BHS Assistant Instructors Certificate

The BHSAI certificate is awarded to candidates who have successfully achieved the BHS Horse Knowledge, Care and Riding Stage 3, the Preliminary Teacher’s Certificate and have submitted a fully completed Coaching Portfolio or have logged 500 hours teaching.

From January 2007, candidates progressing from BHSPT to BHSAI are required to complete a Coaching Portfolio, which they will receive after passing the PTT exam. Candidates are required to complete a number of tasks, which will be externally assessed by an independent assessor, who they should contact directly. Following successful assessment, candidates can then apply for the BHSAI certificate. The following documents also need to be submitted along with the Coaching Portfolio:

• Preliminary Teaching Test – Result sheet

• Copy certificates for Horse Knowledge, Care and Riding Stages 1, 2, 3 and PTT

• PTT Lesson Plans 1-8, Lunge and Lead Rein lesson

• PTT Lecture notes

• Equine Specific First Aid certificate or four-day Health and Safety First Aid at Work

• Safeguarding and Protecting Children – certificate of attendance (previously Child Protection Workshop)

Candidates who passed the PTT prior to January 2007 will still be required to complete and log 500 hours teaching experience (25 percent of which may be Stable Management lectures) and complete either the Health and Safety Executive First Aid at Work or Equine Specific First Aid Certificate. Further guidance on progression to the AI following this route is available from the BHS Examinations Department.

Candidates with extensive experience of teaching in the industry may apply for exemption from the 500 hours.

Holders of the BHSAI are qualified to teach riders in dressage to Novice level, lungeing both horse and rider to show improvement and jumping to Stage 2 level.

Holders of the BHSAI are also eligible to join the BHS Register of Instructors.