack of it) at the beginning of the training and the difference in them and their attitude towards riding on the road by the time the exam comes round. We give them 8 hours of training (which is the recommended amount) and yes, some of them could do the exam after less training, and some need the full 8 hours, but to me it's not simply about passing the exam, it's about being a heck of a lot safer on the road for the rest of their lives.

A lot of the adults I train (and the parents of the children) think they know it all beforehand, and are very surprised at what they learn from the courses. If you can't get time off to do a combined training and exam thing, how about looking on the BHS website for R&RS trainers in your area and doing the training privately in your spare time? You could get away with less training if you are having individual tuition.

As a general comment, a lot of centres don't practise the road route because of insurance considerations. We always do at least 2 practice sessions on the road route during our courses, and it is certainly a valuable part of the training ime.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. Rowreach, thanks for your reply. I didn't mean to come across as flippant with the comment about the BHS exam process being tedious, I'm very serious about going through the process and have a lot of respect for the BHS system. I want to prepare as best I can I was just wondering the best way to go about this with limited budget and limited time available apart from on weekends - it's quite a long winded process finding exams (and training) that can fit around a full time job.

It's good to hear your feedback, perhaps I should start with a private session with an instructor local to me and ask their advice. I can then enter for the exam at a centre and go for a run through practice session there the day before - that would save me four 2 hour trips and the time and money that this would involve.
 
It's sooooo easy, you can easily do it in one training session. When I did the exam there were 2 practical parts, the first part was an exercise in an arena where you had poles or cones marking out the 'road' and 'junctions' and you had to ride round the route demonstrating how you would pass a parked car or whatever, and the hand signals etc. All total common sense and not in the slightest bit difficult.

Then there was a short section done on a real bit of road (always really quiet and mine was only about 100m worth, and I didn't see a car the whole time I was on it) but there were so many people out along the route making sure nothing happened.

I think they may even have got rid of the real road part now, because of health and safety :rolleyes: so all you're doing is riding on a pretend road in an enclosed space. So don't worry, have one practise session maybe so you know what to expect, and then sail through and pass :D
 
In my case, at least, it is not that I am unwilling to do the training, but that it appears to only be offered during the workday. I have a full time job and unfortunately can't take the time off to do a few hours every week for a month, but I could do five hours straight in a row one day or something.
 
I have been put off doing R&RS training because of the requirement to attend training on several days. So rather than helping riders improve, the BHS centres dissuade them from the training. Mmm, good example of the law of Unintended Consequences?
 
Rowreach - the BHS stages are ideal professional training, should someone ever invent a time machine and I have the urge to go back 60 years and run a yard! I think my stage 1 was the only time I have ever worn a tweed jacket too.
 
You do have to do a minimum number of hours training before the exam which is why the exam and training come as a package. You should not be able to simply sit the exam without it. Depending on where in the counrty you are some centres offer intensive training over 2 days and some the "one night a week" style. A lot of centres only offer training / exams in the summer to avoid the dark evenings - which might be why you are finding a lot only during the working day at the moment.

I think Catwithclaws might be thinking of the Pony Club Road Rider test as the BHS test has a theory paper element.
 
All food for thought, thanks for replies. I'll call round a few centres and see what's on offer. I'm definitely more up for one day intensive training then do the test than a long drawn out process of shorter training sessions. I'm finding the BHS system quite a minefield so far!
 
Shay said:
You do have to do a minimum number of hours training before the exam which is why the exam and training come as a package. You should not be able to simply sit the exam without it. Depending on where in the counrty you are some centres offer intensive training over 2 days and some the "one night a week" style. A lot of centres only offer training / exams in the summer to avoid the dark evenings - which might be why you are finding a lot only during the working day at the moment.

I think Catwithclaws might be thinking of the Pony Club Road Rider test as the BHS test has a theory paper element.
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Nope, was definitely the BHS one, as I've never been in the pony club, and had to do my R&RS at college before I could do stages 2, 3 and the PTT. Yes there is a theory element (sorry I only mentioned the practical elements) but its all ridiculously simple, out of 50 people who took the exam when I did mine, everybody passed :p
 
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