EDUCATION
Education at Conquest Centre is suitable for all ages and all abilities. We deliver tailored educational packages in a practical, outdoor setting and help our students to develop appropriate, transferrable skills. It doesn’t all have to be about horses either! There are plenty of other things to learn about in our setting – small animal care, woodlands and wildlife, maintenance…
You simply choose what you would like to do, and how long you would like to come for. Learners who come for a whole day are provided with lunch in our café, and all learners have access to snacks and drinks. Some days the snacks may be modest, some days there are cakes (whoopie! we like those days best!) and on the best days the learners make their own. Whilst we can’t always promise cakes, we can always promise food, water and a place at our table. We find that sitting down and eating together is a positive part of the learning experience, and a valuable teaching tool for our young people.
If you would like to discuss a bespoke package for a learner, please get in touch with Centre Manager Jess Dixon.
British Horse Society (BHS) Stage 1 Training
Conquest Centre now offers BHS Stage 1 training. We offer tuition, practical experience and exams on-site for people aged 14 upwards.
Taking these exams is a great way of improving your equine skills and knowledge and gaining recognised qualifications. The BHS Stage 1 qualification will provide you with the competencies to apply basic principles of horse care. Working under supervision, you will gain basic knowledge and practice of looking after a ‘well-mannered’ horse in the stable and at grass. You will also become capable of riding an experienced horse or pony in an enclosed space.
The BHS Stage exams are made up from units and small qualifications. You may choose to sit all the units leading to a qualification in one go, or you may prefer to ‘pick and mix’ taking the various units over time. You will be able to ‘bank’ units and will receive unit certificates. When all the relevant units for your Stage 1 qualification have been achieved, the qualification certificate will be awarded. If you are unsuccessful in one unit you will only have to re-sit that unit again. Before applying for your exam, you’ll need to become a Gold or Gold Junior member of the BHS.
You can join the BHS here: www.bhs.org.uk/membership
Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) PROFICIENCY TESTS
Our students can learn and progress through the RDA’s syllabus of proficiency tests in both riding and horse care. These certificates are carefully designed to ensure inclusivity and flexible learning. All the learning for these takes place at Conquest Centre, often during the course of a regular riding or horse care session.
You can check out the RDA’s website here https://www.rda.org.uk/
CONQUEST CENTRE BADGES
In addition to the BHS (British Horse Society) curriculum, clients can learn and progress through a variety of our very own in-house modules, covering a range of topics such as poisonous plants, grass management, road safety, domestication, enrichment, and agility. All learning takes place at Conquest Centre, often during the course of a regular riding or horse care session.
On completion of each topic the client is awarded a certificate. Material ‘sew on’ badges are also available to purchase (a few examples shown here).
Areas of Special Interest
Do you have a budding footballer, sword fighter, a yogi (someone committed to the practice of yoga) or dancer? If you have a learner who has special interest, or would like to learn something we do not currently offer, just ask! Our staff have a wide variety of hobbies, and we know lots of people who are usually happy to help out… and if all that fails, then perhaps we can take a learning journey together.
