levels of riding

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carla7

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May 2, 2007
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Sounds like a silly question but at what stage to you progress from a novice to intermediate? Do you decide yourself? How do you know if your good enough?

Not that I think im even close to being half decent at riding but I still enjoy it and love horses to bits.:)
 
roweypuff said:
So what is involved in BHS Stage 1 & 2?
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Do you have or have you seen the Pony Club Manual? Basically if you know all the care info in this and can do all the riding stuff on quiet well schooled horses this is good enough for BHS 2 as far as I can remember, its a while since I looked at the criteria, and havent done any of them but its what I'm working towards (the site still not working).

As far as I can remember good position in walk trot and cater and can jump a small course of fences. Collected and extended trot and canter, appropriate use of half halts. Can ride in a double bridle (I think!)

Dont ask me to seperate these into level 1 and 2 as I haven't a clue :o As far as I can remember you dont need to jump for level 1 but its recommended you are of level 2 standard before doing the level 1 exam.
 
Now that's an interesting question for me.
I went to a boarding school in the 60's where riding was part of the coarse and i learnt to ride there.after a year the instructer (Headmistress's daughter,ex army very strict)asked if we thought we were good enough to go up a class.
That's a fatal thing to do.Was it a trick question? She was the Instructer in charge of us didn't she know.How did I know I was a beginner for goodness sake!
I decided it was a trick question and I couldn't've been good enough or she wouldn't've asked anyway staying down for a term or two wouldn't hurt as it would improve my skills so I said "No"
So everyone else said "Yes" and got promoted and I stayed down with the new intake of beginners.....problem was she never asked us again so three years later I was still in the beginners class yet guess who got to ride all the Buckers bolters and rearers that no one else would ride because I was too scared to say I didn't want to ride them either.
Mentally I have always been a beginner and when I lost my nerve a few years later I left horses as a beginner.
I took up riding again a few years ago on Sarah-lee,my beautiful little hinny but have never had another lesson since school although I have had a couple of western "tasters"
I still don't know what level I am but think of myself as a beginner.Isn't it funny how one question can change your life? If that Instructer had just given me a bit of confidence and put me up a class I probably wouldn't've lost my nerve in the first place:rolleyes:
by the way I am now Backing my own mule because there is no one else to do it so I'm gradually gaining confidence.
 
There are some good teachers in the world who are doing the job they want to do, but for a lot the following statement applies (and not just in riding) ...

Those who can, do and those who can't teach!

I've seen a lot of those who can't in my time from primary school right up to post-grad level. The same applies for things like riding that are not strictly educational in the traditional sence. I started off at a RS with two very young unqualified instructors who had never taught before, they seemed to have a real knack of putting people on the wrong horses :mad:. I find it amazing that they never asked you again if anyone wanted to move up :eek: was there limited space or something and the spaces were all taken up?

A lot of people don't care what other people think of there riding and I think this is a good attitude. Personally I like to set myself a goal and if I move a tiny inch towards it every week then I feel like I have accomplished something, I put no time limits on myself but if I didnt set myself these goals I'd never do anything out of my comfort zone and would still be toddling about on the end of a lead-rein or something :D. I have had massive problems conquering the canter as it would seem to begin with I had all the faults a rider could possily have. Working on these and sorting them out one at a time has been great for my confidence as I feel more and more balanced with each one. I'm still not getting the perfect canter but am now confident that day will come! . . . eventually :rolleyes:

Rant over now. :p
 
Whilst a tend to agree with simons mum I still have found that when I have a major problem a RI has helped me to overcome it and helped me rebuild my confidence far quicker than working alone.
 
This is a very good question. And I often find the answer in my case is often down to personal confidance, and the people you ride with, as much as anything else. I have been riding two and a half years, and I think probably the best description I could give my level is might be something along the lines of competant novice. I have done well in riding lessons, but on non riding school horses there is still a lot to learn and I have yet to compeat out side of my old RS mini monthly competitions.

As regards to the "Those who can, do and those who can't teach!" I would have to say that this is not a universal rule, I have 4 very good RI's all of who can 'do' as well as teach - for example my Western RI has represented the UK in Western Reining at both European and World level.

I do care what some other people think of my riding, those who's opinions and abilities I respect, but this has also had it's down side (like when I failed Stage 1 riding exam, when an RI told me on first meeting that I was not a natural rider and never would be and being told that between Feb and May of 2006 I had not improved at all). The hard part is knowing why the person is telling you what they say and how much help they give you in over coming any negative points.

I guess this is another reason why I am still a novice rider, I need an RI to help me over come problems I meet, I do not know enough to sort them out on my own.
 
I suppose i would say an intermediate rider is more about mindset rather than just competance on it's own. I would expect an intermediate rider to be able to get on a difficult horse, work through the problems sensibly and if they can't at least be able to point out where they think the problem lies. I would expect them to be able to walk, trot, canter and jump to an adequate standard and to be able to do a level of lateral work and also to be able to work the horse correctly. I would also expect them to be able to deal with quirkier horses more than a novice would. I think as someone has said it's about the confidence to know you're making the right decision and not having to double check things all the time with an RI. Also to have a good level of horsemanship, horse care etc.
 
Thats also my bugbear with the BHS stages- although the horsemanship/care side is excellent, and puts me as a horse owner to shame with a multitude of things i dont know, the riding side relies on your ability to ride correctly on an 'experienced, quiet' horse. Even in riding schools, they are rare...for personal ownership, they are gold-dust!
I personally believe that part of being an intermediate rider is having the ability and confidence to deal with a problem, or at least to attempt to. It's like doing a degree- there is a point at which remembering things and follow instructions (should in theory!) divert to being able to apply the knowledge you have gained to other situations.
 
It's funny, my stables has just put up a list of what levels of rider all the different ridden horses require, and my girl, because she's in working livery, is up there too. On her little bit it says: "Needs confident rider, tends to buck when going into canter, needs more lunging work to fix this."

I don't claim to be an expert, but I would say roughly that the level of rider you are isn't only made up of what you can do as such. Meaning if you can't, or just haven't attempted to yet, jump and do relatively perfect lateral movements, it doesn't make you a beginner. I'm not as accurate with my riding as I'd like to be, but I've ridden strong and unpredictable horses before, and I get the feeling that under BHS rules or guidelines, I would probably be told I 'couldn't' ride horses with a little more zing in them.

Really if you want to clarify what level of rider you are, it's probably best to ask a qualified instructor what their opinion is. :)
 
I get the feeling that im always going to be a begginer. I only started riding properly in september having two lessons each week, I started off as a begginer and have improved quite a lot since then, at the time I couldn't even rise to the trot. Say for instance I was thinking of loaning a horse, I couldn't rate my ability because I always think that im a bit rubbish and that I look a begginner. I have no interest in riding challenging horses as I just enjoy a safe hack and working on my flatwork.
 
it depends on the context. in my wide view of the entire equestrian community:

beginner: beginner until you can walk trot and canter off the leadrein confidently
novice:novice until you are confident jumping and competing small courses unaff
intermediate: doing well in larger unaff and beginning bsja
advanced: competing high level bsja

obv rough guideleines but stsill... and obv not taking into account not jumping as olympic dressage riders dont jump but are obv advanced...

and obv the terms will ahve completely diff meanings in a RS
 
Do you kmean in terms of competing or riding school.

Often riding school levels bear no true relation to the compeition world, as the levels are set according to the client base.
I used to teach at a rS and the advanced class had only been riding about a year, Its just because so many people started riding.
 
Levels of riding are more in people's heads that anything else. There are levels for shows and stuff but many are based upon certain criteria. I know plenty of good riders who wouldn't meet all of them. I could probably meet more than I think I can. I am so often told I am capable of so much more if I had the confidence. I don't think of myself as a begginner but I don't think much higher of myself either.
At camp however we had a very structured levels system. You had to demonstrate you could do one thing before the next. It went something like this. (we were all in classes based on an interview so in the more advanced ones we progressed fast and didn't have to do steering class.
walk as a group
trot by yourself
trot as a group
canter by yourself
canter as a group
walk over poles
trot over poles
trot over jumps
canter over jumps
You always knew what skills you were working on and you RI could tell you your level at all times. They walked around with clipboards and checked things off as we did them.
If you really want to know what level to consider yourself ask an instructor.
 
I never know what level I am at because the terms 'confidence' and 'ability' seem to be used interchangeably - I am quite confident and will ride anything (had my first unexpected canter the first time I rode lol) and can generally cope with bucking, running away etc; but I have a tendency to lean forward and bounce a fair bit when doing sitting trot/canter so I would say my confidence far outweighs my actual riding abilities. What does everyone else think?
 
I need a qualified instructor to show me I can actually do it every time, because I don't feel like I can and I think I'm rubbish. Every little set back hits like a tonne of bricks and *poof* goes my confidence.

I have jumped courses on the college horses - some of those are not the usual riding school horses - at 3 foot, but I need supervision and it infuriates me. I don't like riding alone, I'd rather have someone there to tell me where I'm going wrong and what I'm doing right.

I have competed and I have jumped clear rounds but I haven't always been in perfect control of the horse!

My 'qualifications' and experience probably sound more impressive than my actual ability is. I don't know where I'd put myself - novice maybe?
 
sharpsky said:
it depends on the context. in my wide view of the entire equestrian community:

beginner: beginner until you can walk trot and canter off the leadrein confidently
novice:novice until you are confident jumping and competing small courses unaff
intermediate: doing well in larger unaff and beginning bsja
advanced: competing high level bsja

obv rough guideleines but stsill... and obv not taking into account not jumping as olympic dressage riders dont jump but are obv advanced...

and obv the terms will ahve completely diff meanings in a RS
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That puts me at beginner then having been riding over 25 years on hacks. Not all of us want to compete and I for one don't consider myself a beginner!
 
sharpsky said:
it depends on the context. in my wide view of the entire equestrian community:

beginner: beginner until you can walk trot and canter off the leadrein confidently
novice:novice until you are confident jumping and competing small courses unaff
intermediate: doing well in larger unaff and beginning bsja
advanced: competing high level bsja

obv rough guideleines but stsill... and obv not taking into account not jumping as olympic dressage riders dont jump but are obv advanced...

and obv the terms will ahve completely diff meanings in a RS
Click to expand...

I think this view is to narrow to use as a defintion, as a lot of people have no interest in competing but may well be very capable and confident riders.

It also depends on the context these phraes are being used for example, i have a good friend who has been riding for decades, she has never had any interest in schooling above the basics so would not have a clue how to ask for a shoulder in, leg yield etc she is very much self taught never having had formal lessons.
However she is a very capable rider, has broken several horses with positive results and is very knowledgeable, put her in a dressage test and she would not have a clue!! So what is she? beginner,novice?

Because there is no defintion set in stone for riding standards, peoples opinions differ so much what one person would call a novice would be someone elses intermidiate!
 
sharpsky said:
it depends on the context. in my wide view of the entire equestrian community:
Click to expand...


Actually, while I think your levels are good, they are based wholly on show-jumping, which to be fair is hardly the "entire equestrian community".

I would say in more general terms, that;

Beginners: can walk trot and canter by themselves, in a school or enclosed area, under supervision.
Novice: can w/t/c out hacking, on a quiet horse. Can sit minor spooks, or deal with minor bad behaviour. Can school at a low level by themselves without constant instructor guidance.
Intermediate: Able to cope with a more challenging horse, or with more challenging behaviour. Able to assess a horse's way of going from riding it, and make visible improvements in the horse.
Advanced: Everyone who's better than that !!
 
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