NVQ in horse care

[MadMumInKent]

Was just wondering if anyone here had done it... It seems that the BHS stages are more popular, but the yard where Pumpkin is at is now an NVQ training centre, and I'm seriously considering signing up next week for the stage 2 in horse care & management. With Pumpkin being on full livery, and also being my first horse, I'm thinking that it will fill in the gaps where I'm clueless, build my confidence, and put me on the road to DIY at some point in the (very far - probably a couple of years away) future.
Any thoughts?

Ta very muchly :)
Jo

[Mehitabel]

i did them instead of my stages, and have taken several students through them too - i'm not an examiner, but i do the syllabus training and then YM examines them, to prepare them for the real examiner.

i like them as qualifications.

[Bay Mare]

I did the NVQ 1 and worked alongside the NVQ 2's (we did jumping as part of the riding assessment, I wasn't deemed good enough at the time (which I agreed with, I'm not the worlds best jumper)), though she did say after seeing me jump some months later that she'd made a mistake and that I should have done the 2! .... too late by then though :(

The NVQ is good for learning the practical skills but as an 'exam' I don't rate it, quality wise, in the same way as, say, BHS exams.

It sounds like it would be very useful for what you want though :) Also consider the Horse Owners Course which is mainly theoretical but you get a lot of knowledge about a wide variety of subjects. It's given me a lot of things to think about!

[bexj]

I'm doing the nvq 1 at the moment - assessment in a couple of weeks. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and learnt heaps. The only slight difficulty is getting the hours in for the practical stuff, but I guess that slightly depends on how your yard is structured. I'll write a bit more later today, when I'm not supposed to be getting ready for work:rolleyes:

[AliC]

I've just submitted my folder for NVQ2. It took me a year to do and I was self-funded as I don't work on a yard. I had a bit of a problem with it as we didn't really get much done during the summer months so had to rush to finish all the elements at the end and do the IV (that's when an internal verifiers comes to assess your trainer assesing you). I think the IV is probably the most stressful part of it as you have to ride and achieve a certain level - I "failed to achieve" one part of the riding but practised and passed it later on (I wasn't IV'd again, my trainer just had to verify that I had performed that element satisfactorily).

I think it's a really good qualification to add to the CV. You can pretty much go at your own pace and you have probably already achieved many of the units already with the knowledge and practical experience that you already have. I would recommend it. It's a good way to learn how to do things the correct way and make sure also that you're doing things the safest way (that's very important to me, anyway!)

Good luck,

Ali
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[MadMumInKent]

Thanks people :) I just need to go through the units in more detail before next week, but the lady is coming out next week and I'll be able to sign up then. I can't see it doing any harm ;) And there's funding available apparently, so thats a massive bonus :D

AliC - I PMd you last week, wondered if you'd disappeared off the face of the earth ;) Hope you are well :)

[jools]

Im half way through the NVQ Level 1,just passed my mucking out & feeding assessments :D

I'm the only one doing the Level 1,the other 2 are doing the Level 2,so everything they do,I have to do....they've just started jumping,thought I'd get out of it...how wrong was I.

The only thing with it is that you have to put the hours in and I'm struggling at the moment,supposed to start at 8.30am but I have a 7 year old who I have to get to school in the morning and lets just say,our yard manager isnt very understanding.

We usually do all the yard duties first,I muck out about 8 ponies every day,then we have an hours lecture or practical session,then we ride for an hour.

I didnt realise when I started the course there'd be so much theory work,we get homework to take home and complete and everything.

I dont really have the time for it now,but I'm glad I tried it out.

Just got my first loan horse and to afford her I need to get a full time job which means ending this course..so I'm a little confuddled at the moment on what to do..

[AliC]

Mad Mum - Do you know the name of the lady who is coming to sign you up? The lady who runs the yard where I keep Jess is an NVQ assessors in our area so it would be interesting to know if she's going to be doing your NVQ too. She's an excellent trainer.

Ali
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