Competition level = experience level?

[only_me]

Was wondering this recently, do many people judge experience of other people based on what level they have competed to/are competing at?

Obviously those who have competed at the highest level are going to have a very good knowledge of horses etc. but there will also be those who choose not to compete (I'm thinking mainly happy hackers here basically) or do not compete the horse themselves (Owners) who will also have a high level of horse knowledge.

For example, I was in the Intro on Saturday, and we were sharing the warm up with the Intermediates, where one "helper" from them totally ignored which fences the intro group were jumping and proceeded to take over and whack them all up to 1.20 (he was then shortly told that he had to share the warm up by a very disgruntled eventer who is respected world wide for his expertise )

What do you think? Do people base other's perceived knowledge on the level at which they compete?

 

[Jesstickle]

I don't think they necessarily should be most of the time there isn't much else to go on I suppose.

There are plenty of knowledgeable hackers who choose not to compete. Even more so there are plenty of extremely knowledgeable breeders / producers of young horses who you hardly ever see competing.

Equally I can think of a couple of spoilt brats who compete to a reasonable level as they had an extremely good horse provided and are ferried about by doting parents.

To me competition record is certainly not the be all and end all in terms of experience and it wouldn't be my first choice when trying to work out whether people had a clue what was going on!

 

[Thistle]

It's all 'horses for courses' so to speak, different people have expertise in different areas. Eg owners of studs don't necessarily compare to XC event riders but both are experts in their own field.

I do however feel the people who readily 'dish out' advice is an authoratitive manner should have the knowledge and training to back it up, not just have learnt it from books or be copying and pasting from another site. You don't necessarily have to be a top rider to be a good teacher, a good communicator is very important though, as is a good eye to see what is going wrong and to be able to break down and analyse.

However, all 'experts' should still be able to learn and take advice and critism from others, when it is asked for.

 

[xspiralx]

I think that they do, yes. On a fairly regular basis even on here I see comments along the lines of "if you've not competed at 'x' level then you're not qualified to comment" or similar.

I think its a pretty narrowminded way to judge someone's experience personally, as there are plenty of people who are experienced and competent riders but who just haven't had the opportunity to compete to a certain level - perhaps not having the right horse, or having the money or transport to get out and about.

It doesn't make them any less experienced or qualified to comment - for example I'd rather take the advice of someone that has schooled several horses themselves to working well on the flat and jumping 1.10/1.20 at home - than someone who isn't very good but has been given a kick and point schoolmaster and has scraped round some BE Novices or Newcomers.

 

[only_me]

However, all 'experts' should still be able to learn and take advice and critism from others, when it is asked for.

I think though that it is that quality imo that makes them an expert - they are wise enough to know that they don't know all!

 

[Flame_]

There are plenty of professionals, with vast years of experience and pages of competition results, who I wouldn't leave my horse with if they paid me.

I also hate the "you haven't been round Badminton so what do you know?" attitude of some competition riders. Those Spanish Riding school riders don't compete, do they? But they sure can get their horses to do fabulous stuff so they might just know a thing or two worth listening to, as might anybody else.

There are children who have won more trophies and jumped bigger fences than I ever have in my twenty-five or so years of riding, they might well be able to advise me on take off points or such like, but I'd also hope they'd be interested in some things I felt i could help them with.

So no, competition doesn't equal experience, experience equals experience. Plus, sometimes you don't have to have done something, or even be able to do it yourself, to be able to see what somebody else is doing wrong or put into words what you think they need to do to put it right. Often that's a damn sight easier than doing it yourself, but not being able to do it yourself doesn't make your advice wrong IYSWIM.