Which BHS exams will I be able to do?

N

Nichola_87

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 February 2014
Messages
54
Visit site
Hello,

My name is Nina, I'm 26 and I've just completed my BSc (hons) in equine science and management. I've worked in the industry for a number of years teaching but now want to get some formal qualifications. I have the following BHS exams:

Full Stage 1
Stage 2 horse care
Stage 2 flatwork
Riding and road safety.

I didn't get my stage 2 jumping because my lower leg moved which made me not secure in the saddle.
I'm desperate, with lots of training to further my exams, at least to PTT and do the care Stage 3 and 4 however I'm being put off a lot.
I've been told I probably wont get my AI because the people who do are out competing and jumping a lot. is this true? I can't afford right now to have horses and be out jumping lots.

I need to build my confidence jumping etc as I prefer flatwork. I wanted to follow the BHS system but people are putting me off and knocking my confidence. Is it impossible to get an AI or higher if you are like me and have never competed?

Thanks for any help!
Nina.
 
I bet the people who are telling you that those who pass their Stage 3 are some kind of wonderful are training for/have just taken their Stage 3!

Stage 3 is a very basic level of professional competence, which is achievable by an average rider. As long as you are able to ride a horse in balance, with a correct basic position, and to improve its way of going slightly, the exam is not unachievable for someone who doesn't own/compete.
 
You really don't have to be Carl Hester or WFP to pass your Stage 3. You need to be able to ride to a decent standard of course, but they are also assessing your horsemanship skills and your ability to read what's underneath you.

I passed my Stage 3 riding a year ago. I'd competed quite a lot in the past, but not for about 8 years or so. I had my little girl in October 2011, started riding again in August 2012, started training towards the Stage 3 in January 2013 and took the exam in July 2013. I did a 3 hour training session once a week (one hour flat, one hour jump and one hour stable management). I was also riding my share horse twice a week.

What I found was that they were looking for a balanced, sympathetic rider who could accurately assess each horse individually and work it accordingly. They want you to recognise that every horse is different and be able to explain why you worked each horse in the way you did, so as to improve it's way of going. Obviously, you need to be confident with the basics of the standard expected - riding without stirrups in all 3 paces, jumping the height required, etc.

What I would say is most helpful in the run up to your Stage 3 is riding as many different types of horse as possible. Someone could be going out competing every weekend, but if they only ever ride their one horse then they might get a bit of a shock in the exam when they get something that goes in completely the opposite way to what they're used to.

Good luck with it :)
 
I feel your pain Nina! I only want to teach but I have to fork out for all the stages as well, which I don't want to do because although I ride just fine I have rheumatism in my knees and consequently I can struggle and it would definitely let me down with my riding because, like you, my lower leg isn't always secure.

I just want to do the BHS Teaching exams - nothing else!
 
OP you're well on your way, don't let others put you off, keep going. Just keep jumping other horses and having a few lessons at exam centres. Lots of us have failed an exam along the way but got there in the end.
 
Nina people will forever try to put you off.

I was told a number of times throughout training that a riding school rider would never get further than the AI. I now hold 2/3rds ofthe BHSI and am working on that final piece. There have been some thrills and spills along the way though!! My riding experience did expand beyond the riding schools after I had gained the AI but I am by no means an out and out competition rider. Every person who tells me I can't makes me more determined. I have had to work bloody hard to get where I am though.

In some cases at the lower levels the competition riders (more the 1 horse owners who may compete their nice horse at a fair level) struggle as they cannot adapt to a variety of horses.

I would suggest at the very least an assessment with a BHS Assessor. Get a really clear view of your current level and the best way forward. It may be that you need to work on things beyond your basic riding - such as fitness or core stabilty - to help you improve as well as hours in the saddle.

If you tell us whereabouts you are based we might be able to suggest a centre?
 
Thing is, not to put a damper on things, but as a more experienced rider, I rather expect my instructor
to be a better rider than I am, so although it is fine to teach people the basics, does one not expect that a more senior person can do what they ask their students?
I mean if someone can't maintain the correct position, should they be AI for example, I accept some people are good teachers, and once they get older they may not want to ride everything, but if they don't have depth of experience are they are going to be able to instruct to a level higher than basic?
 
MrsD123 said:
Thing is, not to put a damper on things, but as a more experienced rider, I rather expect my instructor
to be a better rider than I am, so although it is fine to teach people the basics, does one not expect that a more senior person can do what they ask their students?
I mean if someone can't maintain the correct position, should they be AI for example, I accept some people are good teachers, and once they get older they may not want to ride everything, but if they don't have depth of experience are they are going to be able to instruct to a level higher than basic?
Click to expand...

An AI is only expected to teach at basic level - many are far better than that, but the term Assistant instructor means just that.
 
Hi Honey,
Thanks for your message! I did PM you but it said error because your storage is full?
Anyway, I'm in Bolton, Manchester. Not riding as much at the moment, my job doesn't provide much riding/training so I'm paying for lessons alongside work. Really desperate to get riding more! :)
 
Hi, sorry about that, just emptied it.

I'm not as near as I thought, I'm in Saddleworth. I've just got sorted with two sharers for my horses, it's a shame, I'd been looking for a sharer for my mare that's done BE for nearly two years and I'm often away, so the sharer could do local shows. You could do with some kind of set up like that. Perhaps advertise in Preloved or Equineadverts.co.uk. I would have snapped your hand off. Try and find someone with a reasonably experienced horse and see if the owner knows a good local instructor (as higher level as possible) that you could have private lessons on. Keep having lessons at an exam centre now and again too. Finally, perhaps look up your nearest branch of the PC, they would be delighted to get someone helping and once they knew you may well let you do some teaching, our local branch often encourages older members to learn to teach.

Good luck.
 
Try Sarah Fitton BHSI at Ryders Farm for regular lessons. She is not an assessor but is immersed in the system and will know the standard you need to be.
 
Auslander said:
An AI is only expected to teach at basic level - many are far better than that, but the term Assistant instructor means just that.
Click to expand...

Its a very low standard then, one girl whose mother [AI] gave her lessons on her own pony could not tell when she was on the correct lead on my boy. Mother is now working at the BHS approved RS.
 
Hmmm, You have more qualifications than me ,yet I watched a stage 3 warm up to an exam in two weeks and I wouldnt have trusted any of the riders not to get hurt on my horse , also I wouldnt have trusted the BHS instructor to teach pony club D test.What a crock.Incidentaly ,whilst you do have more qualifications than me ,I have evented ,and raced , and been in competative equestrian sport for over 40 years.
 
Last edited:
If you want to do your BHS stages, PTT and AI qualifications, then you should do it.

ignore what others say - what matters is the standard of riding, not how many competitions you do. a lot of those who compete (and usually most who feel the need to use their

however, if you feel you need to be more confident, especially with jumping, I would definitely look into getting some lessons with an instructor who will help build your confidence up and making sure you're at the standard you need before you start really working towards your stages. Nothing worse than going into an exam feeling ill-prepared :(

As others have said - finding a share on a horse might help just so you're riding more and getting back into the swing of things!

I can assure you there are lots of people who do their BHS stages without seeing riding as anything more than a hobby and a bit of fun.

Don't let your confidence be knocked by people telling you how hard it is or you need to be competing and jumping all the time - because you don't!

I wish you the best of luck :)
 
sasquatch said:
If you want to do your BHS stages, PTT and AI qualifications, then you should do it.

ignore what others say - what matters is the standard of riding, not how many competitions you do. a lot of those who compete (and usually most who feel the need to use their

however, if you feel you need to be more confident, especially with jumping, I would definitely look into getting some lessons with an instructor who will help build your confidence up and making sure you're at the standard you need before you start really working towards your stages. Nothing worse than going into an exam feeling ill-prepared :(

As others have said - finding a share on a horse might help just so you're riding more and getting back into the swing of things!

I can assure you there are lots of people who do their BHS stages without seeing riding as anything more than a hobby and a bit of fun.

Don't let your confidence be knocked by people telling you how hard it is or you need to be competing and jumping all the time - because you don't!

I wish you the best of luck :)
Click to expand...

Totally agree - I have my BHSAI and I can count the number of times I have competed on my fingers - not sure I have ever competed in a real show jumping competition and I have never ridden Xc competitively either and I never will - it's not my bag.

The only thing I think is true is that you need to ride a lot under good instruction yourself to significantly improve. I hated jumping but with really good tuition I still got my AI and in fact got positive comments about my jumping in the exam. If you can set yourself up to ride under tuition 4 days a week on a variety of horses of course you can do it!
 
ruth83 said:
Nina people will forever try to put you off.

I was told a number of times throughout training that a riding school rider would never get further than the AI. I now hold 2/3rds ofthe BHSI and am working on that final piece. There have been some thrills and spills along the way though!! My riding experience did expand beyond the riding schools after I had gained the AI but I am by no means an out and out competition rider. Every person who tells me I can't makes me more determined. I have had to work bloody hard to get where I am though.

In some cases at the lower levels the competition riders (more the 1 horse owners who may compete their nice horse at a fair level) struggle as they cannot adapt to a variety of horses.

I would suggest at the very least an assessment with a BHS Assessor. Get a really clear view of your current level and the best way forward. It may be that you need to work on things beyond your basic riding - such as fitness or core stabilty - to help you improve as well as hours in the saddle.

If you tell us whereabouts you are based we might be able to suggest a centre?
Click to expand...

Many years ago I knew a young woman who had never owned her own horse. She passed her Pony Club A with honours and went on to get her full BHSI.

So it definitely can be done.

Ride every horse you can, think when you are riding it how is it going, which side is the most supple, what quality is the work it has produced.

Practise your teaching whenever you can. Even if you are not able to actually practise make lesson plans so that your class can progress.

Make sure that where you are riding is actually giving you quality tuition.

A little tip to help your lower leg when jumping. Make sure that your stirrups are short enough to allow you to keep them still. Fold at your hips avoiding opening the angle of the knee which usually happens when the rider stands into jumping position. One of my A level students had a problem with the lower leg moving back, I tied his stirrup to the girth with a thin bootlace so that it couldn't slide back. Worked a treat.
 
Thank you that is great advice! :)

And thank you to everyone for your comments, I'm feeling more positive about working hard towards my AI and maybe further some day :)
 
Nichola_87 said:
Thank you that is great advice! :)

And thank you to everyone for your comments, I'm feeling more positive about working hard towards my AI and maybe further some day :)
Click to expand...

I'm glad you're feeling more positive. I know quite a few people who have been through/are working through the BHS exam system, and most of them have failed something at least once. I agree with the advice to try and ride/experience lots of different horses- although this isn't easy. If you're small enough, it might be worth looking around for people who need someone to exercise/school their child's pony sometimes?

Also, I don't think you have to be an amazing rider to be a valuable instructor. Lots of riding schools want instructors who can teach the basics really well, and give confidence to beginners.

Good luck!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top