How good do you think you are at riding?

[My_breadbagel]

I don’t think I’m a good rider- but I’m proficient. The last time I took group lessons three years ago (on my own boy) I was in an intermediate class, with the prospect of moving to the advanced class (I was told that would have happened sooner if I wasn’t on my green pony ?). I can sit a canter well, but override at times, and can score 75%+ on a dressage test. But I’m not so great at jumping (as my instructor always said “your horse doesn’t exactly make it easy for you”) and usually slip my reins over jumps to accommodate for my chaps mouth, so I only ju no
my horsey friends are keen to tell me “you’d be fitter if you had a crazy horse like mine!” But that just doesn’t interest me. I’ve put all of my effort into first and foremost having a “push-button” reliable, trusty horse. Sure, he gets his canter leads muddled sometimes, and isn’t a skilled jumper, but I love the feeling of having a sane horse. Of course, he’s prone to getting ahead of himself at our gallop spot, or giving a leap of excitement as we get going, but I don’t want a crazy horse. I’ve put time and effort into producing a well-muscled, steady steed who I can put faith in. I also think these friends forget that he wasn’t like that when he came to me, and even after professional help would bolt off with me, lean on my hands, and was still extremely arrogant. I clearly have the skills to create a completely different horse from what I started with, but I can’t sit much, and have come off due to something as small as a dropped shoulder and spin ?. Does anyone else feel this way?

 

[Chippers1]

Not very! My pony is much different to when I bought him and is better schooled, doesn't run out at jumps anywhere near as much as he used to and can do a mean walk or halt to canter (compared to the pony club kicks that his old owner used to get him going into trot!) but I don't think it's taken any great feat to get him to that point over just regular consistent riding.
I struggle a lot with his spooking and he's inconsistent out jumping sometimes and to be honest when I read about people on here and how great they do with their horses I feel completely inadequate, my position isn't great and I don't feel like i'm an effective rider or even particularly good.

You do sound like you know what you're doing though!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

You sound a great rider to me. To bring a horse on takes skill. Dropped shoulder and a spin is hard to stay on so I wouldn't measure your riding by that!!

 

[My_breadbagel]

You sound a great rider to me. To bring a horse on takes skill. Dropped shoulder and a spin is hard to stay on so I wouldn't measure your riding by that!!

Thanks, but as much as my instructor claims it’s my work, she and her team get 75% of the credit for installing the basics of flat work and jumping. I’ve just steadied him up, I think. And thanks for the comment about the shoulder drop- I felt like crap after that one! Didn’t help he was going to bolt, so I leant forward to adjust myself, grab the reins- and bam, he did one of those really dirty spins, dropping his shoulder ?

 

[Pippity]

I'm a terrible rider. I have a chair seat, I rarely engage my core, I'm far too reliant on legs/reins rather than seat, I'm always leaning forward slightly, and I do most of my hacking while bumbling along on the buckle end. Thankfully, my horse is a superstar who can generally figure out what I'm asking her to do, and is kind enough to do it most of the time. She has the added benefit that, if she sees something she wants to get the hell away from, she'll do her best to take me with her rather than dumping me so she can run a bit faster.

But my horse is happy, comfortable and sound so I figure we're doing okay.

Just never put me on something that actually needs riding.

 

[AntiPuck]

Interesting, I think I'm the opposite to you - good at sitting jumpy things, riding out napping, spooks, rears etc, but not great at improving horse's way of going beyond the basics, as have never been taught how, so trying to plug the gaps now. I can improve some foundational things, like opening gates, softness to rein aids, backing up, transitions etc but don't know how to teach "proper" lateral movements, collection, etc.

For this reason I plan to send my horse off to someone who knows how to get her going well in the near future, so that she has a fighting chance.

I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with that, as long as the riding isn't so bad that it is causing either acute or long-term harm to the horse.

It sounds like you've done a really good job. I think "stickability" often comes with practice/experience, and if you've deliberately made a steady horse (and why wouldn't you), there won't be as many opportunities to practice.

 

[Peglo]

Im also the opposite to you. Not a good rider and don’t think I’m pretty to watch. Lose my stirrups and drop my reins often but can sit pretty good. I’ve not come off in years (touch wood!!!) I’ve got a super little horse who doesn’t seem to mind my lack of skills and helps me a lot.

 

[Abi90]

Interesting question. How do you define good?

I’m a fairly effective and sympathetic rider but I don’t like riding hot horses, nor would I consider myself good enough to. But I can bring on youngsters if they aren’t hot, and I can sit most silliness.

I still don’t consider myself good!

I almost thing the more we know the less sure of our competence we get

 

[milliepops]

I almost thing the more we know the less sure of our competence we get

absolutely this. the more you know, the more you realise you have to learn.
therefore i am usually of the opinion that i'm doing a rubbish job and am resigned to feeling like that for the rest of my life

objectively i am able to school and improve horses in many ways, am patient and pretty sticky but as i have got older i am much less enthusiastic about riding the rodeo ones.

 

[mini_b]

I almost thing the more we know the less sure of our competence we get

unconsciously incompetent
Consciously incompetent (meeeeee)
Consciously competent
Unconsciously competent (everyone I ride with ?)

 

[Jenko109]

I'm crap. Armchair seat, weak lower leg, reins are always too long, cant see a stride, jump position is deranged, hold my reins like I'm riding a motorbike, rounded shoulders, blah blah.

I dont fall off much though so all is well.

 

[McFluff]

Not as good as I’d like to be, but I love learning and am enjoying creating a safe fun horse with mine. However, although my boy can be hot, cheeky and tense, he’s always safe (He can also produce some awesome soft powerful work, if I get his balance and alignment right!). I know my limits, and there are horses that I just wouldn’t try to ride as I know I couldn’t ride one side of them.
I am not, and never have been, one of those brave super sticky riders.

 

[Pmf27]

I struggle to 'grade' myself, because there is a serious mismatch in my ability and my knowledge.

That is to say, that I know what I have to do to get a horse to do xyz but I don't always know why I have to do that thing or what doing that particular thing does for the horse.

Luckily my riding instructor is very generous with their knowledge and has been working me through this, but it has left me feeling that I've been going through the motions for all of my riding years!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I can't ride to save myself any more. I used to be able to sit on anything, break in ponies, reschool racehorses, win in the show ring etc. but I have never done a dressage test and I have never been taught to jump.

My riding exploits these days mean I am generally going from A to B and B to A in hopefully a controlled manner at speed. I do occasionally pop over some small logs on a very trusting steed that I can just leave to it's own devices playing follow my leader, I have the core strength, balance and fitness to keep up with the horse and give with my hands but don't ask me to see a stride a way out, i can only see one on the final stride and know if the horse is going long, short, chipping in or perfect! I ride a lot of different horses week in week out and lot of horses than many other people wouldn't dare to sit on. But does that make me a better rider?

How we define how good we are at riding isn't as simple as all that. Some people may be incredibly good at flatwork but fall to pieces when a cross pole is placed in front of them. Others may go hedge hopping all winter but couldn't ride a prelim dressage test. Everyone has their niche but that doesn't make them a better or worse rider than someone else who specialises in something else.

 

[spider]

"I almost thing the more we know the less sure of our competence we get"

This absolutely. Had some lessons on a schoolmaster recently and found out I don't actually know how to ride at all!

 

[HorseMaid]

I'd say I can ride well enough to get by, not remotely stylish. But I can (mostly) sit a sideways teleport at gallop and most importantly my horse seems happy with my level of riding and that's what matters!

 

[My_breadbagel]

Interesting question. How do you define good?

I’m a fairly effective and sympathetic rider but I don’t like riding hot horses, nor would I consider myself good enough to. But I can bring on youngsters if they aren’t hot, and I can sit most silliness.

I still don’t consider myself good!

I almost thing the more we know the less sure of our competence we get

Agreed- when I was green and wobbly I was a know it all. Experience has given me more ability, but less confidence in who I am as a rider

 

[Ratface]

I'm OK on hot, opinionated spooky horses. Useless on ones that need that a lot of encouragement to move forward. Haven't got the muscle strength any more, and don't really gel with them.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I think I'm a pretty crap rider. I don't feel effective.
I can manage my way round a 70 sj course. I hack generally bumbling with a loose rein or if pony is bouncing with a contact.

I try to be conscious of sitting straight and being aware of how I'm affecting my pony. In an arena I can go on right diagonal no issue but hacking it is so uncomfortable I can't get it.

 

[Winters100]

I'm afraid it is an impossible question, as we are all just somewhere on a scale between total beginner and top level professional.

For me a more useful question is whether I have sufficient skills and fitness to do what I want to do, without putting myself or my horses at risk. I can say that if you asked a total beginner whether I was a good rider they would say that I am good, but ask a professional and they would say that I am not good at all. I guess this is the same for most of us.

 

[blitznbobs]

F ing amazing (just thought id buck the trend)

 

[Keith_Beef]

I'll settle for being better than Putin.

 

[scats]

I think I have a good feel for a horse and can work out what needs improving and how to improve it. Would I ever make it as a top rider? No chance! ?

 

[BBP]

I think I’m less technically good than I used to be, but I am far more thoughtful about how my horse feels about it, aware of my weaknesses and trying to better understand the biomechanics behind what I’m asking for. So whilst I may not always ask correctly, I think my horse probably prefers me the way I am now.

 

[Lintel]

Some days:
Not too shabby!

Other days:
Bloody awful.

?

 

[Gloi]

Not a patch on when I was 30 years younger. Unfit, creaky and with knackered ankles and loss of nerve. However I do have a great understanding between pony and myself as I did the previous one.
I will no longer ride a someone else's horse unless I know and trust it really well.
My favorite thing used to be unhandled young ponies and I was reasonably good with them but I probably have trained my last one now.

 

[Annagain]

I never thought I was great but after Charlie I'm really questioning my ability. He wasn't a difficult horse and didn't do anything wrong but I could never bring myself to trust him so never really tried to ride him properly, just staying on was my aim. I achieved that at least!

Since I've started riding Oscar, I can feel it coming back a bit, on the flat at least. I really worry about my ability to see a stride any more though. I barely went above 2' on Charlie for the very reason that, if I stuffed it up, it was small enough for him to get us out of it. I want to do it until I'm about to do it, then I don't want to do it any more! I'm hoping something a bit older and more experienced will help me find my mojo again.

 

[maya2008]

Good enough in my little niche (backing and bringing on youngsters with nice temperaments to make nice all rounders, then low level SJ/D thereafter). That’s about it though - have no wish to jump large courses and no money for enough lessons to climb far up the dressage ladder. To be fair these days, I don’t even make it to competitions as all the focus is on the kids and their ponies!

 

[Snowfilly]

I’m in a weird position of either having ridden rubbish or green horses almost all my life, and normally the good ones were short term at a dealers yard or the odd bit of competition when the rider was injured or something. So I’d say I’m effective but not good; I’ve got a quiet seat and I know I sit in good balance and I don’t touch the damn reins because that’s an easy way to start a fight - I’m all seat and voice.

If you need someone to break a baby, or sort out a bucker, I can do it. I can get ‘Mr Stands on Two Legs’ round a dressage test until he’s playing nice, and jump green babies endlessly around 80cm until they’ve got the hang of keeping rhythm and staying balanced.

I can teach a good enough leg yield, shoulder in, rein back and turn on the forehand to open gates and be safe out hacking, but I doubt any of them would pass muster in dressage. My flying changes are functional but rarely on the spot, whatever I’m riding.

I wouldn’t have a clue how to ride a really good horse and would probably be worse than useless over anything bigger than a 1.15 fence. I’d probably get laughed out the place if I tried to join an advanced lesson at a dressage school, and I’ve only gone cross country once in my life.

But I know how to adjust for the terrain I’m riding on, jump a ditch or bank, ride a baby horse on the first solo hack and have a good gallop through a field.

Id call myself competant but not good, I lack too much polish to be good.

 

[lme]

Not very, but good enough for what I want to do, which is pootle around having a nice time on horses whose way of going suits me. Like Ratface, I don’t have the strength to ride anything that needs a lot of encouragement so I avoid riding that type of horse.