What riding level am i?

[horselover02345]

I ride a 14.3hh cob mare,and a few others from time to time.I have been riding since November 2013 and February 2014 with my school(my dad is the headteacher), then in June 2014 i started riding where i am now, in august i rode the horse i ride now for the first time by myself. I ride without a leader even on the difficult horses, i can walk, i can do a good posting trot i don't bump around (still working on the sitting trot), canter, figure of eight, walk, trot and canter over a pole(learning to jump soon), i can do a 20 meter circle at all gaits, i can change the rein in walk and trot. I don't ride the kind of green horse yet, as it isn't in the class that i ride in.I know what diagonals and leads are. Most of the horses that were there before the new owner came are not aloud to jump so that's why i haven't started properly. I also tack up by myself and catch the safer horses. I know about horse breeds and disciplines. i'm still working on detecting colic and lamenitis, i was doing well on addressing lame horses as one horse was mostly always lame. I want to know what level of riding ability i'm at...

 

[9tails]

You're a beginner in the wider world of horses, but for a riding school you could attempt the intermediate class.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Perhaps it would help you OP if someone who knows more than I do about BHS exams and Pony Club tests would come on here and give you a rough'ish assessment of where you are in the grand scheme of things?

As an aside, I've been riding since I was seven years old; and have (with a few gaps) owned my own pony/horse ever since I was thirteen, but if I am honest with myself I would still class my own riding ability as "intermediate"........ at best I'm just a happy hacker, and content to be that, and have always sought out uncomplicated horses (apart from the quirky little git I've got at the moment ).

 

[Shay]

Pony club test wise - no higher than D test level. Anything above that you have to be able to jump. You might be able to do the BHS Horse Owner's certificate and a couple of the early modules for the progressive tests. But to complete the progressives and / or stage 1 again you have to be able to jump. I would have put your standard as beginner. Have you thought of joining a pony club branch or center?

 

[Starzaan]

If I was to put you into a group in the riding school I teach at, based just on what you have written here, I would put you in the beginner group.

 

[millikins]

You sound novicey but also bright, keen to learn and very self aware which is a great attitude, I'm sure you'll do well.

 

[[59668]]

You sound novicey but also bright, keen to learn and very self aware which is a great attitude, I'm sure you'll do well.

This read as much as you can and learn from watching and listening and helping as much as you can also.

 

[xgemmax]

Beginner/Novice

 

[rachk89]

Beginner/novice like others. Horses in a riding school are never difficult just opinionated. They can be lazy and stubborn but very rarely actually dangerous.

Just keep learning and riding you have the enthusiasm. Doesn't matter what level you are at.

 

[horselover02345]

well, i ride the same horse every week but i sometimes get a free ride if you get there before 8:45, so i sometimes ride a pain of a pony called Rosie, she would canter instead of trot, attack other horses etc, when i started to learn to canter she jumped into canter on the wrong lead to throw me off. I can't do and BHS tests, my parent's wouldn't pay for it.
I did think of joining a pony club, i visited a place that does it but they are really expensive. I do Junior riding club where i ride its a bit like pony club, they teach you grooming and how to clean tack, different types of tack, etc

 

[alainax]

It is an interesting questions, as it is so subjective on what people think of the terms.

I have been riding, owning and competing for 20 years. I am having dressage lessons with a top instructor, and she asked me to fill out an insurance form.

The question arose - " I consider myself to be... " - A complete beginner - Beginner - Novice - Intermediate - Advanced.

Advanced to me is people out competing at medium+ level dressage or the equivalent in other disciplines.I chose intermediate. Here are the next questions...

Can you ride at walk? Trot with stirrups? Trot without stirrups? Canter? Hack? Jump over 50cm? Jump over 75cm? Jump cross country?

I then felt a bit silly for ticking intermediate! But just shows how it can vary so much depending on the perspective.

 

[Tnavas]

I would put you at D+ flat, but beginner jumping.

I'm very concerned that you appear to have been riding for some time but with little progress.

I'm Pony Club B examiner and also have owned a riding school, after 6 months of 1hr weekly roundup lessons I would be very dissapointed in my instructors ability if you were not learning to jump.

I would be looking at a different school.

 

[horselover02345]

I would put you at D+ flat, but beginner jumping.

I'm very concerned that you appear to have been riding for some time but with little progress.

I'm Pony Club B examiner and also have owned a riding school, after 6 months of 1hr weekly roundup lessons I would be very dissapointed in my instructors ability if you were not learning to jump.

I would be looking at a different school.

My dad didn't use to have money to keep me going each week and have for the last 8 weeks not missed lessons. Also, the class is a public class and people are joining who are beginner, today the instructor split up the class so new riders are in the lower class, i'm in the highest class, also the horse i ride i found out is blind in one eye. I have 3 instructors now, one only works during the week.
The previous owner and instructor only did flat so i would of learnt ground poles, etc before if the instructor let us.
I don't want to look for a different school because:
1. I love the horses there, they are really friendly (most of them).
2. All the other riding schools near me are either, have a waiting list for 2 years, or are really expensive.
Also my group are probably jumping in spring.

 

[horselover02345]

It is an interesting questions, as it is so subjective on what people think of the terms.

I have been riding, owning and competing for 20 years. I am having dressage lessons with a top instructor, and she asked me to fill out an insurance form.

The question arose - " I consider myself to be... " - A complete beginner - Beginner - Novice - Intermediate - Advanced.

Advanced to me is people out competing at medium+ level dressage or the equivalent in other disciplines.I chose intermediate. Here are the next questions...

Can you ride at walk? Trot with stirrups? Trot without stirrups? Canter? Hack? Jump over 50cm? Jump over 75cm? Jump cross country?

I then felt a bit silly for ticking intermediate! But just shows how it can vary so much depending on the perspective.

On the application for my riding school it said the same thing, with a riding assessment at the bottom. I told my dad to tick the trotting with stirrups, without stirrups and canter,walk. My dad put me as beginner

 

[horselover02345]

I would send a video of me riding but i'm not aloud.

 

[emmad96]

Personally, I would put you at beginner. And I agree with a previous poster about how long it has taken you to get to where you are now. I started having 'proper' lessons when I was 10 and I think they led me for my first trot, but that was it. Why did you stay on a lead for so long?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

OP, well done for getting where you are so far
Now the RS has said you are ready to begin jumping, have they taught you 'diagonals' in trot? Also cantering on the correct leg?
Both of these are fundamental, as they help you to ride with more balance together with the horse in an arena.
If not, then do a bit of reasearch on the internet (am happy to help via PM) and then ask your instructor(s) to learn.
If they haven't yet taught you at least to ride on the correct diagonal in trot, then I definately would put you as a beginner as this is something I would have been teaching by lessons 6-8 if on a 1-1 basis.

Edited: I have just re-read your 1st post, you say you know your diagonals and canter leads, but can you 'do' them all the time without thinking about it?
Sitting trot is also something to be established, as you will know that if you are asked to do this and you bounce, the horse is going to feel every movement through his back.

Enjoy your riding tho, its a lot of learning but fun too

 

[sarcasm_queen]

They're going to start letting you jump :S. In the nicest possible way, you don't really sound ready (unless by 'jumping' they mean trotting poles).
Well done for sticking with it though.

 

[Tnavas]

They're going to start letting you jump :S. In the nicest possible way, you don't really sound ready (unless by 'jumping' they mean trotting poles).
Well done for sticking with it though.

If she can canter a 20m circle then she's ready to begin jumping, and not just poles on the ground

 

[horselover02345]

OP, well done for getting where you are so far
Now the RS has said you are ready to begin jumping, have they taught you 'diagonals' in trot? Also cantering on the correct leg?
Both of these are fundamental, as they help you to ride with more balance together with the horse in an arena.
If not, then do a bit of reasearch on the internet (am happy to help via PM) and then ask your instructor(s) to learn.
If they haven't yet taught you at least to ride on the correct diagonal in trot, then I definately would put you as a beginner as this is something I would have been teaching by lessons 6-8 if on a 1-1 basis.

Edited: I have just re-read your 1st post, you say you know your diagonals and canter leads, but can you 'do' them all the time without thinking about it?
Sitting trot is also something to be established, as you will know that if you are asked to do this and you bounce, the horse is going to feel every movement through his back.

Enjoy your riding tho, its a lot of learning but fun too

They have already taught me to ride on the correct diagonal. I also know about leads in canter as i watch my friend ride in a advanced flat lesson, there is a greenish horse called Willow and he always goes on the wrong canter lead. I can do sitting trot. Also, i only ride one gelding, i always ride mares because they are the only ones my size besides that one gelding.

 

[horselover02345]

If she can canter a 20m circle then she's ready to begin jumping, and not just poles on the ground

I feel i can canter a 20m circle but there are alot of riders in my lesson so i don't think they will let me in case i crash into the other ponies.

 

[horselover02345]

At the first riding school we were complete beginner so we had a lead. I rode Alice (my JRC horse) for the first time by myself in august with someone in the middle checking on me. But i could only control Alice as, Rosie attacks other horses, selika is not the best horse to learn to ride by yourself on, tuttie will go into a really fast trot when the leader lets go and tilt has a slow reaction to stopping and turning. I started riding completly by myself with all the horses in October. Also the leaders stand next to the horses and let me do all the work while they walk with the horse. Also for my first trot at the stable i ride at now i held onto the saddle because thats what we did at the first one but on the second trot i did it by myself.

 

[Starzaan]

When I'm teaching a complete beginner from scratch I aim to have them OFF the lunge rein by the end of their first half hour. We do obviously continue to do a bit on the lunge after that, but the majority of the time they are not let or lunged.

I am curious to know why your riding school is still having people walking with the horses. If I still need to walk alongside the horse I will not allow the child I am teaching to move into a group.

 

[horselover02345]

Also Alice is blind in one eye, i don't know what its called but she has a blue splodge in her eye. She use to have a mask on so the dust didn't get in her eyes while riding. My instructor said i ride her well considering that she is half blind, we were doing weaving and on the second run i had to be used as the example because i we didn't miss any or go too far out. Also the stables don't use lunge reins or lead ropes, the leader holds the noseband or the halter(if the horse has a western bridle they put a headcollar on before the bridle. The instructor comes to each rider to help them improve like a private, but if it is a big lesson the leaders who are also riders will help.

 

[horselover02345]

The school have a option for private lessons which are in the week then there are public lessons in the weekend which anyone can join. I do the weekend afternoon which is stable management and riding, for the weekend afternoon you have to have ridden before to join. Some of the horses are a bit...wierd, two of them turn around and bite the horse behind, some kick, etc.

 

[Tnavas]

horselover02345 - This is not a good riding school

You seriously need to consider going to another school, check the school out first - preferably one where the instructors are qualified and the school is registered either with BHS (British Horse Society) or ABRS (The Association of British Riding Schools).

I've been teaching since the mid 70's and had my own riding school for 10 years. My beginners go on the lunge for 30mins initially for the first 5 lessons - they learn to sit correctly, learn and practise the aids to slow down and halt, walk and trot on. They practise turning the horse while still on the lunge and when they can rise to the trot, usually by the end of second or third lesson are allowed off the lunge.

After 10 half hour private lessons they have had several canters and are confident to join a group with riders of similar ability and age.

All of our riders work without stirrups and start their canters without them - they don't bounce without stirrups and if taught to hold the reins in the outside hand and the saddle correctly with the inside hand canter very confidently.

For those throwing their hands up in horror - the schools 'falling off' rate is extremely low!

Generally after riding for 6 months they canter with confidence - and start learning to jump - inititally trotting poles in jumping position - stirrups shorter, folded from the hips, shoulders forming a vertical line with knee and toe.

To have someone walking beside you after so long either tells me they cannot trust the horses or are so cautious they don't want you progressing.I know you love the horses you currently are with - but if you are as horse mad as you come across you will love all others as much.

Get dad to book lessons with each of the other schools around your area - preferably you need to have a lesson weekly but a fortnightly lesson at a better school will progress you far faster than a weekly at your current school. I learnt at a bad school,I was a young teenager who had no idea that BHS schools or qualified instructors existed, when I finally went to a better school, I learnt sooo much so fast it was worth the extra distance I cycled to get there.

This is the link to The Association of British Riding Schools, they have a list of places to ride http://www.abrs-info.org/
This is the link to The British Horse Society that also have lists of places to ride http://www.bhs.org.uk/

I hope you will look for somewhere that can help you to learn and progress.

 

[horselover02345]

Well actually the school is registered with BHS but they are now under a different name, the owner said 2 weeks ago that we are behind and everyone should be riding by them self. You can ride the horses by yourself but there are 3 new riders and they ride pebbles, tivvy and archie, archie is fine by himself, if the rider can sit a buck then they can ride pebbles by themself and Tivvy does sharp turns and attacks other horses. I don't just love the horses here, i prefer it there, i've been to every other riding school in my area and viewed the lessons, they do the same thing as my riding school even though the riders could ride on their own. We are short on money and the others are really expensive. My instructor is a proper instructor but she came only 2 weeks ago. They now only walk with the horses if they can't control a trot or riding Willow the greenish pony, or Layla who jumps around sometimes. They have all the leaders in the middle just checking on the riders. In the holidays i help out there and on Saturdays. If you saw me riding before and after you would understand but i have progressed more since the owner and first instructor left. We never did circles with her,or poles or cones. I also had one semi private with my friend and a advanced lesson on a Wednesday with 2 of my friends.
I find it kind of rude that you say its a 'bad school' they are undergoing some changes and you have also never seen me ride and its also hard to remember everything i've done in riding.

 

[JFTDWS]

Horselover, this sounds like an absolute recipe for disaster. If the horses are genuinely as you describe, the thought of beginners in large groups in a confined space is pretty terrifying. You don't see that because you simply don't know how badly it could go wrong. Leaders holding nosebands was considered a massive Health and Safety issue way back in the distant past when I used to help at a (fairly dodgy) RS - and certainly was not condoned by the BHS. You may not want to hear this, but you should understand that many of the posters on this forum are massively more experienced with horses than you, and alarm bells are ringing for a reason.

 

[Tnavas]

Well actually the school is registered with BHS but they are now under a different name, the owner said 2 weeks ago that we are behind and everyone should be riding by them self. You can ride the horses by yourself but there are 3 new riders and they ride pebbles, tivvy and archie, archie is fine by himself, if the rider can sit a buck then they can ride pebbles by themself and Tivvy does sharp turns and attacks other horses. I don't just love the horses here, i prefer it there, i've been to every other riding school in my area and viewed the lessons, they do the same thing as my riding school even though the riders could ride on their own. We are short on money and the others are really expensive. My instructor is a proper instructor but she came only 2 weeks ago. They now only walk with the horses if they can't control a trot or riding Willow the greenish pony, or Layla who jumps around sometimes. They have all the leaders in the middle just checking on the riders. In the holidays i help out there and on Saturdays. If you saw me riding before and after you would understand but i have progressed more since the owner and first instructor left. We never did circles with her,or poles or cones. I also had one semi private with my friend and a advanced lesson on a Wednesday with 2 of my friends.
I find it kind of rude that you say its a 'bad school' they are undergoing some changes and you have also never seen me ride and its also hard to remember everything i've done in riding.

What you were describing in your earlier post left me feeling that you were not being taught well at all. Now I am under the impression that the school is under new management and from your last post it sounds as if an improvement is in place.

As I said earlier, I began teaching in the 70's and worked with horses the majority of the time since. I examine for Pony Club and have produced riders who have ridden for NZ. I've taught hundreds of beginner riders and know my stuff.

Hopefully this new instructor will get you going and progress

 

[horselover02345]

They are making changes slowly, 3 livery horses left so they are getting new horses, They have a foal called Oliver and a 3 yearold stallion called Percy who i think hey are going to geld because he tries to mount every mare in site and only experienced workers are aloud near them. I think they may replace some of the bad horses but they know that the riders love the horses so they are bringing in the new horses instead of the bad ones so they get to know them if they take the others away. They have another barn somewhere so the horses may go there. The previous owner doesn't want us to jump her horses besides the shetland called Anton, willow and i think Tivvy. Now the new owner has brought her horses i can jump Bentley a Full cob Gelding. There was a meeting yesterday but i missed most of it because i was trying to get Alice to co-operate with picking up her back feet. They said something about Rosie having artheritis in her shoulder due to not being ridden properly, e.g no pole work or gridwork.