BHS Stage 2 Care and Knowledge

This programme will cover but is not limited to the following:

Understand the routine practices on a stable yard, your role, responsibilities and reporting lines?

Know how to care for horses on a day-to-day basis, recognising and assessing normal and abnormal behaviour and understanding when veterinary intervention may be required?

Be able to fit standard?tack and travel equipment??

Be able to?prepare horses for presentation?

Have a knowledge of feeding and an understanding of fitness, including the factors that will affect the amount of feed a horse will receive?

Understand basic anatomy, location of key organs and the function of the digestive system??

Lunging

Riding on the flat and over fences

1 year

Over four days a week at college one of those days being an internal placement day on the BCA Equestrian Centre.

Three weekend dates are compulsory throughout the academic year.

Assessment will take place through the completion of the BHS Stage 2 examination and successful completion of a two week block external industry placement.

BHS Stage 2 Care, Knowledge & Lunge Exam. GCSE English and maths (where applicable).

Additional qualifications:
All students are require to be Gold members British Horse Society (BHS) this will enable learners to work towards their Progressive Riding Tests and Riding Safely on the Roads awards as part of their course.
The BHS Stage 2 riding section can be taken at additional cost.

You will complete industry placement as part of your professional development every week in the form of weekly routine stable duties and 2 weeks of external work experience within the equine industry.

Please note this includes weekends.

This course can lead to employment within the equine industry such as groom, veterinary nursing assistant or animal welfare assistant. Students can also progress (subject to meeting specified entry requirements) onto other courses such as a Level 3 Diploma in Equine Management or Animal Management.

BHS Stage 2

Please be aware that we have a 15st weight limit for all riders (inclusive of all riding equipment and saddle). Students are weighed each half term and during induction for the above purpose.

Working in the equine industry can be highly rewarding but it requires hard work and dedication. You will need to be comfortable with working outdoors in all weathers, You will undertake a wide range of practical tasks working within teams of students and staff throughout the course.

We have a strict dress code for working on our Equine Centre and, as such, you need to be prepared to follow instructions from all staff in order to maintain your own health, safety and welfare and that of our horses. English and Maths will be built into your college timetable should you have not achieved a Grade 4 in these areas.

Equipment/uniform: A riding hat to the current standards of PAS015, ASTM F1163, SNELL E2001 AND AS/NZS 3838 are required. All hats will be checked and tagged prior to riding and any deemed old, worn or dangerous must be replaced before students will be allowed to ride.

A back protector to the current standard (Level 3 2018) is required for all pole work, jumping and hacking lessons, students are also welcome to use these for flat sessions if they wish. Gloves are compulsory for all practical and riding sessions and for internal work experience when leading horses.

Hairnets are compulsory for all riding and groundwork sessions.Students should have a short jumping whip and a long dressage whip for riding lessons. We advise 2-3 pairs of dark plain colour jodhpurs (no bright or patterned colours) for everyday use.

BCA polo shirts and jumpers/rugby shirts must be worn for practical, riding lessons and internal work experience days. NO hoodies, leggings, vests or jeans are allowed on the yard at any time. In wet weather over trousers and full chaps are of course permitted for yard sessions.

If you have a Learning Difficulty or Disability or Additional Educational Need, please let us know when you apply. You will be offered support in your interview. If you need help completing your application, we can also assist you with this.

You may be required to make set contributions towards educational trips and/or travel expenses to local events. Any BHS exams undertaken are an addtional cost.