What's covered in the unit?
This unit will assess your considerable skills and experience looking for thorough knowledge within your discussions in addition to technical competence.
On completion of the unit, you will:
- Be able to select, fit and evaluate a range of specialist tack
- Understand the principles of nutrition, fittening and horse physiology
- Demonstrate how to assess the conformation and health of horses
- Understand how to care for different groups of horses
- Understand the foaling process and the care of mares, foals and young stock
What will you be assessed on?
chevron-down
chevron-up
- Be able to use specialist tack in a safe and efficient manner
- Understand nutritional requirements of horses
- Understand the management of competition horses
- Be able to maintain a horse's physical wellbeing
- Understand the care of horses
- Understand the care of mares and youngstock
- Understand the care of older horses
To review the learning outcomes in more detail: download the qualification specification.
How will you be assessed?
chevron-down
chevron-up
Up to a three-and-a-half-hour criteria-based assessment.
Entry requirements
chevron-down
chevron-up
If you have been unsuccessful on your first assessment, we encourage you to call us to book a re-sit. Your feedback sheet will detail which learning outcomes you will need to resit. If you are unsuccessful in a ‘viva’ on the assessment day you will be required to retake the relevant learning outcome in its entirety with a BHS assessor. This can be via a video call.
Skills record
chevron-down
chevron-up
Supporting you at every stage, your Skills Record allows you to record your achievements and progression through your career, with pre-assessment sign off criteria and trainer endorsements required for career pathways.
Pre-assessment criteria and trainer endorsement for this assessment include:
- Ready for assessment form completed - compulsory
- LO2 Trainer Endorsement - compulsory
- LO3 Trainer Endorsement - compulsory
- LO5 Trainer Endorsement - compulsory
- LO6 Trainer Endorsement - compulsory
- LO7 Trainer Endorsement - compulsory
Stage 4 Trainer Endorsement (via Skills Record)
You are asked to complete a Skills Record where your trainer confirms, for a range of learning outcomes listed above, you have achieved the standards required for the unit (Trainer Endorsement). The sign off of these learning outcomes is quality assured by the assessor through professional discussion (viva) with you on the assessment day.
Your Skills Record must be signed off by the relevant Accredited Professional to complete your assessment.
The Stage 4 Care section within the Skills Record must be signed off by a BHS Accredited Professional who holds the Performance Care and Welfare, or Stable Manager’s, or ETQ Centre Manager qualification with a BHS Coaching or Ride Leader award who has undertaken BHS Stage 4 Trainer training. Please check with your trainer and if they need further support ask them to call the BHS on 02476 840508.
Awarding body
chevron-down
chevron-up
BHS Qualifications (BHSQ) is an awarding organisation recognised and regulated by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, SQA Accreditation in Scotland, Qualifications Wales (QW) and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland. BHSQ works in partnership with a variety of organisations to develop and award qualifications for the equestrian industry. This ensures BHSQ qualifications are fit for purpose for the sector.
As the awarding organisation, BHSQ is responsible for the processes through which learners seek and obtain certification for their achievements. BHSQ is responsible for verifying that assessment practice in approved centres is conducted systematically, effectively, securely and to national standards specified within the qualification.
The British Horse Society (BHS) is approved as a centre to deliver qualifications regulated by BHSQ. BHSQ and the BHS developed these qualifications in line with feedback received from extensive industry consultation.
Learners taking BHSQ Level 4 qualifications will either be seeking employment at management level or will already be employed in the industry with a desire to progress their career by advancing their skill and knowledge. It is essential that these qualifications meet the needs of employers and learners. To satisfy these requirements, the qualifications have been developed in collaboration with employers, colleges, coaches, students, and expert groups.
Recommended reading
chevron-down
chevron-up
- BHS Complete Horsemanship Volume 4
- BHS Veterinary Manual
- BHS Complete Manual of Horse and Stable Management
- The Horse in Motion
- Veterinary Notes for Horse Owners
- Sport Horse Conformation
- Horses Inside Out Anatomy Poster Book Volume 1
- Horses Inside Out Anatomy Poster Book Volume 2
- How Your Horse Moves
- Horse Anatomy for Performance
- Equine Exercise Physiology
- Equine Science 3rd edition
