BHS Stage One exams

squidsin

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2013
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I am thinking of doing this - not because I want to teach or change career, but just because I'd like to have a horsey goal to work towards and think it would be good for my confidence. Has anyone else on here done it (as a part-time adult)? How do you go about it? If anyone in Bucks has got any local advice, please PM me!
 
Yes I've done it. I did a 6 month course to work towards it at a local equestrian college, brooksby in Melton Mowbray. Found the course great as it covered everything in the exam which in turn gave me more confidence. Every session we did practical sessions (tail bandaging etc) classroom sessions (identifying feeds etc) and ridden sessions. The ridden sessions enables you to become familiar with the horses you might get in the exam

I think if you were more confident/ more able and proficient than me you could probably just do the exam after prepping by reading the BHS books

I'd have a look at the BHS syllabus and decide what option would suit you best

Here is the link for it

http://www.bhs.org.uk/~/media/BHS/Files/PDF Documents/Exams/Stage 1 Syllabus and Guidelines.ashx

Hope this helps
 
I did it too :)

I think its fairly easy, I had all the knowledge anyway from just being around horses so just learnt the book inside out and passed no problem.

They are quite generous in the riding part, I couldn't get my horse to canter on the right leg but they said because I recognized that it wasn't it was fine.
 
I did it so long ago it'd be no good telling you as horses have evolved since then ;)
 
I did it ten years ago just prior to first time ownership so think if you go through the syllabus, read the book and maybe have an lesson at the exam centre you should ace it no problems

Like Ale says it's quite straight forward

Good luck
 
I've booked onto the course and will be starting with a bunch of 17 year old working pupils next week!
 
I have been thinking about doing my BHS exams. I would like to study for the Grooms Certificate because there is no way that I would pass further than stage 2 riding. I like the thought of doing the care aspects, but time holds me back from studying at the moment.

I have got my Horse Owners certificate levels 1 and 2. They were fun and I met a great group of people.
 
I have been thinking about doing my BHS exams. I would like to study for the Grooms Certificate because there is no way that I would pass further than stage 2 riding. I like the thought of doing the care aspects, but time holds me back from studying at the moment.

I have got my Horse Owners certificate levels 1 and 2. They were fun and I met a great group of people.

You have less time than I do! I'm quite looking forward to picking up a book and doing some studying. The other students do 5 hours of lectures/riding a week and I will be doing 2, but I am not in any rush and I reckon I should be able to keep up with the whipper-snappers! ;)
 
I've done my 1,2 and 3 care (failed one unit of the 3 care, lunging, so need to retake that) and my 1 and 2 riding.

All have been studied one evening a week. When I started my 1 I was a real novice with no care experience at all. If you've been around horses a bit it should be fine.

Lots of it is about learning the BHS way, or what they consider the safe way.

The 2 jumping is a course of max 2ft 6 (not all that high). As it is the first jumping exam they are not looking for perfection, just that you can canter on right leads, change when needed and present the horse to the fence to give him the best chance of jumping it.
 
To give you all encouragement, I took (and passed) my Stage 1 when I was 56 and beginning to really stiffen up. I went on to pass Riding and Road safety and Stage 2 Care, and like Clare123, only failed Stage 3 on the lunging. I was still recovering from a fall, and under-estimated how difficult I would find lunging a strange horse in exam conditions with one arm not working properly! As I was only doing it for my own benefit, I did not bother to re-take.

I was lucky to be based at a large training yard which ran Care evening classes for us non-professionals up to Stage 2. The riding side was covered in normal lessons, but because of my stiffness and confidence issues I had extra private lessons and joined in some of the Stage 1/2 student group lessons.
 
Just had my first Stage One ridden lesson and I haven't enjoyed anything so much in ages. Really felt I worked and was learning, and did a lot more than I usually do in my half hour private lessons! It was a decent workout too, as we did most of it without stirrups. I have a practical tutorial on Thurs (doing it privately this week as I am pushed for time and it needs to be on my timetable). Really looking forward to it!
 
Now that the BHS exams are awarded in units it is possible to do Stage 2 flatwork only and get a certificate for that.!! Might be worth looking at Barleyfields as they also do exam courses but more geared at non students!!

What is Barleyfields?
 
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