# Horse Owners Certificate - BHS



## RainbowDash (12 March 2013)

Hi all,

Well me and Boyo have been together now for 14 months.  I've learnt a heck of a lot (management wise) in that time - but after the last lameness/puncture incident and now getting Boyo fit again I feel I need to expand my knowledge - and not have to relay (sp.) on the experienced yard staff for help.

That being the case I'm looking at studying for the horse owners certs and equine first aid certs poss even equine psyc. (just cause that interests me).

I've looked round for courses/prices but before I go ahead - has anyone done this course? Is it useful? Worth it? Is it worth going for the top cert or should i go through each one? Or am I looking at the wrong course? I'm not looking for a career in horse management - I am wanting to be more informed and a better/more knowledgable owner.

Thanks for reading - virtual cookies, Chardonnay for getting this far xxxxxx


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## ruth83 (12 March 2013)

Horse Owners Certs would be a great step. The only thing I would say is that they are completely theory based so you may not get to practise what you learn. (Though some instructors do practical stuff too). 

The syllabi is available on The BHS website, have a look and see what the different levels involve to help you decide, though I would recommend starting at either level 1 or 2. 

(P.S. I come at this from the perspective of someone who teaches the courses rather than has attended. It is also worth adding that the usefulness and standard of each course can very much depend on the person teaching it!)


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## d_morrow (14 March 2013)

Here's another very useful course for ALL horse owners:

https://www.coursera.org/course/equinenutrition

It's free and delivered online by the University of Edinburgh Vet School.

The first one (5 weeks) has just finished, but it looks like they're gearing up to run it again.  You can sign up for it and they will let you know when it's due to start.

I say all horse owners because it's good for everyone to keep up with the latest research - but of course it's invaluable for new owners - especially these days when the feed companies and their marketing machines want to sell us a confusing (and expensive) array of feeds and supplements which your horse most likely does not need.  

This course gives you the facts without bias and the knowledge to make your own decisions.


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## sarahann1 (14 March 2013)

I did the certificate a few years ago, it was great, filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge. I liked the fact it was both riding and care included. I'd definately recommend it, though as has already been said I suppose it depends on the instructor.


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## EffyCorsten (16 March 2013)

d_morrow that's a great site I've just signed up the equine nutrition and another...
Thanks for that it looks interesting!


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## smokey (16 March 2013)

Just signed up for the course, been looking for something to keep my brain active!


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## meandmyself (16 March 2013)

I did level one in collage. Didn't really learn anything, and scored 100% on the exam...


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