To find out more about the British Horse Society and to see the riding skills and levels of horse care knowledge required at each stage of examination, please visit the British Horse Society website.
Intensive Training Courses
Do you have a love of horses and now find yourself with the time and opportunity to learn more about them? Regardless of your current job status, your age or how long you wish to spend immersed in an equestrian environment we can tailor a course specifically for you. Our carefully-selected team of qualified personnel will always be on hand to coach and encourage you whatever your skill level and even if you don’t want to make horses your career you will end up a better rider and a more informed horse person. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your requirements for personalized BHS training.
One-Year Working Student Courses
This program is aimed at young people who wish to make a career in the horse industry and is offered either as an alternative to an equine college degree or to enhance one.
Aim
To cover the BHS syllabi of Horse Knowledge and Riding Stages I, II and III inclusive and the Preliminary Teaching Test in a one-year period.
Format
Four riding lessons and four lectures will be given each week in addition to practical on-the-job training. The lessons will include the disciplines of dressage, jumping and cross-country riding and a number of lunge lessons will be given as required throughout the course to improve balance and position. The lectures will cover all aspects of horse care, minor ailments and their treatments as well as the theories of equitation.
Barn Duties
Because of the requirements at examination level to perform all practical tasks with a high degree of professionalism, each student is required to participate in the daily barn routine, having responsibility for the care of a number of horses and fully participating in any duties required throughout the day. The working week is Tuesday through Sunday and barn duties commence at 7 a.m. daily.
Modules
The following topics will be covered during the training program:
Dressage, Jumping, Teaching Practice, Lungeing, Stable Management, Minor Ailments
Accommodation
Accommodation, including utilities, is available in the staff apartment on the premises at no charge to working students. Students are, however, responsible for their own meals and are required to participate in a cleaning roster.
Vacations
Because our courses are constructed so that the students get first-hand experience of how commercial equestrian operations are run, they are allotted the same time off as the other professionals employed at Cedar Crest Farm. This vacation time is accrued on the basis of one working day per calendar month. All time off must be applied for in advance and approved by the student’s immediate supervisor.
Insurance
Riding is classified as a high-risk sport and students are therefore strongly advised to take out adequate personal accident and health insurance cover. All personal property should be covered by the student’s own insurance policy as Cedar Crest Farm accepts no liability for loss or damage, howsoever caused, to the student’s personal property or cash.
Examinations
B.H.S. examinations are held regularly in the U.K. and Ireland and periodically at the Grand Cypress Equestrian Center in Florida. Other examination centers will be coming on stream in the U.S. during 2008 and 2009. We can assist students in preparing for and entering the appropriate examinations when they are ready to pass them.
Getting started
If you would like to be considered for a working student position at Cedar Crest Farm please complete our application form.
