How do you rate your riding ability?

[moneypit1]

To be honest mine is average. I can jump a 3ft 6" track but will probably 'miss' my stride a couple of times. One good point is that I recognise pretty quickly I am on the wrong stride but on the down side, I freeze and let the horse sort it out! I also let my horses jump on the wrong leg sometimes and sometimes don't even realise that I am on the wrong lead! How frustrating!!!! I need to practice, practice, practice. How about you???

 

[Nailed]

Im Also Average

Jumping i used to be good but not i get scared over a 1 foot fence,

Dressage i can competently school to aobut advanced medium, and have competed at medium..

However, at the moment i have not ridden for a long time as had not horse to ride, so am more less than average than the average i was before!

 

[PapaFrita]

Well, my opinion of my riding varies from day to day... sometimes I think I'm OK, and then I do something stupid and think I'm utter crap and should give up immediately!! I'm quite good at seeing a stride, but sometimes I don't trust my own instincts (especially when the YO has put something up HIGH) and faff around and mess A's stride up...

 

[Cop-Pop]

According to the assessment criteria I had to fill out at the RS I'm intermediate but some days I feel like a total novice

and other days I realise I can do it!

 

[moneypit1]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, my opinion of my riding varies from day to day... sometimes I think I'm OK, and then I do something stupid and think I'm utter crap and should give up immediately!! I'm quite good at seeing a stride, but sometimes I don't trust my own instincts (especially when the YO has put something up HIGH) and faff around and mess A's stride up...

[/ QUOTE ]

I have to agree.... some days I cannot even drive for gods sake! x

 

[Persephone]

I would call myself a competent novice.

 

[Parkranger]

Well, I have to say that in the 2 years that I've been back in riding (I guess 4 years riding inall) I've come on a long way. I can deal with a napper, bucker and can jump quite competently but currently only up to 3ft - that's more about not having the right horse!

Starting to understand schooling and getting a tune out of a horse and think i have a good awareness...

So so so much to learn though!

 

[trundle]

Like a dolly tied to a sheep....

In serious terms, fairly low, I think, especially when I see people who can jump 3' 6 and school to Advanced Medium describing themselves as "average" !!!!

 

[Parkranger]

You know what though I've realised in the last few months how I've been swept into taking riding so bloody seriously! When I learnt to ride, I didn't have lessons, had a pony and taught myself to jump.....I put myself under too much pressure so now my top priority is to have fun fun fun!

 

[Brontie]

Beginner
Can walk, Trot, Canter, And do a VERY small fence.

 

[PeanutButterDragon]

I'm average/novice. But since I started riding again this year I have a bucketload of ambition so would like to improve and become the best rider I can possibly be. I'll never be Mary King!! But I'd like to go as far as I can as me

I'm happy to put in plenty of hard work and practice. Just hope when I'm ready to own my own horse again the right one for me comes along!!

 

[Rachel_M]

I am average. I am neither brilliant nor crap but just average. I am not a world beater and I am happy to keep learning

 

[Ezme]

Depends what I'm on. Always had a bit of a knack with the lazy neds but goes to pot when i'm on something wizzy. The only real competition i've done in recent years is uni friendly competitions, 2ft 6 courses and a novice test. When i was having regular lessons instrutor said with a few lessons polishing (learning the knack for the tests basically) i could do BHS Stage 2 so I tend to say that but then add on that it was a lil while ago

 

[hellsdarkrose]

I would go with novice. I'm not quite a beginner I can walk, trot, canter and do a small fence.

I can also do turn on the forehand and leg yields not not very well

 

[maddielove]

Average - but I pride myself on being able to ride some very difficult horses.
When I went on a riding holiday the other year they kept sticking me on the horses that everyone was getting chucked off - but I stayed on!
My confidence is low with regards to jumping - but thats because I've been out of it so long

 

[stencilface]

I am sh*t according to one instructor

Oh and my dressage is cr*p according to another one, this is quoting - not exaggerating!

I would say average to bad, and my horse deserves a medal for putting up with me, esp my recent efforts to start teaching him spanish walk, tee hee hee!

Although, he does get lots of pats and treats for doing it right, so I'm sure he doesn't really care what I am up to! Bless!

Will see how good I am at a PN in September.....

 

[Ezme]

Oh i'm also a ex-mullacott equestrian centre rider and if you ever went to that horrendus excuse for a riding school you know how to stay on. Definatly have extra ordinary sticking ability even to the amazement of instructors at hartpury! lol Its finesess i have to work on now! lol

 

[only_me]

i would say im quite a good rider - i school ponies for other people and i am the "test rider" for the yard - anything that comes in to be sold on i ride first! i can sit pretty major bucks/rears and i give everything a go - height of fences dosent matter to me!

i am very confident when it comes to jumping - i have no fear

and i get placed in every equtation class i do.

but i havent had a "schoolmaster" ever - the closest i have had to that was a rescue pony that didnt do dressage and would run out xc. all my ponies have been difficult and come with problems. probably not the best way to learn to ride, but it taught me stickability and how to sit a buck (my first horse - merlin in my sig - can buck vertical behind!!). all my horses have been young when i got them and incredibly green

i may not be the most talented rider in the world or have world class horses, but i can ride pretty much anything and get half decent results/preformances out of them.

*if it sounds big headed i dont mean to be - i have low self-esteem/confidence about my riding ability!

 

[Maisy]

[ QUOTE ]
I am average. I am neither brilliant nor crap but just average. I am not a world beater and I am happy to keep learning

[/ QUOTE ]

I would say this about me too.......I have been happy hacking for nearly 20 years, and when I was younger I rode some 'flighty' animals, but now I have kids and am older I understand how easily I can break!!

I will jump my mare to 2'9 xc and 3' sj, but would go higher if I was on something more capable. I dont compete too much anymore, but have done team chasing etc etc

I am happy to hunt my lovely lady, and hack in all weathers etc etc......

I understand what you are meant to do schooling, but my old girl detests it, and isnt built for it, so I dont bother! I'd like to think if I rode a horse more suited to dressage I would be able to get it to go in an acceptable way, but maybe that is wishful thinking!!

 

[ickelshadow]

agree that i dont know how to respond given that some are judging themselves as average at advanced medium and 3'6 tracks!

i would like to think myself as competent and capable. i will get on anything, and pretty much get a tune out of anything, with varying timescales (i guess that makes sense! some longer than others to click). i've ridden at stage 3 when i was 14 at the riding school, but i dont take a great deal of judgement from that if i'm honest. i can jump over 3', but its more of a confidence thing. i school to a high level, and get my kicks out of bringing on youngsters and making them push button and fabulous to ride, but i am NOT competitive.

i definitely proved to myself that i am decent rider when my old mare went to her first sponsored ride at the age of 26 and was the WORST behaved of the entire lot. rearing upright and spinning at the same time, cantering sideways, reversing at speed, bucking, launching herself over fences and generally having a fab old time

have to admit i loved it! didnt phaze me at all but my companions were stunned and really quite concerned for my safety! didnt even come close to coming off!

 

[moneypit1]

The thing is, I can 'sit' most horses. Fly by the way is the exception! I used to work for a racing yard over 20 yrs ago and also did a couple of seasons with polo ponies at smiths lawn. BUT, good riding is not just about staying on. i am brave with my jumping but that does not make me a good rider. The more I learn the more i realise just how much i do not know. x

 

[Rowreach]

You see, I think you are all probably being rather modest

When I teach short courses at the college, the students have to fill in a rider assessment form (because my nerves have taken such a battering in the past watching some of them

)

I find that pretty good riders will put themselves down as "novice", whereas anyone who says they are "intermediate" or "advanced" gets put on the quietest horses until I've decided if they are lying or not

 

[Rachel_M]

[ QUOTE ]
agree that i don't know how to respond given that some are judging themselves as average at advanced medium and 3'6 tracks!



[/ QUOTE ]


You don't need to be Kyra or Rodrigo to go in those classes- You just need a horse who is capable of it and the rider who knows the correct aids and a fairly sound seat. To me, you can be very average and still capable of doing either.

 

[Haflinger]

I don't know really.
I have a hell of a lot to learn and experiance.

I don't think you can say, just from writing a list of specific things

 

[niagaraduval]

I'm not sure..

* Can deal with anything thrown at me (bucker, rearer, napper etc..)
* Jump 3ft on my own horse, 5ft on the YO mare
* Can stay in control in most difficult situations
* Canter small circles and figures
* Good at pole bending

Never fall off.. whether he bucks,rears,spooks,canters sideways, stops dead at a gallop.. runs off sideways.. I think i've got glue on my ass..

 

[Halfstep]

Depends on what I'm asked to do. I can ride an advanced medium dressage test on a horse that knows how to do the movements. I can get on an unknown, green horse and do some basic flatwork. I can jump a 1.20m course but will miss a few. But I doubt I could go xc even at pre-novice level, even on a trained horse. I haven't jumped an xc fence since around 2002.....So I don't know.

 

[Nic74]

I wouldn't even begin to rate myself. I can walk, trot, canter and gallop, I can jump upto 3ft although out of practise and wouldn't do that at the moment. I can sit some bucks and the odd bronch and also silly spooks, half rears and spins. I can also sit full height rears as I found out not so long ago with a horse I bought (and sold again very quickly), once a horse has done that to me I'd never get on it again. I don't know loads about schooling and getting a horse working correctly. I just know how to enjoy myself and I don't take anything too seriously. I have done some prelim dressage tests and not done too badly so I must be doing the basics right at least.

 

[Willow1306]

Once upon a time i would have described myself as being able to sit on most things, assess them and work appropriately to improve them and therefore get a tune out of them. I used to have no fear and would jump whatever was put in front of me or get on horses for people if they were being naughty.
Now i think i am totally and utterly useless, i have lost all of my confidence jumping and although i know deep down i can do it and do enjoy it, whenever i approach a fence i become a total wimp and ride terribly because of this. Unfortunately im not in a very good position to improve on this atm as i have no horse and can't afford lessons - just hopefully i won't lose every ounce of hope before i get the chance to improve again.
On the flat i now get very frustrated with myself because my mind knows more than my body can do .. which is sad, i'm only 21, just uni-fit and not schooling very regularly at all.

All in all.... useless!lol

 

[somethingorother]

Well i used to go on advanced lessons at the only decent riding school round here. And at one of the not so decent. I was the one put on all the difficult or green horses at the not so decent one, and some of the more flighty or green ones at the decent one. I was also told by the instructor at the decent one, when put on a bit of a dobbiny older gelding on my first lesson that she had never seen him go so well. I was quite proud of finding his buttons and getting him really uphill.

BUT i dont kid myself that i am advanced. I'm rusty now from riding less than once a month, but even at my best when i had 2 on share i was average at best. I can handle most horses no matter what they try but big jumps scare the life out of me.

It depends on where you are. Riding schools im intermediate to advanced, but compared to some of you semi-pros on here i'm absolutely rubbish. On a scale of where i want to be being 10 and where i am i would be about 4.

 

[DiablosGold]

I was going to say 'average' but I couldn't jump a 3'6" course or compete in medium dressage (well probably if I had a schoolmaster type horse that did it all for me!).

So competent novice is probably a better way of describing.

I can jump my horse better than anyone else, as I know which buttons to press (although lack of confidence jumping anything over 2'9" stops me getting any better!).

I will ride anything on the flat/on a hack but I'll only jump my own horse.