What constitutes a novice? (sorry, I know this came up before)

Nudibranch

Nudibranch

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I know someone else posted a similar question a while ago but I can't remember how it went. So really, as title.

I've ridden/driven/owned for about 22 years now, so I wouldn't really class myself as a novice, but at what point do you become "experienced"?

What do you all class yourselves as?
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I'm not sure of all the 'categories' there are with horses and riding. I know that I can stay on if my horse runs off or does stupid things, and personally think i'm an OK rider, nothing amazing though. Have been riding for 11 years, had horses for 11 years too lol. Whatever that makes me I'll be happy with
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Hmmm. Difficult really because the normal brackets of novice, intermediate & experienced don't fit everyone in every way.

I'd class myself as fairly experienced with knowing about horses at times but others I'd say I was novice. I know I'd be classed as novice when riding because although I know how to ride, my nerves stop me.

Very difficult to explain but generally I'd say that riding I was the middle ground of novice but on horse care I'd say I was the higher end of intermediate.

I certainly don't class myself as a good horsewoman because there are things I can't do & things that my nerves won't allow me to do.

Not a very defined answer I'm afraid!
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If you ride with your seat, absorb movement through your lower back, use your breathing to help with your weight aids, have independent seat from hands, 'feel' the way the horse works under your seat, totally understand lateral aids and how lateral work helps and affects a horse's way of going and able to back or bring on a youngster correctly then you can really consider yourself an experienced rider.

Its not really about how long you've been riding, more about how well you can ride using the above. Its confusing in the horse world because an Amateur is understood to be a novice in other sports but in our sport it is someone that doesn't earn a living from competing/riding, If you do earn purely from this then you are classed as a professional. Hope this makes a little sense!
 
Can't remember which famous horseman it was, but they said it takes more than one lifetime to become a good rider!

Since I posted the question a while back, I have come to the conclusion that it is best not to categorise yourself if you can help it - riding and learning are dynamic processes and you never reach a realm where you have learnt "enough". I try and see myself on a constant quest for knowledge! I don't think time comes into it, you could spent 10 years riding one horse badly or 6 months intensive training on. A novice in one person's eyes might not be one in someone elses, it is subjective and related to how much you know yourself.

As for looking after horses, well it isn't rocket science, anyone can learn how to do it properly (but like everything there are many approaches and ways to the same goal), but it is more related to your morals and attitude whether you put that extra effort in and do the "right" thing, or not. I mean like little things, some people might not bother to pick out a horse's hooves when bringing them in but they know they should, or being on the yard to feed at 6am day in day out etc etc.
 
I've been involved with horses for about 24 years on & off - I've had my current horse for 2.5 years.
I'd class myself as a novice - I'm a leisure rider & I think most (not all) leisure riders would be classed as novices.
I'm not quite sure what you'd need to be able to do to class yourself as experienced - we're all still learning no matter how much you think you know!
 
This is an impossible question without knowing the parameters within which ability is being considered. If Im going pony trekking, Im experienced, if Im going to a dressage clinic then Im definately a novice!

I suspect this is why so many people get upset when they advetise their horses as not novice rides then get people who are totally unsuitable turning up to view - everyone has a different idea of novice ability.

I would like to think I was considered experienced in terms of horse care though ...
 
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If you ride with your seat, absorb movement through your lower back, use your breathing to help with your weight aids, have independent seat from hands, 'feel' the way the horse works under your seat, totally understand lateral aids and how lateral work helps and affects a horse's way of going and able to back or bring on a youngster correctly then you can really consider yourself an experienced rider.


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As a lover of dressage I would love to agree with dresagebabe but I don't feel I can! Whether you are novice or experienced will depend on the circumstances. I know one lady who breaks youngsters for a living - mainly racehorses but she has broken dressage horses, show jumpers etc as well. I would have no hesitaton sending any horse of mine to her to be broken - but in no way, shape or form would she meet any of dressage babes criteria. In her own words - she can't do the 'fancy stuff'
 
Hollycat: I understand where you are coming from with people being able to do a good job breaking horses, I too have several friends that are totally capable of backing youngsters but they then sell them on or hand over the job for the next stage in bringing on a youngster in a correct manner that makes it easier for the horse and the future riders. What I term as an experienced rider surely is what a rider that has had correct training should be naturally doing everytime they sit on a horse if they are going to train it correctly and make its life easier by understanding the correct aids, probably not the more lateral aids on babies but certainly the fact that whoever sits on its back should ride with their balanced seat and not on their hands etc which novices tend to do as they usually haven't developed an independent seat so balance themselves with their hands. Its not a crime to be a Novice, we all start somewhere but surely we would like to end up understanding that a horse becomes more supple, moved along in self carriage and is generally much easier to ride if schooled in such a way as I descibed in my first reply. There was a post last night about how can a rider sit there and make their horse go around so beautifully in half pass when you cant even see the rider's legs move - this is exactly what I mean as far as an experienced rider is concerned, its not really 'fancy stuff' just the correct way of riding.

Maybe I have too higher expectations of the pupils I teach but I have always concentrated on developing a deep, independent seat before anything else as I feel the rest is the icing on the cake. Great topic for long debate!
 
I think another point to consider is that an experienced rider can adapt to the horse and does not just follow one method. For instance, rather than just think along of the lines of "this is a lazy horse I need to do x, y, z", they are more receptive to what is actually going on underneath them and can quickly adapt to riding any horse. A novice rider on the other hand will be kicking dobbin until the cows come in (as this is what they were "taught" to do) and never get it moving!
 
Depends upon who's asking!!!

If I was going to ride at a riding school or trekking centre I would describe myself as experienced, but as a previous poster said not for a dressage or SJ clinic.

I think for most purposes if you can ride with a secure and independant seat at all paces and in different circumstances on different types of horses you are probably reasonably ok to say you aren't a novice, perhaps intermediate...

However for competitive purposes there are different definitions, people who compete in affiliated competitions at novice level are probably very experienced riders.

I think you need to use more descriptive ways of getting to the bottom of someone's experience.

Whilst it is true that you go on learning for a lifetime and can never know all there is to know about horses and riding it helps no one to describe yourself as a novice forever!!!

If you see an ad saying not a novice ride then the sensible thing is to ask the owner what they mean. It might just mean that they aren't suitable for a beginner, or it might mean that they need to be in very capable hands, someone used to dealing with "project" horses.
 
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What I term as an experienced rider surely is what a rider that has had correct training should be naturally doing everytime they sit on a horse if they are going to train it correctly and make its life easier by understanding the correct aids, probably not the more lateral aids on babies but certainly the fact that whoever sits on its back should ride with their balanced seat and not on their hands etc which novices tend to do as they usually haven't developed an independent seat so balance themselves with their hands.

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We can certainly agree on this DressageBabe
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I actually do agree that all riders should strive to have an understanding of lateral work, seat aids etc - even if they do just want to hack out, but would not go so far as to describe a rider that doesn't want to learn this (for whatever reason) as a 'novice'. I also think the people who made points re context are right - I don't consider myself a good rider but like the others if I went pony trecking I'd tell them I was a very experienced rider as I would not want to end up on an old plod!
 
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