Not a novice ride means....

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SAL66

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I'm confused what does "not a novice ride" actually mean, what is a novice ?, it has put me off ringing for many horses .
I have been riding for many years and owned several horses then had a few years break and now started back up again, does that make me a novice, I am not the most experienced rider in the world and picked up some bad habits on the way, but I know how to ride am I a novice ?
 
I think it can mean the horse is forward going but well mannered, or.....

It can mean the horse is the devil incarnate and will happily throw you off, trample on your head, kick dirt in your face and clear off back to the yard!

It depends who wrote the advert. If you like the sound of one, go and look at it, just make sure the owner sits on it first! lol
 
Ooh i think it is a difficult one, and perhaps the answer to your question differs with each individual horse. Some may have that in the advert simply because they are not a slug lol, whereas for others it may be there because the animal is a bit of a psycho! I have found both of these to be the case at least once, and think the best thing for you to do is if you find an advert you like the sound of but it has that line in it, just give them a ring and explain your ability and experience, and ask them why they consider the horse not suitable for a novice. If it were me selling the horse I would be more than happy for people to do that, after all, if you dont ask you dont get! Hope that helps a little
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I never put 'not a novice ride' on an advert for exactly that reason.
Most half decent riders could plod about on most of the horses I sell, whether they could really get them going is another matter.
I tend to discuss any little quirks on the phone/email.
I dont really understand why people put it to be honest, as long as you dont put something along the lines of 'teenagers ride' or 'quiet to ride' your back is covered.
 
I tend to think it means it is a git in some way. I don't really understand why people put it on any advert really, because it certainly puts me off and I'm not a novice rider. I think sometimes people who are quite novicey themselves might put it about a genuine horse though, just because they don't really know what they are talking about. If unsure though, I wouldn't bother with them.
 
When I advertised Liberty I put, fine with novices and little'ns but would be wasted....I would let my friends and family who never ridden before on her...But I certianly wouldn't of sold her to them. I didn't want novices ringing me (espiecaly being a pony) but I didn't want them to take it as she was sharp or something like said above.
 
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I think sometimes people who are quite novicey themselves might put it about a genuine horse though, just because they don't really know what they are talking about.

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I agree with that BB2 - and I would be apprehensive about going to view a 'not novice ride' horse, even though I think most of them are probably fine.
 
Yes I think you guys are right, me thinks its best not putting it in the ad and then discuss the ride when someone enquires about it, its like prefers to hack in company, does that really mean won't hack out on their own, trying to get the feel for any horse from the ads is very difficult, going to see it is the only way, but oh the wasted time !
 
I'm not a novice rider, really and used to do a lot of teaching, but 'not a novice ride' in an advert would stop me going to see a horse....I mean why look for trouble when it's usually looking for me!
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I put ‘not novice ride’ when I sold Ella and to be honest a competent Novice could have ridden her but she was too good and talented to go to a complete Novice. I would look at a horse that’s not Novice ride myself.
I sometimes think it just means that the person doesn’t want beginners/novices trying out their horse.
 
Not novice ride for some people could mean well schooled for others!
I wouldn't touch something that said "not novice ride" as I am looking for honesty above anything else in the horses that I buy. And to me, not a novice ride usually means that the horse is fairly devious.

However, I wouldn't put total beginners on my horses as they are too off the leg and would just disappear into the distance. Not because they are naughty, but because they think they are doing as they are told.

I would say no novice riders rather than not a novice ride. There is a subtle difference.
 
When I was going to sell Jiggy I put 'not a novice ride' on the advert cos he was going through a stage of napping/rearing when I wanted to hack out, he can also get incredibly strong jumping and hacking. I was completely honest with the people who rang up about him and told them why I had written it. Didn't sell him in the end cos I realised he was too good to lose.
 
You really need to call them up and ask in what way it is not a novice ride. It can vary hugely - it can mean a horse is just quite sharp or forward going, or it can also mean that it can buck like a b*tch!!

I have said some of my past horses were "not novice ride"s because I didnt want beginners turning up - I had a real nervous novice try out one of my horses and the horse bucked her off (this horse never ever bucked in 4 yrs!). If I were selling 2 of my current ones then Id also say not for novices because one is very safe to ride yet still can buck with excitement but fun bucks if you know what I mean, which an experienced rider would just ignore. My other is 100% safe BUT he is also forward going and sensitive (boot him in the ribs and I wouldnt see you for dust!).

You just need to ask them - usually sellers are honest (well hopefully!).
 
I just take it to mean exactly what is says - not suitable for a novice rider, i.e. those who are inexperienced or possibly looking for their first horse, not necessarily that its naughty. tbh i have never put it in adverts as I think you get an idea how suitable a horse will be for someone when you make the initial contact on the telephone.
 
It can me not suitable for someone fresh out of a riding school that can barely trot and canter. Or it could mean they are a bit more quirky. My mare was advertised as not a novice ride and I would have to agree. She is safe for me to ride but with a complete novice that hangs on to her mouth would be a complete disaster
 
well if i were to advertise any of mine i would put not a novice ride.
One is an arab who is very forward, not bad and will stop when told but goes from the slightest nudge or squeeze so if you booted him youd be in the next county before you could blink!
One is far to advanced dressage wise to think about putting a novice on him, he can also buck well, but that is normaly fun bucks.
Anouther ive spent far to long undoing the work of a novice on him to put him back in the hands of a novice.
Ans the last one ive had since a child, he was my first pony and whilst he was a good first pony he was as sharp as a whip and could spin on a sixpence, he knows every trick in the book to put a novice rider on the floor without hurting them (a dipped shoulder after a jump was his favorite), he has evented for teams and done mounted games for teams knows his stuff and with a true novice might scare them (my sister and i were not what i would concider true novice riders when we got him, id been riding for over 8 years, at several riding schools and on some privately owned ponies and horses and mum is a qualified RI even if she never teaches anyone)
 
I agree totally with FMM as it gives a clearer picture of what the horse could be like.

Thanks for your replies I will now look more closely at ads with" Not a novice ride "and ask some probing questions and hope for some honesty !!!
 
I would rather it said 'not a novice ride' and you can then either pass on it or ring up for further details if you are still interested. Rather than go and see a horse, fall in love with it and then it turns out to be a total psycho after being reassured by the seller that its the perfect horse for you. There are people fresh out of riding schools who do go alone to buy their first horse. Fools do rush in where angels fear to tread.
 
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