The Open College of Equine Studies

BHS Horse Owner’s Certificate Level 4

These BHS certificated courses cover the theoretical aspects of horse care. There are four levels of certificate, all of which can be studied at home using course material specifically developed for distance learning. Courses include at least six modules providing all of the information required to pass the examination at the end of the course.

Course material includes in-text questions to help you learn and a number of work assignments for you to complete and send in for assessment. Your course tutor will provide detailed feedback on your assignment. At the end of each course you complete the Horse Owner’s Examination Paper.  This is completed in the presence of a BHS registered instructor.  Candidates are responsible for arranging a date and venue with a local instructor (details can be found on the BHS website at www.bhs.org.uk).  The candidate is responsible for paying the instructor's invigilation fee, direct to the instructor.

The instructor will send the completed paper back to TOCES and the course tutor will mark your paper and send it to the BHS for verification. The appropriate level BHS Horse Owner’s Certificate is awarded to all successful candidates.

You do not have to own a horse or be a BHS member to complete these courses. Courses are progressive, i.e. you should study Level One before Level Two. If however you are confident that you have already progressed beyond a particular level, you can elect to sit the examination without first studying the course material. This will reduce the cost and time involved in achieving your ultimate goal.

Module 1 – Anatomy and Physiology
Structure and functions of the systems of the horse.

Module 2 – Grassland Management
Grasses, soil, fertilisers, re-seeding, drainage. Pasture management. Hay-making – types and methods.

Module 3 – Equine Nutrition
Nutrients. Constituents of feedstuffs. Rationing – riding school horses, hunters, competition horses.

Module 4 – Equine Veterinary Care
Sick nursing – feeding and management of the horse on box rest. Isolation procedure. Disorders and diseases. Remedial shoeing - types of remedial shoe and their uses.

Module 5 – The Teeth and Ageing
Structure of teeth. Ageing characteristics. Structure of the mouth. Problems associated with poor mouth conformation.

Module 6 – Tack and Equipment
Basic principles of fitting saddles, (dressage, jumping, cross-country, general purpose) and bridles (snaffle, double bridle). The uses of specific bits and gadgets (draw reins, balancing reins, Market Harborough, De Gogue) and the ways in which they work.

Module 7 – Equine Behaviour
Basic psychology and instinctive behaviour. Causes of stress in the horse. Stable vices – their cause and control.

Module 8 – The British Horse Society
The BHS and its departments and structure. BHS qualification system and Register of Instructors.

Module 9 – Accident Procedure
Accident procedure. Legal obligations of an instructor. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1994. Fire prevention and action to take in the event of fire. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).

There are four work assignments and one final examination paper within this course.