Many people believe that the BHS Register of Instructors is purely a list of people who have passed a BHS examination in instruction. In reality it is much more than this and in fact not everyone with a BHS qualification will be on "the Register" (as it is known) or will be eligible to be included on the Register.

 

The Register of Instructors important for a number of reasons:

• It gives a guarantee that the individual really does have the qualification they say they have.
• The instructor has agreed to and signed a Code of Conduct
• The instructor must also have passed and kept up to date an equine specific first aid course.
• The instructor has undertaken a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check.
• They have attended a child protection course teaching them the appropriate ways to interact and deal with children and vulnerable adults and hold a Child Protection Certificate.
• They have attended regular instructors refresher courses
• They are covered by Public Liability Insurance (may not apply for instructors on the category B and Overseas)

So as you can see the Register is not simply a list of qualified instructors but provides an assurance to you that the person is qualified and that you can guarantee a of level of competence that you should look for in whoever instructs you.

http://www.bhs.org.uk/Content/Edu-register-of-instructors.asp

Assuming someone has their BHS instructors qualifications it takes around 6 months from start to finish to go through the process of joining the BHS Register of Instructors. Instructors on the Register are issued with a BHS id card which details their qualifications which they should be able to produce if requested.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself about the person who instructs you or your children:

Is your instructor on the register?

If not:

• Do they have any qualifications?
• Are they insured?
• Have they been trained in first aid and know what to do in the event of an accident?
• Have then gone through the other checks and training required?

It is always important to understand that many extremely excellent instructors are not on the BHS Register of Instructors and are covered by insurance for their teaching activity. For example the Pony Club has it's own criteria and minimum requirements for anyone who teaches on their behalf at a Pony Club organised event and who are not on the BHS Register.

For more details see the British Horse Society web site http://www.bhs.org.uk or speak to one of our clubs several members who are qualified and on the Register.

John Mears BHSII regd.