How to assess your riding level?

[Velvet82]

I don't know if this is a strange question or not!
But I wondering how do you assess your own riding level? I know I'm not a complete novice but where do I go from there?

Thanks in advance!

 

[nato]

I would talk to a good instructor

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I would talk to a good instructor

How do we assess a good instructor? lol

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

There is no definition, to me a good rider is someone who can ride in a professional yard.
In a professional yard a good rider is someone who is better than average of those in the yard, or has the potential to become better than average.
A beginner is learning how to ride without interfering with their horse.
I suppose a novice is someone who can ride selected RS horses at all paces in and out of the school environment but still needs to learn how to improve the horse she is riding.
By that definition an intermediate is better than a novice, can ride all RS horses and is capable of learning to school green ones under instruction.
In RS terms, an advanced rider can do a cross country course and a nice dressage test on a good horse.
In non RS terms an advanced rider can event.

 

[Steorra]

I’d always prefer to summarise my experience, rather than use terms like novice and intermediate, because they mean such different things to different people. Take ‘novice’: there are different skillsets involved in riding all the horses in a riding-school competently at walk, trot and canter (and I’m not belittling that - plenty of one-horse owners might struggle), competing one’s own horse at novice level BD, and successfully negotiating a novice event.


So when I’m looking for a horse to share, for example, I don’t label myself as novice/intermediate/advanced. I say something like: ‘I’m a confident, capable, lightweight adult rider with 15 years’ experience of owning, loaning and sharing. I like horses with character, and am happy to ride something forward-going or green. That said, I’m after a horse I can love and have fun with, so a dose of road sense, self-preservation, and no major vices are desirable! Size, type and age are unimportant within reason. I have no major competitive ambitions but enjoy going out and about to do low-level dressage, jumping and clinics, once I’ve laid down good foundations with a horse at home.’

If I absolutely have to fill out one of those check-box forms at a riding school or on holiday, I tend to drop down a level unless it’s really silly to do so, and have a talk with the instructor or yard owner before we start. It’s definitely better to under-horse than over-horse yourself. Actually, I find that a bit of down-playing and horsey chat lands me with a nicer horse than the people saying ‘yeah, I’m awesome, me!’

 

[PaddyMonty]

The labels attached to riders are pretty useless unless compared to something
For example I've competed BS to 1.30, BE to intermediate and also have points/regional 10 ten at BD. So I could possibly say I was advanced but that's not a true picture. Sure, against most riding school pupils I would be but if going for a lesson with Mr Fox-Pitt I would class myself somewhere just above novice.

In non RS terms an advanced rider can event.

Depends on the level. Given the height events start at these days (even BE) a good novice would probably get round OK. All depends on what level of eventing.

If I absolutely have to fill out one of those check-box forms at a riding school or on holiday, I tend to drop down a level unless it’s really silly to do so, and have a talk with the instructor or yard owner before we start. It’s definitely better to under-horse than over-horse yourself. Actually, I find that a bit of down-playing and horsey chat lands me with a nicer horse than the people saying ‘yeah, I’m awesome, me!’

I did that once when a group of us from all over the country met at a riding school to go on a hack as part of a weekend get together. Faced with the N,I,A tick boxes I put intermediate. Huge mistake. The horse I was given would barely canter despite rest of ride leaving it behind. Can't say I really enjoyed the hack much.

These days, like you, I just give a summary of my experience and leave the person to decide on a label.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

There was a thread very similar to this a while back & I think in the end generally posters decided "Does it really matter?"

 

[Barnacle]

I quite like this set of definitions: http://www.lrgaf.org/guide/ability.htm

But I think you need to think of it all more broadly. Obviously, if you COULD compete but choose not to, you are at the same level as someone who actually does. If you COULD ride a greenie but don't do so regularly... And so on.

 

[nato]

I quite like this set of definitions: http://www.lrgaf.org/guide/ability.htm

But I think you need to think of it all more broadly. Obviously, if you COULD compete but choose not to, you are at the same level as someone who actually does. If you COULD ride a greenie but don't do so regularly... And so on.

Seems like there's a massive jump between Novice and Intermediate riders!

 

[PonyclubmumZ]

This is interesting, I am looking for a new horse at the moment. I have ridden for 40 years and have had horses at home for about 35 years. I would class myself as a novice though, as I have no ambition really. I can walk trot canter jump, I have evented at RC level and dressage up to Novice. I feel like a complete numpty on a new horse though, especially beside a young yard girl who is uber confident and will ride anything. Its difficult to know how pitch myself, I think I need a paragraph like Steorra, its like writing a riding cv!!

 

[Velvet82]

Thanks for everyone's help! I'm still unsure which category I fall into, but I think I like the idea of assessing myself based on what I can do rather than giving myself a label. So thanks to Steorra and PaddyMonty for that inspiration!

 

[gnubee]

It depends who is asking. I tend to consider who might be wanting to grade themselves on the scale and where I think I would come when ranked against those people. Do if it's a riding school where I know I would want to be in the top lesson, I am advanced/ experienced. If a more intense training establishment where I would struggle in their top lessons with their more challenging horses I am intermediate. If I was going to a cross country clinic where I have basically no experience, I would expect to be one of the least competent people there so am novice/beginner.

Similarly if someone wanted a sharer for a stereotypical happy hack with no particular competing opportunities etc I am probably advanced in comparison to the other people who would be interested but if the horse is advertised with serious quirks or competing opportunities there will be people much better suited than me looking so I am novice.

No point in getting yourself enrolled in the lead rein class at a riding school because you are trying to apply a fixed standard and therefore think you would struggle round a novice ODE so you must be whatever the tick box below novice is.

 

[sportsmansB]

Interesting... we tend to grade ourselves against those who we see ride on a regular basis. I am not the most confident on a misbehaving horse, and spend a lot of time riding among Pro's and serious competition peeps. I don't think I am up to much in comparison
Though I went on a riding holiday last year and put 'intermediate' on the form - they gave me a real gentleman. I spend a lot of time riding green baby event horses at home and wanted a holiday!
Another girl on the trail, who was used to riding in different company to me at home, put 'advanced' and wanted a forward going horse. She got one. Couldn't ride him at all. I swopped after 2 days because I felt sorry for her (and actually had the best time!)
But at home, among her riding buddies, she was considered to be an experienced rider.
The descriptions are useful-ish but its all relative! An experienced/advanced rider in a RS or even a leisure livery yard wouldn't be considered the so in a competition/professional yard

 

[Velvet82]

T

It depends who is asking.

Nobody was asking, I have just been pondering as to how to assess myself. But reading the (helpful) comments, I think I'm realising that I've put too much pressure on myself for an answer when really I don't need any kind of label. I just thought it may be helpful when talking to other horsey people really.
I'm so grateful for the feedback though