Dress Guidance
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Please don’t worry about the dress code for your assessment day. There is lots of information available on what to wear either in your Skills Record and below.
However, if you would like to speak to someone about the dress code for assessments, please call our Education Team and they will be able to reassure you.
Disease Prevention
In order to minimise the risk of transmitting infectious diseases, we would request that all candidates change into clean clothing and, wherever possible, disinfect footwear before attending a BHS assessment; particularly if you have been in contact with horses from outside the assessment centre. If a yard you have been in contact with experiences an outbreak of an infectious disease prior to your BHS assessment, please contact the BHS Education Team on 02476 840508 for advice before attending your BHS assessment. We are very grateful for your co-operation with this protocol and are sure that you share our concern regarding the potential spread of infectious diseases within the equine population.
As you are being assessed for a professional career pathway, it is always a good idea to come in neat and tidy clothing to make a good impression, just as you would in any professional equestrian workplace.
Please don’t go out and buy anything special, we just want you to feel comfortable and relaxed during your assessment. As long as it is safe, practical working attire and suitable for the given weather conditions then it will be ok. We would advise you to bring extra clothing, such as waterproofs, warm jackets or a cooler top with sleeves if the weather looks as though it could be unpredictable.
It is not compulsory for you to wear a jacket on the day for any assessment, although tops should fit well and have sleeves. If you are taking part in a riding session during your assessment, long sleeves are advised for safety, even if it is a hot day. You can change out of your long-sleeved top once your riding section has finished. For jumping sections, you should wear a shirt with sleeves and either a tie or stock.
Either breeches or jodhpurs are fine. Plain colours are usually more practical for assessment days. If you are only taking a care assessment, you can also wear a practical pair of trousers rather than breeches or jodhpurs if you would be more comfortable.
Long leather riding boots or boots with leather gaiters are suitable for the riding sections of the assessment. You can choose to wear suitable shoes or boots for the care assessments if you would rather.
For safety reasons we ask that you wear gloves and a hat for any riding, leading or lungeing activities.
Spurs are not usually required until Stage 4 and beyond. If you do require them during your assessment, they would need to be short and blunt with the shank set centrally to the rear. Spurs should only be used when the need arises, and you may be asked to remove them if this is not the case.
Jewellery within a practical environment can often cause injury or safety concerns, so for this reason it is advised that no jewellery, apart from a watch, is worn or is covered up during your assessment. It is also advised for safety reasons that hair of shoulder length or longer is tied back and a hairnet is worn.
Your hat is probably the most important item you will need to remember on the day! You are required to wear your hat during any mounted, lungeing, leading or loading assessments.
Unfortunately, hats with fixed peaks are not permitted for the cross-country sections of assessments, in line with British Eventing standards.
If you are sitting your assessment in the UK and Republic of Ireland, please ensure your hat has been correctly fitted and meets the current safety standards:
- PAS015(1998 or 2011) + a BSI Kitemark OR Inspec IC Mark
- VG1 01.040 (2014-12) + a BSI Kitemark OR Inspec IC Mark
- ASTM F1163 (2004a or 04a onwards) + SEI mark
- SNELL (E2001 or E2016) + SNELL label and number
- AS/NZS 3838 (2006 onwards) + SAI global mark
The EN1384 and BSEN1384 is no longer a current standard. If your hat shows this standard it must also show one of the above standards and kitemarks to be worn during an assessment. If only the EN1384 and/or BSEN1384 standard is showing then unfortunately the hat cannot be used.
If you are sitting your assessment outside of the UK or Republic of Ireland, please refer to our International Hat Standards.
Body protectors are strongly recommended by the BHS in all aspects of ridden activity, but it is compulsory for any assessments that include cross-country jumping and could be required during a show jumping element of an assessment depending upon the centre’s insurance policy.
Please note, your body protector should comply with the following specifications:
- A BETA level 3 (purple label) displaying either a 2009 label or later
Air Jackets
Due to a recent policy change Air Jackets should not be worn within groups of riders in an assessment situation. This is due to the increased risk of reaction of horses with other candidates. If you wish to wear an Air Jacket, please contact the assessment centre for their consent.
Air Jackets may be worn for cross country riding only when correctly fitted over a body protector and with the Assessment Centre consent.
Clothing for Each Assessment
In the below sections, we have provided specific information on clothing according to which assessment you may be taking:
The Ride Safe assessment requires you to ride out on the public highway. Please remember to bring along your hi-viz tabard (that you would have received free upon booking your assessment) to wear.
Remember, it is important that you’re comfortable throughout the day as this will help you to perform your best throughout your assessment. Try to remember to bring extra clothes suitable for a variety of weather conditions, you will be riding outside on the public highway - just in case!
You will need your hat (ensure it meets current safety standards) and gloves for this assessment. Riding boots can either be long or short boots with or without leather gaiters. Plain jodhpurs or breeches are ideal.
If you would normally wear a body protector, please feel free to wear this during your assessment, even though it is not a compulsory requirement during the Ride Safe assessment. For safety, we ask you wear long sleeves when riding to give some protection to your arms and ask you tie your hair back if you have long hair.
For safety reasons, any jewellery should be covered up or removed.
Throughout the ridden assessment, you may be asked to carry a whip. For Ride Safe, you will need to carry a short whip between 14 and 30 inches.
For the care units, you can choose to wear long leather riding boots or boots with leather gaiters or suitable shoes or boots if you would rather. You will need to wear sensible yard clothing; this may include trousers or jodhpurs, a dark colour is more practical. We would recommend that you wear a jumper or gilet with a polo shirt underneath.
Bring along your riding hat (please ensure this meets current safety standards) and gloves to your assessment.
Remember, it is important that you’re comfortable throughout the day as this will help you to perform your best throughout your assessment. Try to remember to bring extra clothes suitable for a variety of weather conditions, just in case!
You will need your hat (ensure it meets current safety standards) and gloves for this assessment. Riding boots can either be long boots or short boots with leather gaiters. Plain jodhpurs or breeches are ideal.
If you would normally wear a body protector, please feel free to wear this during your assessment, even though it is not a compulsory requirement during the Stage 1 Ride. For safety, we ask you wear long sleeves when riding, hair of shoulder length or longer is tied back and a hairnet is worn and any jewellery should be covered up or removed.
Throughout the ridden assessments, you are asked to carry a whip. At Stage 1, you will need to carry a short whip between 14 and 30 inches.
Air Jackets
Due to a recent policy change Air Jackets should not be worn within groups of riders in an assessment situation. This is due to the increased risk of reaction of horses with other candidates. If you wish to wear an Air Jacket, please contact the assessment centre for their consent.
For the Stage 2 Ride assessment, you will need your riding hat (ensure this meets current safety standards) and your gloves. Riding boots can again either be long boots, or short boots with leather gaiters. Plain jodhpurs or breeches should be worn during this assessment. For safety, we ask you wear long sleeves when riding, hair of shoulder length or longer is tied back and a hairnet is worn and any jewellery should be covered up or removed.
At Stage 2, you will be required to carry a whip that does not exceed 39 inches in length during your flat work.
It is recommended one whip is permitted for show jumping and must be between 45-75cm and must not be weighted or with a hard point at the end. The end of the whip must be padded. The ‘pad’ must be smooth with no protrusion or raised surface (which included embroidery) and be made of a shock absorbing material throughout its circumference.
As the Stage 2 Ride assessment involves jumping, we strongly recommend a body protector is worn (ensure this meets current safety standards). If you choose to wear a body protector, you can wear it over or under a jacket or with a plain sweatshirt instead of a jacket. Please remember to check with the centre where your assessment is taking place, as their insurance policy may mean wearing a body protector when jumping is compulsory.
Air Jackets
Due to a recent policy change Air Jackets should not be worn within groups of riders in an assessment situation. This is due to the increased risk of reaction of horses with other candidates. If you wish to wear an Air Jacket, please contact the assessment centre for their consent.
As with the two previous riding assessments, you will need your riding hat (ensure this meets current safety standards), gloves and riding boots which can either be long boots, or short boots with leather gaiters. Plain jodhpurs or breeches should be worn. For safety, we ask you wear long sleeves when riding, hair of shoulder length or longer is tied back and a hairnet is worn and any jewellery should be covered up or removed. Please note, hats with fixed peaks are not permitted for the cross-country riding, in line with British Eventing standards.
Stage 3
At Stage 3, you will be required to carry a whip that does not exceed 39 inches in length during a Dressage assessment. It is recommended one whip is permitted for show jumping and cross country and must be between 45-75cm and must not be weighted or with a hard point at the end. The end of the whip must be padded. The ‘pad’ must be smooth with no protrusion or raised surface (which included embroidery) and be made of a shock absorbing material throughout its circumference.
We strongly recommend that a body protector (ensure this meets current safety standards) is worn during the jumping element of this assessment; however, it is compulsory for the cross-country section.
Please remember to check with the centre where your assessment is taking place, as their insurance policy may mean wearing a body protector when jumping is compulsory.
Stage 4
Spurs may be worn for all disciplines. They should be short and blunt with the shank set centrally to the rear. They must only be used as necessary and you will be asked to remove them if the assessor or centre representative feels they are being misused.
For flatwork riding you can ride with a schooling whip up to 39”. It is recommended one whip is permitted for show jumping and cross country and must be between 45-75cm and must not be weighted or with a hard point at the end. The end of the whip must be padded. The ‘pad’ must be smooth with no protrusion or raised surface (which included embroidery) and be made of a shock absorbing material throughout its circumference.
We strongly recommend that a body protector (ensure this meets current safety standards) is worn during the show jumping elements; however, it is compulsory for the cross-country section.
Please remember to check with the centre where your assessment is taking place, as their insurance policy may mean wearing a body protector when jumping is compulsory.
Air Jackets
Due to a recent policy change Air Jackets should not be worn within groups of riders in an assessment situation. This is due to the increased risk of reaction of horses with other candidates. If you wish to wear an Air Jacket, please contact the assessment centre for their consent.
Air Jackets may be worn for cross country when correctly fitted over a body protector and with the assessment centre consent.
For your Stage 2 and 3 Teach and Stage 4 coaching assessments we would recommend wearing a plain polo shirt and jumper. You can choose between wearing plain jodhpurs or appropriate professional trousers. Please wear long riding boots or short boots with matching gaiters and tie long hair back.
As you are being assessed for a professional career pathway, it is always a good idea to come in neat and tidy clothing to make a good impression as you would in any professional equestrian workplace.
Even though this is a non-ridden assessment, you are still required to wear your riding hat (ensure this meets current safety standards). For safety reasons, any jewellery should be covered up or removed.