BHS Stage 1 – can I do any of it by distance learning?

BHS STAGE 1

The BHS themselves do not offer any online theory qualifications for the Stage 1 at all unfortunately and their professional qualifications cannot be gained from any other organisation or body – only directly with the BHS.  The BHS (head office exams/qualifications section) hold assessment days for professional qualifications around the UK at the larger approved centres – these may be colleges or yards/equestrian centres.  Training for the qualifications does not necessarily have to be undertaken at those centres/colleges.

All the Stages exams/assessments are undertaken by practical assessment – i.e. they question you orally about the theory during the practical assessments.

BHS Assessments when working towards Stage 1, cover a variety of individual elements of equine management and riding, from grooming, mucking out to feeding, lunging, riding etc. etc. and are taken at local level – with a BHS qualified assessor coach – they are all practical with oral questioning whilst you work and are assessed.  These you arrange yourself between you and the assessor coach or yard where you are training. Then, when all those individual assessments are completed and signed off by the local coach assessor on your registered BHS Skills Record document, you can put yourself forward to the BHS run assessment for the qualification you are aiming for (the ‘Stage 1 Complete Horsemanship’). WHAT DOES LINGIELD OFFER

We offer our BHS (and ABRS) based distance learning courses – which cover the majority of the theory for the Stages & ABRS assessments.  The ABRS exams/assessments are also called ‘Levels of coaching’ in the nationally recognised coaching system.  These courses we run by distance learning are not in themselves BHS or ABRS qualifications because they do not involve practicals and do not therefore count either towards a BHS qualification or the ABRS national coach qualification.

Some yards may offer lectures to help train people / clients towards those BHS assessments as mentioned above.  Sometimes an individual assessor coach may take private clients to train – but that is an arrangement the individuals would have to arrange between them and they would not usually involve the training yard.   The best route forwards is to get to know or research local yards (check websites) which help people train or offer training for BHS exams (now called assessments) you may find someone or somewhere locally which offers both lectures and practicals.  Most only do this on a fee paying course basis.

If you found somewhere – you could perhaps negotiate to do only the practical training with them if they were prepared to do that and to learn the theory off your own back (using distance learning or books or a local trainer) – but it would have to be viable financially for them of course and not all of yards are prepared to do tailor made training. Some will however, and it is always worth asking the person in charge of training – (rather than just the person who answers the phone!!). OTHER EQUIVALENT QUALIFICATIONS

Many are not aware: The ABRS (Association of British Riding Schools) offer the same qualifications for coaching nationally as British Dressage, British Dressage/Eventing/Carriage Driving etc. which are the same standards as the BHS Stages – but often more user friendly for mature students. The coaching qualifications are run by the ‘British Equestrian’ – the Federation and governing body of the equine world in UK.  They are the governing body rather than a membership Society like the BHS.  It is not so well known in this country in the general horse population that these are on offer – except perhaps by those in the dressage, showjumping and eventing world! The ABRS and the Pony Club are the organisations who run the initial Level 1 ‘riding coach’ qualifications for the Federation.  Those who wish, can move on to gain Levels 2 – 5 in riding or specialise in coaching Dressage/Eventing etc. coach with the relevant organisation.

Our Lingfield Level 1 Plus is more comprehensive than the Stage 1 theory or the ABRS Level 1 standard. It covers some of the Stage 2 as well – and even some Stage 3 – because it is produced for the horse owner.  The horse owner as we all know if we have ever owned a horse, needs far more and in a broader spectrum than the basic Stage 1 information and they need it at an early stage in ownership rather than in graded steps as is provided by the Stages qualifications.  This is why our courses are really useful for the owner as well as for the career student.

A longer route to gaining ‘entry’ only to Stage 1 is via the more amateur Challenge Awards which if enough are gained at Silver and or Gold level may possibly help towards direct entry to the Stage 1/2.  They can be time consuming and work out costly in some cases though.  It is not for someone wanting to get through Stage 1 or ABRS Level 1 quickly.

There are other direct entry routes to some Stage qualifications here on the BHS site