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Equine Courses at DCG

Would you love a job working with horses every day? You can learn all about riding, exercising and caring for horses at DCG’s Equestrian Centre – and gain the skills to become a first-rate equine professional with a fantastic range of career options ahead of you.

Where better than Broomfield Hall – with its 40 stables, indoor and outdoor schools, and cross-country schooling field – to prepare for your future in the equine world? Offering an exciting mix of theory and practical tasks, our courses stand you in good stead for roles such as groom, yard manager, equine welfare officer, riding instructor, horse trainer and equine behaviourist.

Hands-on experience will be key to your learning. You’ll work on daily and weekend rotas, taking responsibility for the yard and horses. You could join dressage and show jumping competitions, work behind-the-scenes at events like Chatsworth Horse Trials, and gain additional British Horse Society (BHS) qualifications.

For students keen to take their career prospects to the next level, our Foundation and Honours Degrees in Equine Science, Management and Training are a smart move. We also support apprenticeships and run popular ‘improve your riding’ sessions for the public.

hello everyone and welcome to the DCG

virtual information event I’m here to

talk to you about our equine courses

that we hold here at Broomfield hall but

first of all I’m just going to give you

a bit of background knowledge about the

college first for everything into

perspective for you

so diary college or DCG group is made up

of four campuses including Broomfield

hall where you will be taking your

equine studies but we also have the

Roundhouse the Joseph Wright Center and

the campus Ilkeston all together these

make up the Darby College Group we have

a multitude of support areas available

to every student at DCG from the moment

we meet you right up until you have

completed your study program and are

deciding on your next steps whether you

still need to gain your maths and

English GCSEs

or if you’re looking for top quality

work experience to help gain valuable

industry knowledge we will offer you

tailored support to suit your individual

needs as you will see this evening

DCG have invested in first-class English

your standard equipment which can be

viewed in more detail after this

presentation we do everything we can to

help you succeed during your time here

and this has been recognized by Ofsted

who have graded us as a good provider

which is the second highest rating that

is available to any school or college

another fantastic asset we have at DCG

are our employer academies these have

helped our students gain valuable work

experience create key industry contacts

and really bring to life the college

learning experience our students here

are the heart of everything that we do

and our inclusion and support services

to help you maximize your potential and

reach your learning goals whatever

learning difficulty or disability you

may have we can offer tailored support

to match your individual needs we work

in partnership with teaching staff other

internal served

and external organizations to provide a

person-centered approach we have teamed

up with career coach which is designed

to help you find a good career by

providing the most current local data on

wages employment job postings and

associated education and training head

over to the careers and courses section

of a website and select career coach

from here you can easily browse or

search for the available courses at DCG

that will lead you to the career that

you want you can also take a career

assessment on career coach to learn

about yourself and then it will give you

career suggestions based on your

interests this is all free of charge

Darby College has a purpose-built

Equestrian Center that has a wide range

of facilities designed to help prepare

students for the equanimity this

includes a variety of stable types horse

walker a large indoor school an outdoor

arena cross-country field and an

all-weather cross-country track

Weybridge Britisher jumpin standard show

jumps off road Estate right and on-site

classrooms there is student delivery

available for you at the Christian

Center while you study your course for

more information on this please ask we

offer a range of equine courses at Darby

college all the way from a level one

grooms diploma right up to B’s the

honorary degree program in equine

management through the University of

Derby tonight we’re going to focus on

our Fe programs so these are our level 1

grooms diploma level 2 diploma and horse

care at our level three technical

extended deployer in equine management

all three are based up at the Derby

College Equestrian Center the level 1

grooms diploma is a year-long course

with an average of 3 days per week in

college you will study math and English

your functional skills alongside the

main qualification the course is based

around the British horse society

Challenge Awards in which you can gain a

bronze silver or gold award

there are both writing and non writing

routes the level one is a very practical

course to gain experience with horses

and learning in an earthy environment

it’s a good option as a first step into

the horse care industry if you have

limited knowledge there are no

qualification requirements for the level

one grooms diploma the level two grooms

diploma is a one-year course with an

average of three days in college per

week you will continue to study towards

your English and maths GCSE or

functional skills alongside this main

qualification if all is a city in girl’s

portfolio and as a mix of written

assignments practical assessment and

short exams some of the modules that you

will be involved in our stable duties

handling horse health behavior feeding

biology techni quipment and grooming

there are both riding and lawn raiding

options the course also involves the

work experience module which will see

for weeks

external work experience along with

mandatory our duties this course is a

mix of practical and theory learning to

help build and develop on your current

equine knowledge and experience entry

requirements are two GCSEs at grade 4 or

above in any subject

the level three technical diploma is a

two-year course with an average of four

days a week in college and one personal

study day the course is designed around

the city and Guilds technical diploma

and is a mix of a written exam written

and practical assessments which are all

done in the spring the module 1 you will

study health nutrition behavior yard

operations biology course presentation

health and safety and takun equipment

gear 2 modules include rehabilitation

Events Management fitness and training

business management equitation a

question teaching and working horses

from the ground both ears have writing

an on writing routes in year 1 you will

study towards your British horse Society

stage 1 and write safe in year 2 you

will study towards your British horse

Society stage 2 in both years their work

experience modules and mandatory yard

duties the level 3 technical diploma is

a diverse and challenging course that

will prepare learners for the eccrine

industry it covers a wide range of

topics

this course is equivalent to 3a levels

and you make a mucus points for hit G

programs and universities

intro requirements are for GCSEs at

grade 4 or above this must include

English language maths and one of the

sciences you may also gain entry through

obtaining a level 2 diploma if you’re

unsure of your qualifications please ask

during the live chat the British Heart

Society is a worldwide recognized

organization alongside the level 3 in

hate G qualifications at Derby college

students will be given the opportunity

to study towards and take their BHS

exams diary college contributes towards

the cost of these assessments and

provide the training which is embedded

into the full-time courses we also hold

a stage 1 and stage 2 exam at the Derby

College aquestion Centre for our

internal applicants

only you will get the chance to work

towards right safe BHS stage 1 and BHS

stage 2 which are all fully embedded

into the timetables additionally any

students who we see are above and beyond

the stage 1 & 2 syllabus we will help

them achieve their teach or stage 3 exam

as well these qualifications will be at

student’s own expense at Derby College

Equestrian Center we feel it’s important

for learners to get a fill view of what

jobs there are available in the industry

one way that we embed this into the

curriculum is by inviting as many guest

speakers in as possible so they may

share their industry knowledge and

expertise this is a great chance for our

learners to talk to these industry

experts not only to gain experience and

knowledge and specific topics but to

also give them a wide outlook in to what

careers are available in the industry we

are also keen to give learners the

opportunity to go to a wide range of

educational trips and visits here are a

few that we have been on over the past

few years we are dedicated in giving

students a full experience of for the a

quent industry we hold as part of this

all students on a level 2 and level 3

course are required to undertake yard

duties these are a mandatory for all

students on level 2 and level 3 programs

this will include one weekday during

term time Monday through Friday where

students will arrive at 8 o’clock and do

an hour on the yard before starting

lessons at 9 and also staying late to do

4:30 to 5:15 on the yard it will also

include one in four weekends on the yard

either a Saturday or Sunday

this changes to 1 & 3 over the winter

terms when the horses are in and there’s

more work required yard groups have

started at the start of the year you

will be given a rota with clear days for

the full academic year of your

commitment to the yard duties if you

cannot do a day then it’s your

responsibility to find another student

as a replacement and you can swap your

hours to make sure you still do the same

amount of hours through the year in the

equine sector there is a large range of

career progression opportunities from

practical based and yard based jobs to

jobs such as Events Coordinator and

sales here are just a few possibilities

of career progression after some of the

courses available at Derby College a few

more snippets of information for you

there may be tuition fees for over nine

teams please do not take holidays in

term time all the courses are quite fast

paced and taking a week out may see you

fall behind there are is a weight limit

for riding which is currently set at 13

still you’ll be waved at the start of

each term there’s a college uniform that

you must wear which will include a

t-shirt and a sweatshirt this is a

practical course and you’ll be spending

a lot of time outside so please ensure

you have waterproof clothing and warm

two coats steel toe-caps are required in

the yards along with the riding hat body

protector gloves a shark weapon along

with skeleton whip plain jar present

breeches no jury to be worn on the yard

and of course you will need some

academic equipment such as a folder and

a pencil case full of utensils at Darby

College Equestrian Center we expect our

students to strive for a hundred percent

attendance and participation and all

activities we require them to have a

can-do attitude towards oral tasks

teamwork is also a huge part of the

question Center life we have high

standards and we expect our students to

maintain these and we will help and

support get students to a place or

assess them in good stead for a life in

the industry please do give our Facebook

page a follow to keep up with what’s

happening at the equation Center and for

any updates we post on a regular basis

what we’ve been up to for our students

and it’s a really good insight into what

life is like at Darby College Equestrian

Center

Darby College has a significant impact

on many individuals businesses and the

wider community we are committed to

producing a talent pill equipped with

the

right skills and attitude to meet the

needs of employers we are proud of our

contribution to the economic growth and

social prosperity by guiding people onto

learning pathways that lead to positive

destinations we encourage progress and

aspirational outcomes many of our

learners have gone on to achieve great

things since leaving the college here

are a few examples of the many

inspirational success stories we have to

share with you we have a detailed

step-by-step guide on how to apply which

is accessible from both our website and

our perspectives here is a summarized

breakdown of the steps you can expect to

take during the application process with

DCG when you head back to the event home

page after this head over to our student

services team who are there to help you

apply now if you wish or at least they

can give you any more advice and answer

any questions you might have in relation

to the application process thank you for

watching

Equine – Course Listings

Course Type: Adult and Community
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 18/09/2025

Course Type: Adult and Community
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 18/09/2025

Course Type: Adult and Community
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 16/09/2025

Course Type: Adult and Community
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 16/09/2025

Course Type: Adult and Community
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 17/09/2025

Course Type: Adult and Community
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 17/09/2025

Course Type: Apprenticeships
Location: Broomfield Hall

Course Type: Apprenticeships
Location: Broomfield Hall

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 15/09/2025

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 15/09/2025

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 15/09/2025

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 15/09/2025

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 15/09/2025

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall

Course Type: Higher Education
Location: Broomfield Hall
Start Date: 15/09/2025

Course Type: School Leaver - Vocational/Technical
Location: Broomfield Hall

Course Type: School Leaver - Vocational/Technical
Location: Broomfield Hall

Course Type: School Leaver - Vocational/Technical
Location: Broomfield Hall

Key Information

You’ll be inspired and motivated by tutors with vast experience and a high profile in the equine industry. They’ll keep you up to date with latest thinking on themes such as horse behaviour, rehabilitation and therapy, competition grooming and stable management.

We’re at the heart of the equine community: our Equestrian Centre runs elite training, BHS exams, short courses, competitions and facilities hire. So it’s an excellent place to make industry contacts that will serve you well for the future, including the chance of work placements. To help you decide on your next steps, our staff also arrange workshops featuring professional riders, vets, nutritionists, physiotherapists and saddlers to highlight different aspects of equine careers.

Discover our campuses and facilities here. Each campus page contains:

  • 360-degree images of our facilities
  • A location map
  • A list of courses that are run at the campus
  • Student Success Stories
To find out more about our Equine courses, attend our next course and career event or contact us on 0800 028 0289
Press the Apply Now button, that can be found at the top and bottom of every course information page and follow the instructions for the InTouch applications portal. If you are unable to apply online, contact Student Services who will help you complete your application form and will be able to help and guide you to make a decision on the course of study to meet your needs and ambitions.

Related Careers

 

Equine – Success Stories

Brooke Gelder

School Leaver Vocational

Female horse rider sat atop a horse.

Emma Whay

Higher Education

Emma with her horse, Venus

Mitch Gent

School Leaver Vocational

Mitch Gent outside of Manor Equestrian

Georgia Brereton

Higher Education

Georgia Brereton with her pony, Heaven

Gabrielle Madders

Higher Education

Gabrielle Madders with her horse

Jo Wilkinson

School Leaver Vocational

Jo Wilkinson

Ruth Orrell-Stokes

School Leaver Vocational

Ruth Orell-Stokes

Emily Field

School Leaver Vocational

Emily Field with her horse

View all DCG Success Stories all role models

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