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  • Bilsington, Ashford, Kent
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Training

Here at 4 Gaits we love nothing more than bringing on the next generation of future coaches and instructors. That’s why we have plenty of training here to get stuck into.

BHS Ride Road Safety

It is time to step outside the confines of an arena and begin to explore the countryside on horseback! Whether you dream of meandering along your local bridleways, relaxing on long peaceful hacks or cantering along a beach, we will help you develop the knowledge and skills to ride out safely in all environments. 

When you sign up to any Challenge Award you will receive the accompanying information booklet from your coach to help support your learning. With the Ride Safe Silver Challenge Award, this includes the Ride Safe guide, providing practical examples, tips and guidance to help you stay safe when riding in all situations including:   

    • Riding safely on the road, along rights of way, across agricultural land, at the beach and when warming up at competitions 

    • Negotiating hazards 

    • Understanding common signs 

    • Dealing with conflict or difficult situations when riding out 

    • Negotiating obstacles 

Cost will include:  

    • Ride Safe information booklet to support your practical training and allows for bite-size learning with mastered skills and knowledge signed off by your trainer 

    • Ride Safe Guide (Ride Safe Silver Award only) 

    • Expert training and support throughout  

    • Certificate of completion 

BHS Stage 1 Training (Care + Ride) -

  • The award assesses your knowledge and practical skills when carrying out routine tasks, such as mucking out, bedding down, and providing food and water. You will be asked to handle horses inside the stable and outdoors, apply and remove rugs, groom, lead a horse in hand and hold a horse for inspection. 

After completing the care unit, you will: 

    • Be able to put on and adjust saddles, bridles, and boots – as well as be able to clean tack 

    • Know how to lead a horse safely in a variety of environments and identify regular field checks 

    • Have an awareness for the after-work care of a horse and the different rugs they may need 

    • Have some understanding of horse behaviour and health and be able to recognise any abnormalities  

    • Be able to carry out routine stable management and horse care tasks including mucking out and grooming 

On completion of the ride unit, you will be:  

    • Able to mount from a block and adjust girth and stirrups for comfort 

    • Able to walk, trot and canter  on both reins, showing changes of direction, turns and circles 

    • Able to apply appropriate aids for basic flatwork schooling  

    • Able to ride in a balanced position both with and without stirrups, and when working in a forward seat over poles and in canter 

    • Able to ride in a group and show some individual work with consideration and respect for other riders and your horse

    • Able to recognise diagonals in rising trot and canter leads 

    • Aware of the horse’s needs and comfort

BHS Stage 2 Training –

On completion of this unit, you will: 

  • Understand the routine practices on a stable yard, your role, responsibilities and reporting lines 
  • Know how to lead a horse safely in a variety of environments and identify regular field checks
  • 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  

BHS Progressive Riding Tests

Do you want to learn more about horses?
The Essential Horse Knowledge Certificates (EHKC) are classroom based recreational courses that are run by BHS Accredited Professional Coaches and BHS Approved Centres. These qualifications are held at two levels; Entry Level and Level One. They are designed to provide a sound foundation of equine knowledge to the learner.

Entry Level

  • Basic principles of health, safety and welfare with regards to the care and riding of horses
  • Basic feeding and watering requirements
  • How to provide suitable shelter
  • How to clean and maintain bedding
  • Grooming and hoof care requirements
  • Colours, markings and breeds/types
  • Basic knowledge of the parts of saddlery

Level One

  • Basic principles of health, safety and welfare when on a yard
  • Points of the horse
  • Signs of good and poor health
  • Horse behaviour
  • Feeding and watering
  • Caring for horses at grass
  • Routine health care requirements
  • Rules and requirements for riding horses on the public highway and open country
  • Buying horses and the costs involved with keeping horses
  • Reporting equine related accidents and incidents.

Certificate in Equestrian Coaching CICE

The Equestrian Coaching Certificate pathway endorsed by UK Coaching and provided by 1st4Sport is a standardized approach across equestrian disciplines and focuses on the coaching craft in the context of equestrianism.

It usually contains a course with a taught element – both in the classroom and practically alongside the development of a coach portfolio based on clients you are coaching – and an assessment which looks at the your coaching skills (whilst coaching elements from the technical syllabus at each level) and also requires the submission of a portfolio.

It does not assess knowledge or expertise in relation to horse care and welfare albeit demonstration of an appreciation of equine health and welfare is necessary as a requirement to register for these qualifications either demonstrated through experience or previous qualifications.

CERTIFICATE IN COACHING LEVEL 1

This qualification will qualify you to operate as an equestrian coaching assistant in the general riding environment. You will be able to support other coaches to deliver and evaluate coaching sessions. You will be qualified to work alongside other coaches in an assistant role and will form part of a larger coaching team.

As you complete the qualification, you will learn what the role of a coaching assistant is, what will be expected of you in this role, and what the boundaries of this role are. You will also develop your coaching skills and learn how to deliver pre-planned coaching activities that are safe and effective.

What will this Qualification allow me to do?
This qualification will qualify you to operate as an equestrian coaching assistant in the general riding environment. You will be able to support other coaches to deliver and evaluate coaching sessions. You will be qualified to work alongside other coaches in an assistant role and will form part of a larger coaching team.

What will I learn?
As you complete the qualification, you will learn what the role of a coaching assistant is, what will be expected of you in this role, and what the boundaries of this role are. You will also develop your
coaching skills and learn how to deliver pre-planned coaching activities that are safe and effective.

Assessment
Your assessment will involve a number of written tasks to test your knowledge of the role of a
coaching assistant operating at this level, including multiple choice and short answer questions,
observation whilst delivering pre-planned coaching activities, and a self-evaluation to identify areas
for future improvement.

What can I do next?
This qualification sits within a suite of other coaching qualifications and as you develop as a coach
you may wish to complete other coaching qualifications at higher levels such as the CIEC Lv2 or
another sport specific alternative, both of which would allow you to plan your own coaching sessions and to deliver these independently.

Booking is not made through us for the CICE, you must register your interest with the ABRS by using the link below.

Certificate in Equestrian Coaching | Association of British Riding Schools (abrs-info.org)

Dates for all our training will be on the “What’s On” tab of the menu when they become available.

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