The British Horse Society's professional qualifications are known as the 'Stages', running from Stage 1 up to the BHSI and Fellowship. This guide reflects the Stage 1 syllabus dated 1 September 2026 and the Ride Safe change effective the same date. Stages 1 and 2 are assessed through practical tasks and discussion at BHS Approved Riding Centres: there is no written exam. Below you will find the pathway structure, what the assessments involve, verified entry rules and fees, how to read the syllabus like an assessor, and preparation routes.
The Stage ladder and your pathway choices
You start at Stage 1 and build knowledge, skills and understanding at each Stage towards a chosen career role, with direct entry available if you already hold equivalent experience.
BHS qualifications are generally known as 'Stages'. The most common route begins at Stage 1, the basic horse care and riding level, and you build on your knowledge, skills and understanding at each Stage as your career advances. The ladder runs Stage 1 to Stage 4 (Senior), then BHSI and the Fellowship.
Qualifications combine into career pathways: a Groom pathway, a Groom with Riding pathway, a Ride Leader pathway and a Coaching pathway. The Groom with Riding pathway requires riding options at Stage 3 and above, and the Coaching pathway requires one coaching and one riding option from Stage 4, so the combination you choose shapes which assessments you book later.
You do not have to begin at Stage 1. If you already hold equine qualifications such as Pony Club tests, a Work Based Diploma or an apprenticeship, or you have significant work experience, you can apply for direct entry to Stage 2 or above. The BHS education team can advise on your specific background.
- Stage 1: Care and Ride, the starting level for a career with horses
- Stage 2: Foundation level across Care, Lunge, Ride, Coaching and Riding Out
- Stage 3 and Stage 4 (Senior): career-level qualifications with riding and coaching options
- BHSI and Fellowship: the highest coaching and equestrian qualifications in the BHS structure
Official sources: BHS qualifications and Stages | The British Horse Society — BHS Stages overview; BHS Stage 1 | The British Horse Society — Stage 1 qualification page and FAQ
What the Stage 1 assessment actually looks like
You complete practical tasks and answer questions under an assessor at a BHS Approved Riding Centre; Care takes about two hours, Ride about one hour, and there is no written paper.
To achieve a Stage 1 qualification you sit a practical assessment at a BHS Approved Riding Centre, working through a series of practical activities and discussions under the guidance of an assessor. Stage 1 is assessed through observing practical tasks and asking questions; you do not write anything, although you may make notes such as bridle hole numbers during tack cleaning.
Combined Care and Ride is a half-day assessment of roughly four hours from arrival to finish. Care alone takes around two hours and Ride around one hour, and you may be at the centre longer than your slot while sections rotate. You are normally assessed in a group of up to four for Care and up to six for Ride, and the Ride involves riding two horses, one after the other, with a caller giving instructions.
Results arrive by email up to 15 working days after the assessment, with certificates following by post. You must achieve every assessment criterion to pass a learning outcome, but achieved learning outcomes are banked, so a resit only covers outcomes you did not achieve.
- Assessment method: observation of practical tasks plus discussion with the assessor
- Care group: up to four candidates; Ride group: up to six, riding two horses each
- Combined Care and Ride: approximately four hours from start to finish
- Results: email within up to 15 working days; learning outcomes already passed are banked
Official sources: BHS Stage 1 | The British Horse Society — Stage 1 qualification page and FAQ; BHS Stage 1 Care and Ride syllabus (September 2026) — Full qualification syllabus including guidance for reading the syllabus
What Stage 1 Care and Ride cover
Care covers stable routines, grooming, tack, handling, feeding and welfare basics; Ride covers mounted work in walk, trot and canter, ridden without stirrups and in light seat, over trotting poles.
Stage 1 has three qualifications: Stage 1 Care, Stage 1 Ride, and Stage 1 Complete, which is awarded when you finish both components. The syllabus groups content into learning outcomes, each broken into assessment criteria with a stated assessment method.
For Care, the assessed themes are yard responsibilities, maintaining a clean stable, routine grooming, welfare and behaviour, using rugs, tacking up and untacking, handling and turnout, and providing food and water. The Ride syllabus covers tack checks and mounting, riding two horses in walk, trot and canter on both reins, work without stirrups in walk and trot, a light seat in trot and canter, trotting poles, transitions, simple school figures, the correct trot diagonal and recognising canter leads.
Riding is assessed with sympathy for the horse and awareness of other riders, following the rules of the school. The syllabus also asks you to state the number of beats within each pace and the sequence of footfalls, and to outline the aids for transitions and turns.
- Care: mucking out, bedding, grooming kit and grooming, points of the horse, height estimation, colours and markings, signs of good and poor health, rug fitting, tacking up, tack cleaning, leading, tying up, field checks, rules of feeding
- Ride: balanced position in all paces, without stirrups in walk and trot, light seat, trotting poles, transitions, school figures, correct diagonal, canter leads, number of beats in each pace
- Welfare thread: the Five Domains frame the welfare questions at this level
Official sources: BHS Stage 1 Care and Ride syllabus (September 2026) — Full qualification syllabus including guidance for reading the syllabus; BHS Stage 1 | The British Horse Society — Stage 1 qualification page and FAQ
Reading the syllabus like an assessor
Each criterion starts with a command verb that tells you the depth of answer expected, and the guidance wording tells you how much of each list may be sampled on the day.
Stage 1 criteria use command verbs such as State, Identify, Describe, Discuss, Explain, Outline, Estimate and Assess. 'State' means a brief, uncomplicated answer; 'Explain' means a description with reasons, often starting with 'because'; 'Discuss' means talking around the topic rather than giving a one-word reply. Matching your answer depth to the verb is one of the easiest ways to look prepared.
The guidance column also tells you how the content will be sampled. Where the syllabus says 'to include', all listed content must be learnt and may be assessed. Where it says 'may include', everything listed must be learnt along with others, and some or all may come up. Where a specific number in a range is stated, the full list must be learnt during training and a minimum of that number may be assessed, with the assessor deciding how many aspects to cover.
Official sources: BHS Stage 1 Care and Ride syllabus (September 2026) — Full qualification syllabus including guidance for reading the syllabus
Worked example: answering a State question
For the Stage 1 Care criterion on stating a horse's welfare needs, the verb State asks for brief, uncomplicated information: name the welfare areas — nutrition, a safe environment, health, company and mental wellbeing — without extended reasoning.
Take the Stage 1 Care criterion that asks you to state a horse's welfare needs. The syllabus frames these needs around the Five Domains: nutrition, covering forage, water and diet; a suitable and safe environment; health, meaning protection from pain, injury and disease; company, including social interactions with horses and people; and mental wellbeing. Because the command verb is State, the required answer is short and direct — practise a brief, direct response that addresses the specific assessment criterion.
Compare that with a Discuss criterion, where the assessor expects you to talk through the topic with examples and trade-offs. Practising the same fact at both depths prevents two common problems: over-answering a State question so you run out of time, and under-answering a Discuss question with a single phrase.
Official sources: BHS Stage 1 Care and Ride syllabus (September 2026) — Full qualification syllabus including guidance for reading the syllabus
Practice question: a range-based Care criterion
You must learn every listed bedding type plus others, and the assessor may ask about a minimum of two, choosing the exact number and combination on the day.
Practice question
Your Stage 1 Care syllabus includes the criterion 'Discuss the use of a range of bedding for horses', with guidance listing shavings, straw, wood pellets, rubber matting and flax/hemp, and marked 'Range = 2 or more'. What must you learn, how many bedding types might the assessor ask about, and what kind of answer does the verb Discuss require?
Show answer
You must learn all five listed bedding types during training, along with any others your coach covers, because a stated number in a range means the full list is learnt in training while a minimum of that number may be assessed. The assessor may therefore ask about two or more of them and will decide how many. Because the verb is Discuss, you should talk through the topic, for example the absorbency, cost, ease of mucking out and suitability of each bedding, rather than simply naming types.
This follows the syllabus reading rules directly: where a specific number in a range is stated, the full list must be learnt and a minimum of that number may be assessed, and 'Discuss' is defined as talking about the topic. A candidate who only memorised two bedding names would be exposed if the assessor chose three, and a candidate who only listed names would not meet the Discuss standard.
Official sources: BHS Stage 1 Care and Ride syllabus (September 2026) — Full qualification syllabus including guidance for reading the syllabus
Entry requirements, fees and booking
Stage 1 requires a minimum age of 13 and BHS Silver Candidate or Gold Membership, with Care and Ride each priced at £156.00; Stage 2 entries build on Stage 1 awards and cost more per assessment.
For any Stage 1 assessment you must be at least 13 years old on the day and hold BHS Silver Candidate Membership or Gold Membership; international centres require International Full or International E-Membership. The Stage 1 Care assessment costs £156.00 and the Stage 1 Ride assessment costs £156.00. If you are under 18, the BHS needs parent or carer consent to book, and a responsible adult should accompany you and stay at the centre.
The Skills Record, which tracks your training with coach sign-off, is recommended but not compulsory at Stage 1 and becomes compulsory from Stage 2. Booking goes through your training centre for in-house assessments, or directly with the BHS online or by phone; have your membership number and payment card ready, and note that payment plans are available.
Stage 2 entry requirements are staged: Care and Lunge need Stage 1 Care or equivalent and age 14; Ride needs Stage 1 Ride plus Ride Safe and age 14; Coaching needs Stage 2 Care, Lunge and Ride and age 17; Riding Out needs Stage 1 Care, Stage 1 Ride and Ride Safe and age 18. Stage 2 also requires Gold Membership and a completed Skills Record before the assessment.
- Stage 1 fees: Care £156.00, Ride £156.00
- Stage 2 fees: Care £184.00, Lunge £92.00, Ride £215.00, Coaching £307.00, Riding Out £251.00
- Access arrangements, such as extra time or specialist equipment, must be submitted at least three weeks before the assessment date
| Stage 2 qualification | Assessments to take |
|---|---|
| BHSQ Level 2 Foundation Groom | Stage 2 Care; Stage 2 Lunge |
| BHSQ Level 2 Foundation Groom with Riding | Stage 2 Care; Stage 2 Lunge; Stage 2 Ride |
| BHSQ Level 2 Foundation Coaching Riders | Stage 2 Coaching |
| BHSQ Level 2 Foundation Coach in Complete Horsemanship | Stage 2 Care; Stage 2 Lunge; Stage 2 Ride; Stage 2 Coaching |
| BHS Stage 2 Ride Leader | Stage 2 Care; Stage 2 Riding Out |
Official sources: BHS Stage 1 | The British Horse Society — Stage 1 qualification page and FAQ; BHS Stage 2 | The British Horse Society — Stage 2 qualification page, fees and BHSQ section
The Ride Safe change from 1 September 2026
Ride Safe is no longer required to achieve Stage 1 Ride; from 1 September 2026 it is instead an entry requirement you must complete before booking Stage 2 Ride.
From 1 September 2026, learners no longer need the Ride Safe (Silver) Challenge Award to receive their Stage 1 Ride or Stage 1 Complete certificates. Instead, Ride Safe becomes an entry requirement for Stage 2 Ride, and you will need to show evidence of completing it when booking that assessment.
The BHS states this change cannot be applied retrospectively or backdated. If you completed Stage 1 Ride before 31 August 2026 without Ride Safe, the BHS still encourages completing it so certificates can be issued under the previous requirements, and it remains a valuable award for riding safely in common environments.
Official sources: Ride Safe update | The British Horse Society — Changes to Ride Safe requirements for Stages 1 and 2
What Stage 2 adds to your training
Stage 2 moves to five qualifications covering Care, Lunge, Ride, Coaching and Riding Out, with tack fitting, anatomy, feeding, lungeing, jumping to 75 cm and delivered coaching lessons.
Stage 2 is for straightforward tasks in and out of the saddle and dealing with simple problems, always working safely with the horse's welfare in mind. The Care assessment adds fitting tack and boots, preparing a horse to travel, horse behaviour, feeding and weighing, basic anatomy, fitness, health procedures and wounds, plaiting and trimming, foot care and yard environments.
The Ride assessment requires you to ride two horses, describe a horse's way of going using the Training Scale, ride school figures on the correct diagonal and canter lead, ride with reins in one hand, and jump a course of up to seven fences at a maximum height of 75 centimetres. Stage 2 Coaching assesses you planning, delivering and evaluating a lead rein lesson, a lunge lesson, an integrated flatwork and jumping lesson and a stable management lesson, each followed by a short discussion with the assessor. Riding Out supports careers in equine tourism and trekking centres, including riding and leading in open spaces and on roads.
Stage 2 assessments are held at BHS Approved Riding Centres using their facilities and horses, and Care, Lunge and Ride can be taken on the same day or separately. Coaching and Riding Out run on separate half-day formats as described on the Stage 2 page.
Official sources: BHS Stage 2 | The British Horse Society — Stage 2 qualification page, fees and BHSQ section; BHS Stage 2 Care Syllabus | The British Horse Society — Learning outcomes and assessment criteria; Stage 2 Ride Syllabus | The British Horse Society — Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
Mistakes assessors actually report
The BHS says unsuccessful Stage 1 candidates are most often let down by casual safety habits, such as not tying up the horse or leaving the stable door open, and by unfamiliar practical tasks.
The BHS describes Stage 1 pass rates as very high, and attributes most failures to safety concerns from being too casual with horses: not tying up, leaving the stable door open and poor handling. It also notes errors in less familiar practical skills, such as putting a bridle back together after cleaning or fitting a running martingale. Practising tasks until they stay safe and effective under pressure is the training priority this points to.
One rule you should know exactly: if you fall off during the Ride assessment, you would not be able to remount and continue, following the same guidance as disciplines such as British Eventing. If you still have Care to complete and feel well enough, you may continue with that assessment. Because paper preparation cannot establish practical competence, treat these patterns as a checklist for your coach, not a substitute for supervised practice.
- Safety habits under pressure: tying up, closing gates and stable doors, controlled handling
- Less familiar tasks: reassembling a bridle after cleaning, fitting a running martingale
- Ride assessment: a fall means no remount; you may continue with Care if well enough
Official sources: BHS Stage 1 | The British Horse Society — Stage 1 qualification page and FAQ
Your preparation route and next steps
Train at a BHS Approved Riding Centre or with a BHS Accredited Professional Coach, support it with the official Stage 1 resources, then book in-house or directly with the BHS.
The BHS recommends training at a BHS Approved Riding Centre or with a BHS Accredited Professional Coach. Centres can run courses over set weeks with the assessment at the end, or tailored training with flexible dates, and many hold in-house Stage 1 assessments where you book and pay the centre directly. If you have your own horse, a coach can visit your yard to prepare you.
For self-study, 'Complete Horsemanship Volume 1' is described by the BHS as the essential guide for Stage 1, alongside the Stage 1 Workbook, 'How to…' videos and the BHS horse care advice pages. Combine this with hands-on practice, since the assessment itself is practical. When you are ready, check whether your centre runs in-house assessments or book online with the BHS, filtering by date, centre or assessment name.
As preparation advice, ask a BHS Accredited Professional Coach to rehearse the syllabus command verbs and Care tasks with you. Practise riding different horses only under qualified supervision, with the coach selecting horses suited to your current ability. The BHS education team can help with questions about the qualification pathway.
- Find a BHS Approved Riding Centre or Accredited Professional Coach for practical training
- Use 'Complete Horsemanship Volume 1', the Stage 1 Workbook and BHS videos for self-study
- Confirm whether your centre holds in-house assessments, or book directly with the BHS
- Check current fees before booking, as prices are reviewed each year and centres may set their own for in-house assessments
Official sources: BHS Stage 1 | The British Horse Society — Stage 1 qualification page and FAQ; BHS Stage 1 Care and Ride syllabus (September 2026) — Full qualification syllabus including guidance for reading the syllabus
Official sources
Facts checked:
- BHS qualifications and Stages | The British Horse Society
- BHS Stage 1 | The British Horse Society
- BHS Stage 2 | The British Horse Society
- Ride Safe update | The British Horse Society
- BHS Stage 2 Care Syllabus | The British Horse Society
- Stage 2 Ride Syllabus | The British Horse Society
- BHS Education | The British Horse Society
- BHS Stage 1 Care and Ride syllabus (September 2026)
- BHS Stage 1 syllabus (March 2025)
- BHS Stage 1 syllabus (September 2026)