How do you catergorise...

Wildspirit

Wildspirit

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....yourself as a rider.
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I mean like novice, intermediate, experienced.
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Thing is I think I will be a novice my whole life because theres just so much to learn and expand on. In terms of one of the schools i went to they said novice was walk trot and learning to canter, intermediate was then walk trot canter small jumps and pops, diagonals, working trots etc and experienced were serious horse people who went to shows and had been riding years. On the safe side its easier just to say novice because on the vast info and techniques and stuff there is out there i was always be novice, being able to tell a school horse to walk trot canter and pop a small fence doesnt necessarily make you an intermediate rider. But then i guess there are two scales of classing yourself, how a school would class you and how that compares to the rest of the horse world. (By the way in NO way am i dissing schools i am a riding school product, but i just know its a lot different riding a nonriding school horse, hoping no one takes offence!
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Just a thought.
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I teach short courses at our local equine college, and we have had to introduce a form for students to fill in, because I kept getting complete liabilities coming along and then falling off (or frightening the life out of me), so now they have to say on the form what they can/can't do, and categorise themselves as to novice/intermediate/advanced.

The interesting thing is that the better riders would always call themselves novice or intermediate, and the completely useless ones always put themselves down as advanced!! but I am wise to this now, so put them on the ploddiest horses
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You see i wouldn't agree with the catagories you have outlined as an example at all. I see plenty of people who ride regularly, and go to shows who I would still describe as novice.

As for me, I am totally in the numptie catagory - but i know it
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LOL that was actually a serious post SnowyShawy! *slap wrist* lol yes i missed out complete numpty, but i really should have put myself down, im a league of my own teehee cant even mount from the ground properly!
Rowreach...tah, yeah its really hard to catergorise these things, what do you expect a novice/intermediate/ advanced to be able to do?
 
I would call myself a competent, not particularly great rider. I agree that it tends to be the people who ride better who are more modest about their abilities - I just try to be realistic about myself!

When talking to people about selling horses, and going to see them, I heard some awful horror stories about people overstating their skill. This is something I don't want to ever do - I've had enough problems with horses I belong on without even trying ones I have no business being on!

As I've said to a couple of my friends - just because I COULD cope with a horse that's 'not a novice ride' (and isn't that a whole new conversation about what kind of horse those usually are!) doesn't mean I want to!

Isabelle
 
i wouldn't class myself as advanced, more experienced! i've ridden for nine years and can cope with most things, but i still have loads to learn! i still have 'novice moments' and my position isn't brilliant (i'm blaming big, heavy Morris...), but i get lessons and i'm learning more. and even grand prix riders get lessons as there is always more to learn.
 
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