What is a confident rider?

E

Echo24

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 August 2006
Messages
1,330
Location
Kent
Visit site
Sorry if this is a numpty question! I had a lovely lesson the other day after being out of the saddle for a couple of months and my new instructor asked me if I was a confident rider. I've never really classed myself as a confident rider as I alway think I'm a novice rider, having only ridden for three years. I only ever ride slow riding school type horses so I'm used to working very hard in my lessons but I also know they are unlikely to whizz off without any brakes! But having said that, I have ridden horses in the past that have bolted with me on and have horses tried to buck me off and I've still managed to stay on and didn't feel phased by it at all. My instructor said she would like me to try some other horses in the school that need a confident rider and I just wondered what constitutes a confident rider? It would be nice from time to time to ride something that didn't need me to use so much leg in my lesson!

Thanks in advance! x
 
Hmm that IS a difficult one.
It all depends on the person and their definition of confident.
I would class myself as a confident rider when it comes to flatwork. I am 5'2 and I will get on 17hhwarmbloods and have a schooling session. My mare is an ex racer and she spins, bucks, bolts, tries to rear etc and I take it all and I am fine. I also ride a 15hh cob who has run backwards with me and bronks when he feels like napping
grin.gif
However.. get me near jumps and I am a nervous wreck
crazy.gif

It all depends on your own personal definition of "confident" I suppose? It really is a hard one to define generally!
Hope this somewhat helps!!
Izi
grin.gif
 
I think I agree with izzy. It depends on the discipline/situation.

This dawned on me the other day (ok i wasn't riding but still.) We were cleaning the looseboxes (1864 inside stables, cobble, woodpanelling etc) for a photo shoot and i was cleaning the walls with a towel on a broom and rosie was hoovering. Scrooge did not take kindly to either, spinning, bucking, pawing, screaming yet I just walked straight in his box first put my hand on his bum with broom in other hand and progressed closer untill i was scrubing him with broom and towel while he was spinning and generally being a twat. (he's seen it before and was fine so he gets no sympathy.) If that was a TB type you could not have paid me to go in there! Yet scroogie weighs 900kgish, his hooves were flying everywhere and he easilly could of killed me. Its great tho, now he's not scared! Or at least he wasn't by the end, he'll probs forget by next year.... he's not to bright when it comes to that sort of thing...

Another horse at the riding school (old style corse 17.2 warmbloody thing) is a lazy toad but can throw i a good spin, bolt, buck yet for some reason it always makes me laugh! So he does the combo, I giggle, dig my heels in and we gallop around the arena for a few circuits. Whenever I go there now I get to ride him (yay) because I'll get after him but theres not another horse there I'd do it to! Surprisingly he's competed up to medium dressage and works much better once he's bolted! lol
 
In general (ie not talking about any particular discipline) I would class a confident rider as someone who is not easily phased by things like the odd buck, napping, spooking or horse thowing a bit of a wobbly. I have been riding for a long time and am generally very happy on a horse, but if something unexpected happens then I often go to pieces, not because I don't have the ability to cope with it, but because I just don't like it!. So in that respect I class myself as a fairly competent rider, just not a very confident one.
 
I consider myself to be an experienced but nervous rider. Some horses "scare" me cos I'm 6'2" and need something that I feel safe on!! One horse I used to ride was a nightmare, he was tall enough, but he was as thin as a knife and liked to buck and pogo around - cue me nearly crying!!
 
Again, difficult to quantify but if you feel safe and don't go to bits in difficult situations then you can probably say you're confident. I would say bucking, rearing, spinning, napping, etc don't bother me at all - but I just can't do bolting! I can keep it together and stay on and stop the horse but it's only happened to me twice and to be honest I wouldn't now ride a horse which I believed could bolt.

So I guess after 21 years of riding I can't fully say I'm confident in all situations!
grin.gif
 
I would describe a confident rider as someone who isn't phased by a horse misbehaving a bit within their level of competence.

For instance, take a novice rider who's just learning to canter. Should their horse unexpectadly canter off with them, you get some novices who scream, tense up and grab the saddle, while some novices will just sit there, bring the horse back to trot and carry on what they were doing. To me, that is a confident rider, regardless of their level of experience. Someone who calmly handles whatever the horse might throw at them, within their ability level.
 
Not me!!

I am often worried that I am doing the wrong thing and if George is a bit spooky I worry that I won't be able to cope. I also get nervous sometimes when jumping or hacking on my own - but then again I do try things and I'm not one to give up - just worry too much about what ifs.
 
Confident rider is someone that is not nervous of riding a sharp, nappy or green horse, nothing really phases them when a horse steps out of line. A competent rider is someone that has the correct training and is capable of bringing on youngsters, so, quite an established experienced rider. You can get a confident novice, someone that is still learning to ride but is brave or a nervous but competent rider who is totally capable but has usually had a bad experience that has put them off riding sharp or not so laid back tempered horses!
 
I agree with Dressage Babe, I would say I am reasonably competant but as my horse has spent a few years putting me through hell and back, I understand that there is a fear factor to riding and would never ever take a horse for granted again so can be nervous at times even though I still try to tackle everything.

I particularly hate broncing with all 4 legs in the air, my horse has perfected this and added a dive through the shoulder for good measure when he gets scared! I have been shown in a very clear way how powerful horses can be, one should never ever underestimate them and the thing I most admire in a good rider is that they are aware and able to handle bad behaviour in a calm and considered manner.
 
Thanks for all the replies! It was really interesting to get everyone's views on the matter
smile.gif
I would probably say I was more of a confident novice than a competent rider. I certainly couldn't go near a TB and probably wouldn't dare going on a hack by myself!

Thanks again! x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top