How do you describe your riding skills?

[Horseymumma]

I was having a chat with a non-horsey friend about my riding ability and what level I thought I was at.

I said that I felt I was still quite novice and had a lot to learn, to which she replied "how can you be! you own a racehorse!" I told her it meant nothing (he was too slow for a racing career!) and feel quite far away from being an expert yet.

My question is, when did you go from describing yourself as a novice rider to someone more advanced? and what does the term novice/advanced mean to you?

 

[BBP]

Competent and considerate. I can get on without a crane and rarely fall off without a catapault. I don't wobble about or bang up and down, I don't think I make being ridden an unpleasant experience for my horse. But I would love to have more 'feel' and focus.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I'll be interested to read the replies to this topic. I sell riding holidays so am regularly reading a) initial enquiries where people have to select a riding level for themselves and b) their riding experience forms. We also often get feedback from the riding guides so it's always interesting to compare.

It also really depends on what purpose you have to describe yourself for. I only need to define my riding ability for trail riding generally, in which case I say I am not a talented/experienced rider in a technical sense but am confident and competent at all paces and with difficult terrain, long hours etc. Happy to give most things (and horses) a go.

 

[weesophz]

when i was younger i could sit on anything and have it going nicely. a girl i knew owned this flighty wee pony, very sharp and fast, she rode it in the bottom ring of a 3 ring gag. i looked after the pony for a week, and just by sitting quietly and squeezing with my legs or hands had the pony going steady and balanced and rode her in a snaffle. owner came back and so did the gag and flighty pony

id say i am a quite gentle in my aids, but i will be firm if i have to be, i use my voice a lot. definitely no where near as good as i used to be, and could probably do with some lessons!

 

[JustKickOn]

I'm not a novice, and can get a nice tune out of a lot of horses, but still learning new skills and improving current ones.
I can walk, trot and center with and without stirrups in a balanced manner, and don't bounce/thump down onto the horses back.

 

[attheponies]

Interesting question! I have ridden for nearly fifty years, thanks to my horse and instructor I'm probably riding better now than during most of my life (can actually get my chap in an outline) and yet I would describe myself as a weekend rider, very much still learning and work in progress!

 

[risky business]

A constant working progress

Not a novice yet not and expert.

 

[ladyt25]

I am excellent!

Ok, well maybe not. I have been riding now for circa 30 years though so i would say "fairly experienced" and know which end's which! However, I am still learning as most of us are and like to take on board other people's opinions and ideas. I was pretty confident as a kid/teenager and would get on most horses without issue. I just expected a horse to do what I asked essentially but it was all about having fun back then!
With age comes knowledge and i know more about schooling now (not just bombing about on ponies jumping whatever's in front of me and galloping on any spare grass verge ).
My confidence isn't the same now either - I have more "what if" moments than I ever used to but I try and not let that affect how I ride as you need to give confidence to your horse. I would like to have a bit of my teenage braveness back as I am now bringing on my youngster and have 'great things' planned so need to be bold and teach him!
I believe whatever level you're at there's still things to learn and things you can change about how you ride.

 

[JFTDWS]

Not a novice yet not an expert.

'xactly.

Depends on who I'm talking to and what about - a non-horsey person I might describe myself as competent, experienced and having a degree of tact in both training and riding.

To an experienced competitive type like Carl Hester or Mark Todd, I would describe myself as just some muppet with ponies I like to play with.

Equally, to a polo yard I would say I was reasonably competent in the saddle but a total beginner to polo / insert sport of choice. To a treking yard I would say I was pretty competent generally. Offer me a ride on a nice pony type and I'll say I'm more than capable of a quick play.

But if a racing yard offered me a hot, fire-breathing TB to take up the gallops I'd ask which end I was meant to mount from and maybe it would be best if someone else hopped up for now

 

[Emsarr]

I'd say I am a competent/experienced rider, but it depends what I am doing, I'd say I'm really experienced when hacking due to working at a trekking centre but I'd only say competent when schooling pure and simply because I'd rather a horse was happy and not 'pretty' as it were. I'm really confident either way though, always more than willing to push myself out of my comfort zone!

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

I describe myself as always room to improve. I don't really know if there was a turning point in which I felt like I made it.

Terri

 

[Elsiecat]

Competent novice.
I couldn't get on an Olympic level dressage horse and do the test, put it that way!
But I have a good seat, I've been on all sorts and nothing has ever managed to unseat me by bucking etc. I'm quite quiet but I still have a lot to learn!

 

[Fjord]

I usually say that I can ride my mare quite well but can't ride anything else.

 

[Spit That Out]

I would say I'm an experienced horse owner but a nervous rider...after a few nasty falls over the years my confidence has gone from jumping on any nutter, competing in XC, hunting and SJ over 1.30 to wanting a steady plod and only feeling confident on my own trusted horse.

 

[TandD]

oh defo olympic standard

looking at the dressage side - if i went to a riding school i would be viewed as an advanced rider since ive ridden to unaffiliated medium and had some training at advanced medium

if i went to carl's yard i dont think id even be on the scale id be that 'novicy'

it depends to what situation you are applying your skills to and have to judge them against that........

 

[POLLDARK]

oh defo olympic standard

looking at the dressage side - if i went to a riding school i would be viewed as an advanced rider since ive ridden to unaffiliated medium and had some training at advanced medium

if i went to carl's yard i dont think id even be on the scale id be that 'novicy'

it depends to what situation you are applying your skills to and have to judge them against that........

Totally agree with this, it's all relative.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I think I am effective and able to control fairly difficult horses however polishing and fine tuning is needed, all over

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

Fairly experienced and brave, will get on pretty much anything and give it a go. Get most things working properly, even problem horses, by the end of the session. Always learning!

Thats in my head

Other peoples? Probs rubbish! haha

 

[mandwhy]

Experienced when it comes to hacking out and about and therefore confident on many types of horse, but technically pretty rubbish I.e yet to brush up on jumping and dressage etc since my yoof. Hoping now I have my own horse I can get to a slightly less embarrassing level with lessons etc! Used to think I have a good seat but after a fall and a new (super wide) horse I seem to be finding even rising trot a bit of a challenge and not able to ride enough to get used to it again!

 

[luckyoldme]

ha ha, by most peoples standards on here really really bad.
No idea what outline is and no intention of ever learning.
Throw the tack on and ride my own horse for miles.... but that's only because I know him!
Quite happy never ever to school , and quite happy to look crap.
In short I really could nt give a dam about what anyone thinks as long as me and my horse are happy!

 

[Heucherella]

What comes in between novice and experienced?? Intermediate ?

I have been describing myself as a competent novice for quite some time now - maybe it is time to upgrade myself a bit. But I know I will never count myself as experienced!!

 

[redmone]

I. Am. Poo.

And that's the toned down version of what I was going to write!!!!

 

[Horseymumma]

Interesting replies.

I always felt like I was fairly competent when I was a teenager. But since I bought my current horse and started to have one to one lessons so we could begin to compete, it made me realise I have a lot to improve on..... I can stay on, ride quietly, ride without stirrups, hack out and cope with a spook but having never owned a competition-type horse before as such, it's made me feel like a beginner again whilst I try to learn how to ride "properly" and break my bad habits. I also became quite whimp-ish and lost my nerve a little after I had my baby 8 months ago.

....I don't think I even knew what an 'outline' was when I was younger!

 

[rubysmum]

I. Am. Poo.

And that's the toned down version of what I was going to write!!!!

Me too

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

Not a novice yet not and expert.

This is me best summed up I think /\
I have been riding about 23 years now and used to train, bring on and back a lot of our horses years ago, but I was a gutsy young thing!
I am still learning of course, who isn't really

 

[mandwhy]

I don't think we were told about 'outline' in those days, a good thing in my view as you were just working towards riding properly instead of a visual image.

 

[skint1]

In one word...lucky. I really frustrate myself because if I don't concentrate I don't make use of my seat and ride too much with just my hands, thankfully my horse is pretty much a saint

 

[holeymoley]

Id say I was a skillfull rider- I have brought on my own youngster who was very tricky with the help and skills of a very knowledgable, experienced instructor(olympic level!) and he is now very much a schoolmaster and I can get a nice tune out of him. So from a flatwork -dressage & showing point of view, I'd say I'm quite experienced. However, from a jumping point of view, I'm absolutely useless! I do enjoy a jump now and again and its all good as long as we both get the stride but I certainly wouldnt buy a horse to bring on in jumping as I don't have the confidence or experience in that sense.

 

[Enfys]

My question is, when did you go from describing yourself as a novice rider to someone more advanced? and what does the term novice/advanced mean to you?

I don't even attempt to classify myself at a certain level.

If anyone asks I always say that I am effective but not pretty.

 

[TrasaM]

I always struggle with this question too when I fill in forms for trekking centres or new riding schools.
When I started to learn I just wanted to be able to sit on a horse and ride quietly and not look like a sack of spuds and to be able to jump and canter. Then i moved the goal posts on a bit further and i will probably keep doing that. So, don't know. Competent novice maybe?
But there's so so much to learn still