Progression of Horsemanship Skills

[wanabe]

Some while back, I asked if anybody had a list of skills that needed to be mastered as one progressed in their riding and stable training. No one knew of anything.

Today, I found this:

http://www.eaglemountainstables.com/Downloads/Levels_Horsemanship.pdf

It's exactly was I was looking for! :cool:

Take a look and see how you do!

[Bob's mum]

That's really interesting ! Looks like I tick some boxes in the higher levels but still have loads to aim for !!:D Thanks for posting this.

[xloopylozzax]

in my opinion, learning to ride shouldnt be about ticking boxes and moving up stages. because once you get to teal/level 7 (the last stage in the link) that makes it seem like you have learnt everything which, when you are with horses you never will and should never aim to because you will be always dissapointed.

i consider "horsemanship" to be combined looking after, riding, groundwork, care, companionship, friendship, teamwork, treating illness- the list is endless.

that is more aimed towards the riding aspect, somebody who could do all the things listed (and nothing else) would be clueless with a youngster, a sick or injured horse (colic, laminitis etc) or something that was unbroken- not true horsemanship.

it is interesting to read but i wouldnt follow it- just because i dont have lessons or ride in a arena or jump regularily (i jump in the woods when hacking occasionally) does that mean i would be at level 3?

i can handle stallions and youngstock confidently, treat injurys/ illness, and do all the ridden things from level 7- leg yielding, shoulder in, different transitions etc but wouldnt be confident enough yet to do 3'6" showjumping course. this also doesnt mention hacking out on roads, riding in company/ on own etc, only bridlepaths and fields or in the school. what happens when you encounter something not referred to in the checklist, do you turn round or stop because you havent learnt it yet?

i hope this doesnt sound awful because i realise this may be useful to some people on here, but i would just look at the bigger picture rather than trying to work towards 'badges'
obviously set goals, but dont judge your ability just because you dont do something on here, and make them individual to you and your horse .

[wanabe]

Don't spoil my fun, loopy! :p

What you say is true, but anyone who COULD do everything on this list would be a pretty darned good rider, I think. :)

[xloopylozzax]

Don't spoil my fun, loopy! :p

What you say is true, but anyone who COULD do everything on this list would be a pretty darned good rider, I think. :)

:p sorry :D yes they would be a good rider but by no means would it make them good at horsemanship which is the title of the list thing.

if they only knew how to do the things on the list they wouldnt have a clue how to tie up a haynet, the horse (!) or general, it needs clean fresh water stuff, it hasnt got enough hay to last it 'till teatime checks, it needs more food to cope with higher workload.

although its like common sense some people still seem to forget or not learn these things :eek: especially if they only learn at a RS for a hour a week, tack up, get on and ride and dont see the rest of the things happening.
i envy people who have lessons, i have to teach myself trial and error seeing what works and what doesnt, they just get told what to do all the time and how to improve, i have to work it out for myself!

[wanabe]

I see what you mean. Actually, by "Horsemanship", I did mean riding ability and knowledge -- not general horse care. I don't know another term for just riding ability, tho.

[xloopylozzax]

I see what you mean. Actually, by "Horsemanship", I did mean riding ability and knowledge -- not general horse care. I don't know another term for just riding ability, tho.

ah ok see your point :D

[Bob's mum]

Lighten up Loopy and see it for the fun it is, not everything in life has to have all the i's dotted and t's crossed :)

[xloopylozzax]

Lighten up Loopy and see it for the fun it is, not everything in life has to have all the i's dotted and t's crossed :)

im sorry??? :confused:

i dont quite see what i had said wrong to "lighten up" :eek:

we had a discussion- the point of a forum is people putting up their opinion and someone else saying something with a reason- whether they agree with it or not. i understand the thoughts behind this, but thought i would throw into the mix the other aspects of "horsemanship" as the document in the link is titled, and what i consider 'horsemanship'.

seeing different opinions is the point of talking to other people so you can make up in your own mind your own personal opinion.

i dont want to get involved in another nasty thread, i seemed to avoided most of them.

please read the posts and replys before saying something like that.

and btw i really dont need to get into an arguement, i come on here to escape from real life troubles and dont need to be involved in this.

[Skib]

Riding is culture specific.
This looks better from the USA Wannabee than it does from the UK.
If it helps you ensure you have covered the ground you feel you ought to have covered, that's fine.
But it wouldnt make sense over here.

Some things we here dont do at all. Like the pulley rein, emergency dismounts and disengaging stops and deliberately losing stirrups.
Some things the US does early, like rein back, but in the UK are conventionally done late, so are regarded as more advanced for both horse and rider.
Some things are listed as advanced in the USA, but in the UK one may do early. e.g. leg yield in walk and trot, and walk canter transitons.
Some things are left remarkably late on this list: sitting trot with no bounce is Level 4, but the pony is expected to carry a rider in sitting trot at a previous level?
Some things we dont compartmentalise or memorise - like 3 ways to change directions?

Some of us pretty much OK riders on NR dont do some or any of the following: dont jump, dont jump fixed fences, dont canter without stirrups, dont ride bareback and dont gallop.

I suspect that the list may appeal more to a man than to a woman. A man RI told me that I was always thinking about what the horse was thinking? Whereas he was always thinking as he rode what he wanted the horse to do. The list is a list of things for people to ask horses to do.

There isnt anything there about feel or quality - a bit difficult to explain. It is possible to vastly improve ones quality of riding and the way a horse moves under one, without learning anything new. No boxes to tick. Just an amazing revelation of lightness and elasticity under one's seat.
I once had an RI who said riding should be as delicious as licking an ice cream. As a woman and a great maker of ice cream, I like that.

But you have spent your life in USA where there is a professional, orderly, syllabus based education system, where children are promoted from level to level. So learning to ride should ideally follow that same model. You have found a structure that satisfies you.

But one day you will discover the secret delight, that at the same time as learning to ride oneself, one can teach horses things? That is not on your list Wannabee but I bet you'd be great at it.

[Bob's mum]

I stand by what I say, you've taken it far too seriously and upset yourself. I did not mean to upset you and apologise if I have.

My reply was just to say some things can and should be looked at lightly and anything of relevance taken from them and not to decry them for not meeting every criteria.

[xloopylozzax]

I stand by what I say, you've taken it far too seriously and upset yourself. I did not mean to upset you and apologise if I have.

My reply was just to say some things can and should be looked at lightly and anything of relevance taken from them and not to decry them for not meeting every criteria.

:confused: i cannot for the life of me see where you are getting this from

[wanabe]

Alright, let's move on past that! :)

skib -- thoughtful as always. I'm so far down that list (or up, as it were) that I know I'll never get to most of those. I just thought it interesting and would be a good conversation starter. Yeah, what ARE the 3 ways to change direction? (Legs, reins, seat?)

[Sarah_Sayers]

I think it's great, I've just printed it out to see how I do.

I agree that there is always something to learn, and you have to take with a pinch of salt. However.... I'm a novice, and it seems to me, because it's all about forever improving, you do tend to always focus on what you need to work on, ie your bad points (Well I do). I'm going to do this to remind myself that I have improved. I think this is a great thing from that point of view.

[Sarah_Sayers]

Eeeek! :eek: "Ride on the rail.."

Surely that's just plain dangerous! :D

[wanabe]

BTW, isn't a pulley rein the same thing as this one-rein stop that's been being discussed on another thread?

[laura jeanne]

I doubt if I will ever have some of the skills listed although I think there are valuable goals there.

Some of those things I have done with past instructors, such as bareback riding, but my current RI will not let me ride her horses bareback for instance.

Some things I am interested in:

Right now we have been working on getting my RS horse to stretch down into the bit instead of throwing up his head or tucking it under. While working on this, I have improved my contact incredibly and can get him to stretch down at the walk and trot and keep him there. He will also go on the bit and round up (but I can't get this consistently).

I want to figure out how to give my horse the idea of playing with his exercise ball!

I want to learn about conformation so that I will be able to look at a horse and see what his movement will be like.

Skib: "I suspect that the list may appeal more to a man than to a woman. A man RI told me that I was always thinking about what the horse was thinking? Whereas he was always thinking as he rode what he wanted the horse to do." I can't see how these two things are not related! For instance, if you are trotting, you must feel exactly when the horse starts to slow down (what the horse is thinking) and get a "no, keep trotting" cue in there right away (what the rider is thinking).

Lots of people don't own a horse or have an opportunity to work with a horse outside of a lesson in the arena so many of the items that loopylozza mentions are not an option.

I am working towards many of the items on this list, but almost more enjoy the horse/person relationship with my RS horse. I do get to spend as much time with him as I want outside of lessons for which I am very grateful!!!

Wanabe, I think you are doing great at improving your riding. Just think about a little more than a year ago!!!!!

[wanabe]

Eeeek! :eek: "Ride on the rail.."

Surely that's just plain dangerous! :D

Just noticed the :D!

Yeah, the rail at my school is only an inch wide and just getting the horse up there would be difficult. :D

[wanabe]

Hi Laura Jeanne! :)

Well, you haven't seen me ride! Actually, I'm more into the riding as a process school of thought than the riding as a goal. I try to enjoy the ride (no pun intended).

[katefarmer]

Yeah, what ARE the 3 ways to change direction? (Legs, reins, seat?)

Turn left, turn right and back up??:D:D Maybe it means in the school - changing the rein - so across the diagonal, down the centre line, across the middle line, in the circle, half circle and return to track, half pirouette.... erm... no... there are loads more than just 3. Haven't a clue! Perhaps someone can enlighten us! :)

[levi1739]

I’m not able to open the link but I do know of a couple of ways to turn a horse in a new direction.

Disengage the hindquarters

Yield the forequarters

Back up

Another could be, follow it’s nose/arch the ribcage?


Keep on, Keepin on

Jack

[laura jeanne]

What is the 7-7-7?

W- I haven't seen you ride for a while, but what about the galloping, hunting, etc.??

[wanabe]

I haven't a clue about the 7-7-7, either.

As far as galloping and fox hunting -- maybe I am riding terribly while doing them! ;)