Following on from delusions about ability...

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Elvis

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Following on from the thread about people being delusional about their riding abilities, what riding level do you consider yourself to be in?

Despite having ridden for 17 years, and having owned horses for 10 years on and off, I'd only consider myself to be a novice rider (and at the lower end of the spectrum too)

I don't really compete although this is an ambition.

I'm still working on getting Elvis to work into a contact and there's very little consistency.

I'm still developing my eye for jumping and it's not uncommon for me to miss.

In general my position needs work, my core strength isn't great and I need to make sure I sit back and don't let my shoulders come forward.

Having written all that I'd probably say I'm still a beginner in the grand scheme of things!
 
I stopped trying to classify my ability a long time ago.
Simple fact is...
Could I ride pretty much any horse presented to me? Yes
Could someone else make a better job of it? Yes
Could someone else make a worse job of it? Yes
Classifiaction is only relevant against a strict set of criteria which I have yet to see in the equine world.
 
I'm pretty similar to you. I've had horses or ridden for the last 25 years (gulp!) but recently I had about 4 years off completely before starting lessons again and having my own. I used to compete a lot but don't think I have the balls for it anymore!

I can school although I think I'm far less effective when I don't have an instructor there remeinding me not to collapse or drop a shoulder ;-) Not sure i can 'feel' what I used to. I'm confident fast hacking but, like you, I'm a bit hit and miss with seeing a stride when jumping these days and rarely go above 2'6 but do still love going round a small course!

I'd consider myself a novice too. Sometimes it's a case of the more you know, the more you realise how much you have still to learn!
 
I've ridden on and off for 13 years and have worked with foals, youngstock and oldies. Ridden spooky, ridden ploddy, ridden opinionated. However I've got no idea about any sort of technique so I'd say I was a novice with a bit of experience!

I think saying your level requires two words- one for your level of experience and one for actually how well you ride.
 
I would probably say something different depending on how im getting on at a given time. At the moment im struggling a little with confidence so am less positive about my ability but am working on that as i love riding and getting my girl out and about.

The best piece of advice i got from an instructor (my current instructor) was to have clear riding goals and objectives - all concrete and achievable (with work) as opposed to "i want to be a better rider or i want to be more confident", eg with my young mare we are working on consistent transitions and change of pace within transitions, with a short term goal of doing an intro dressage test (ive never done one).
 
Argh! This is a real bugbear of mine. You can't be a novice if you have been riding regularly for 17 years. Novice means new to the sport and you aren't. You might be rubbish but you aren't a novice.

Further all the people who call themselves novices with umpteen years experience under their belt just make any attempt to classify riders even less meaningful.
 
PaddyMonty said:
I stopped trying to classify my ability a long time ago.
Simple fact is...
Could I ride pretty much any horse presented to me? Yes
Could someone else make a better job of it? Yes
Could someone else make a worse job of it? Yes
Classifiaction is only relevant against a strict set of criteria which I have yet to see in the equine world.
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This fits me too! Truth is I'm not a great rider but I would get on most horses, providing they weren't determined to ditch me. I can do most things, just pretty averagely. I find if I downplay things I will end up disappointed with what I end up with so if I have a classical lesson I try not to underestimate as I am capable, and if I don't tell them I am, who will?
 
PaddyMonty said:
I stopped trying to classify my ability a long time ago.
Simple fact is...
Could I ride pretty much any horse presented to me? Yes
Could someone else make a better job of it? Yes
Could someone else make a worse job of it? Yes
Classifiaction is only relevant against a strict set of criteria which I have yet to see in the equine world.
Click to expand...

This ^^^^

Novice rider probably experienced at enjoying riding :)
 
If someone asked me I'd say a competent novice. I've been riding for about 13 years.
Can handle most horses, happy to sit bucks and rears, happy with all 3 paces, haven't jumped over 90cm (I barely ever jump as I'm boring!).. Know my diagonals, I'd say I have a fairly decent position.. Like Tinselface - I can do things, just very averagely.
I rang a riding school a few months ago as I wanted a few lessons on a schoolmaster to boost my confidence and I described myself as a competent novice - the lady asked if that meant I'd trotted off the lead rein yet!!! I explained to her what I could and couldn't do and she said I was advanced. To me Olympic riders are advanced! Not me!
Entirely different kettle of fish between Riding Schools and the outside world!
 
PaddyMonty said:
I stopped trying to classify my ability a long time ago.
Simple fact is...
Could I ride pretty much any horse presented to me? Yes
Could someone else make a better job of it? Yes
Could someone else make a worse job of it? Yes
Classifiaction is only relevant against a strict set of criteria which I have yet to see in the equine world.
Click to expand...
Indeed

KristmasKat said:
You might be rubbish but you aren't a novice.
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I posted recently that I am experienced at being rubbish:)
Actually..I'm not rubbish..I'm fairly average but have a nice horse so people see him and think I'm great. It's an illusion.
I have videos of me riding and jumping and cringe at my dreadfullness but I guess I could be being over critical.
Ah well...I'm never gonna set the world on fire:)
 
I think you also have to look at confidence alongside ability. I continue to describe myself as a novice despite having owned several horses over the past 17 years because I'm not a particularly confident rider. My riding skills are better than lots of people I know but I'm very wary of riding anything that's not pretty straightforward and well mannered because as I get older I like to feel in control.However, that doesn't mean i want a lazy plod that's built like a giraffe. I've always been very honest about my riding ability but that hasn't meant that people haven't tried to sell me unsuitable horses
 
Used to be reasonably good, now rubbish!

My brain knows what to do, but my body won't do it any more without firm prodding. Brain is no help and just goes 'you're not doing it right' repeatedly. Only good bit is when brain goes 'well, that was quite nice compared to how you usually do it'. I ride substantially better with my instructor, and would even go as far as to say that I look like I used to be quite good!

In the olden days, I'd get on anything, jump anything, and could school ok, do a good prelim test, bring on youngsters etc. 20 years absence from riding have put me firmly back in the 'bit rubbish' category, although I do expect to improve! The point earlier re having goals is very valid imho.
 
Think I'd probably class myself as getting less rusty. Or as elsiecat says, competent novice.

I'm not under any illusions about my riding ability, especially after having had a 10 year break, but the owner of my share horse must rate it enough to let me ride him! It's actually been quite fun realising that I can remember how to anticipate/deal with a spook or a bolshy naughty fit and that I can still ride, even if it is a little untidy at the moment! The only thing I don't do is jump particularly high but that's been limited by horsepower and lack of recent practice rather than anything else.
 
Perhaps we should all put vids up of us riding for others to classify, not critique, just novice, inter, advanced, could try harder etc.
Would be interesting to see how differently people view the same rider.
 
Emma_H said:
Depends on my mood/level of tiredness...sometimes I'm rubbish, faff about, forget everything I know and doubt myself!
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i'm the same! Thankfully so if my boy, we both have awesome and awful days!

I'd say i'm an experienced rider in one respect, in that i've been riding for years, have a very well schooled horse that i can ride quite well (most days!) and i have ridden a lot of horses in the past but in another respect i'm a novice when it comes to jumping.
 
SadKen said:
Used to be reasonably good, now rubbish!

My brain knows what to do, but my body won't do it any more without firm prodding. Brain is no help and just goes 'you're not doing it right' repeatedly. Only good bit is when brain goes 'well, that was quite nice compared to how you usually do it'. I ride substantially better with my instructor, and would even go as far as to say that I look like I used to be quite good!


In the olden days, I'd get on anything, jump anything, and could school ok, do a good prelim test, bring on youngsters etc. 20 years absence from riding have put me firmly back in the 'bit rubbish' category, although I do expect to improve! The point earlier re having goals is very valid imho.
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Yup, I can empathise with this. Not that I've had a gap from riding, but I scaled back as my old lad got older and stiffer. Plus we knew each other inside out after over twentry years together. Now I've got a youngster again and I'm right back at the beginning and boy have I realised how much I don't know. And I'm older too, so things don't react as they once did. Small steps and small, achievable goals is definitely the way forwards.
 
I am competent and confident in walk, trot, canter and fast canter/ gallop
I can jump..although not high as I'm not sure how much I enjoy it.
I can keep nervous uptight horses calm. I'm ok at sitting trot as long as horse doesn't haVe huge boingy trot :o I'm working on that though. :)
RI says I've got nice sympathetic hands and I don't fall off unless horse does something like fall over or emergency stop at jumps!

what does that make me? :D
I've only been riding two years so I'm quite pleased with my progress although I feel like I've got to a bit of a plateau at the moment courtesy of not having my own horse and a shortage of more advanced horses at the riding school.
When I recently had a lesson at a different school the RI asked me if I'd been taught how to get the horse into an outline as I was trotting around. I pulled up and started to apologise for my crap riding but instead of criticising what I'd been doing she told me I'd got the horse going really nicely.
The best I'd rate myself is a competent novice but if asked I will be very honest about my comfort zone and length of time I've been riding.
 
I would always say competent novice


People sometimes think I am betterbraver/ than I am as I have 2 ex racers but don't realise there are some very laid back tbs out there and I am just about experienced enough to spot them.

I can get on most horses and get them going in the direction I want at the speed I was looking for.

I am confident jumping and can see a stride but sometimes faff and don't do anything constructive about a bad one.

I will hack alone and will take a slightly sticky horse out to get them used to hacking.

People can be good at different things too and I really struggle with dressage which is where the novice bit comes in.


I can think of one person I used to ride with who could do none of the above but had a beautiful position and could get a horse going really sweetly in an outline in an indoor school. That doesn't make us better or worse just different things.
 
KristmasKat said:
Argh! This is a real bugbear of mine. You can't be a novice if you have been riding regularly for 17 years. Novice means new to the sport and you aren't. You might be rubbish but you aren't a novice.

Further all the people who call themselves novices with umpteen years experience under their belt just make any attempt to classify riders even less meaningful.
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I am rubbish, plain and simple!
 
Don't care what level compared to others tbh. Quiet hands and seat, my arabs happy to carry me. What label doesn't matter as not looking to ride other peoples horses so don't have to fit a box.
 
I actually really need to have myself filmed at some point, I've been told I ride completely differently on the left rein (our weaker rein) to the right rein. And I do think seeing the way I ride might help. Although I'd probably feel more rubbish about my riding than I already do! I actually wouldn't mind uploading the video to here as I doubt anyone could criticise my riding anymore than I would myself!
 
pip6 said:
Don't care what level compared to others tbh. Quiet hands and seat, my arabs happy to carry me. What label doesn't matter as not looking to ride other peoples horses so don't have to fit a box.
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I guess this is true for most of is really.I don't ride mine perfectly (not on purpose obviously) but he's used to it and generally quite happy, the gaps can be made up with cupboard love as far as I'm concerned :)

I want to go see this lady in the next couple of months, just so I can have all my bad points highlighted :p

http://www.personalbest.me.uk/services/rider-analysis/
 
I would class myself as a novice :) I compete local showing, happy to ride anything and everything, I jump 3ft 3 (1m) happily ad cross country is my life haha i have a schoolmaster and a flightly 7yro whom i compete seasonly. :)
 
Not happy to get on everything. No way would I jump. Have ridden for 16 years... Good in straight line ;-) Definately advanced, they call me John Whittaker.
 
I think this is where so many people come unstuck, so to speak. Making that transition from a RS to owning or loaning a horse can be massive. I guess this was about my level when I bought my first horse, I was lucky that I bought something forward going but very safe so she wasn't a big step up from what I'd been riding at the RS but riding on my own and dealing with situations that came up on hacks was a steep learning curve. Also, if I'm honest my aids were pretty basic and again I was lucky to be on a yard with a supportive and knowledgeable YO who helped me hugely with care, loading and all the stuff that goes with ownership. Trouble is you just don't know what you don't know!Two years later I moved to a house with my own yard and over the years have handled fit competition horses etc and competed myself but I have had periods with new horses when I've felt a bit over horsed but I've always had supportive and very experienced trainers to turn to.
TrasaM said:
I am competent and confident in walk, trot, canter and fast canter/ gallop
I can jump..although not high as I'm not sure how much I enjoy it.
I can keep nervous uptight horses calm. I'm ok at sitting trot as long as horse doesn't haVe huge boingy trot :o I'm working on that though. :)
RI says I've got nice sympathetic hands and I don't fall off unless horse does something like fall over or emergency stop at jumps!

what does that make me? :D
I've only been riding two years so I'm quite pleased with my progress although I feel like I've got to a bit of a plateau at the moment courtesy of not having my own horse and a shortage of more advanced horses at the riding school.
When I recently had a lesson at a different school the RI asked me if I'd been taught how to get the horse into an outline as I was trotting around. I pulled up and started to apologise for my crap riding but instead of criticising what I'd been doing she told me I'd got the horse going really nicely.
The best I'd rate myself is a competent novice but if asked I will be very honest about my comfort zone and length of time I've been riding.
Click to expand...
 
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