# Anybody Go To An Equestrian School With A Ranking System?



## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

Im wondering if anybody here went to an equestrian school that had a ranking system because I did. The equestrian school I went to would give riders a rank that would be denoted with a badge that you would wear on your equestrian uniform. You would start as a D4 rider, the lowest rank, and then after that there was D2 and next was I believe C3 and then you would become a B rider and then an A rider all the way up to the highest rank, double A or AA in which you would wear a badge with two letter As on your uniform.

You would also be in a squad depending on your skill level with "first squad" being the most advanced. It was really confusing how they did their ranks and squads. I was wondering if anybody else went to an equestrian school that had such a ranking system, or a ranking system of any sort that would be shown by badges or some other article of clothing you would wear.


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## LemonMoon098 (10 mo ago)

No, but it sounds terrible! There's enough comparing, bragging, and superiority complexes in the horse world as it is, I'd hate for people - young kids especially- to have to go around boasting a rank for all to see. What a way to encourage a toxic barn environment.


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## twhvlr (Jul 5, 2017)

Why was this system used?


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

I think Pony Club has levels a child can advance through, but I don't really know how it works.


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

LemonMoon098 said:


> No, but it sounds terrible! There's enough comparing, bragging, and superiority complexes in the horse world as it is, I'd hate for people - young kids especially- to have to go around boasting a rank for all to see. What a way to encourage a toxic barn environment.


I haven't been to the school for awhile but probably just so they know your skill level and what class you're in. Whenever you learn a new skill or method there is usually if not always going to be a ranking system of some sort. When I was learning to swim I started out in the beginner class where they would teach you some really simple stuff such as how to float on your back and how to dog paddle. Once you learned that you would move up to the intermediate class where you would learn actual strokes such as the front crawl (freestyle) and backstroke. Finally there would be the advanced class where you would be doing all four strokes used in competitive swimming (butterfly, backstroke, breast stroke, freestyle).

When I was learning equestrian you would start out by learning how to clean a horse with a curry, hard brush, and soft brush, and you would learn some riding basics. You would learn the four basic riding aids, legs, weight, hands, and voice. When you got more advanced you would move to a more advanced class where you would learn more advanced stuff such as how to canter and how to get a horse to jump over obstacles. At the most advanced levels you would be able to gallup and do other really advanced stuff. That's why they had a ranking system, you couldn't learn more advanced skills until you were ready and your rank and class you were in would denote what your skill level was and what you were ready to learn.


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

twhvlr said:


> Why was this system used?


See post #5


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## LemonMoon098 (10 mo ago)

Watchung Rider said:


> I haven't been to the school for awhile but probably just so they know your skill level and what class you're in. Whenever you learn a new skill or method there is usually if not always going to be a ranking system of some sort. When I was learning to swim I started out in the beginner class where they would teach you some really simple stuff such as how to float on your back and how to dog paddle. Once you learned that you would move up to the intermediate class where you would learn actual strokes such as the front crawl (freestyle) and backstroke. Finally there would be the advanced class where you would be doing all four strokes used in competitive swimming (butterfly, backstroke, breast stroke, freestyle).
> 
> When I was learning equestrian you would start out by learning how to clean a horse with a curry, hard brush, and soft brush, and you would learn some riding basics. You would learn the four basic riding aids, legs, weight, hands, and voice. When you got more advanced you would move to a more advanced class where you would learn more advanced stuff such as how to canter and how to get a horse to jump over obstacles. At the most advanced levels you would be able to gallup and do other really advanced stuff. That's why they had a ranking system, you couldn't learn more advanced skills until you were ready and your rank and class you were in would denote what your skill level was and what you were ready to learn.


At my schooling barn we had people organized into a lesson plan that grouped people based on skill level but that was pretty much it. Of course, some of us knew each other and what level we were in, but there certainly wasn't a graded badge system that made it very clear what our rankings were. It seems like a dangerous hierarchical system to me - just pins already sensitive young girls trying to find their place and feel confident and included against one another.


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

LemonMoon098 said:


> At my schooling barn we had people organized into a lesson plan that grouped people based on skill level but that was pretty much it. Of course, some of us knew each other and what level we were in, but there certainly wasn't a graded badge system that made it very clear what our rankings were. It seems like a dangerous hierarchical system to me - just pins already sensitive young girls trying to find their place and feel confident and included against one another.


Well the stables where I took lessons was quite big, from what I remember there must've been over fifty horses and there were probably over a hundred students total. They needed to have a formalized system just to make it easier to know who is at what level so they know what stuff they should be teaching you.


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## Part-Boarder (Aug 17, 2019)

The levels sound somewhat similar to competitive hockey with A and AA. Seems to connect back to competition levels - US Equestrian Foundation and perhaps other international bodies United States Equestrian Federation - Wikipedia


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

Part-Boarder said:


> The levels sound somewhat similar to competitive hockey with A and AA. Seems to connect back to competition levels - US Equestrian Foundation and perhaps other international bodies United States Equestrian Federation - Wikipedia


Hockey levels seem much more arbitrary to me. While I can see any sort of explicit shiny-badge-level-system going awry, the Red Cross and the YMCA do some similar things for swimming proficiency levels (and I very much liked being given a shiny new certificate at camp each time I moved up). I want to say the International Skating Institute publishes a curriculum for skating schools that works in a similar way. I've never heard of it at any of the horse riding schools or barns near where I am, but my experience is pretty limited.


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

Not to be sketchy, but I looked up the stable in question, and I see it's not exactly a typical riding stable, but more like a junior mounted unit sort of thing? So it's more like horseback-based scouts.


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## Aprilswissmiss (May 12, 2019)

I was a biology major in undergrad, not an equine or equestrian major, but I did ride on the equestrian team in freshman year. There was somewhat of a ranked system, but not quite as you describe. They were members of the IHSA and, of course, placed riders in classes that were equivalent to their capabilities. I disliked the system, though, because they did not judge your IHSA level based on your skill - they based it on how high you had jumped in A or AA rated shows. Personally, I jumped 3' in training and showed 2'6" for a long time, but because they were not rated shows, I was put at the very bottom of the levels, flat work only. Couldn't even jump a cross rail during training sessions. I really hated the system since it gave me absolutely no room to move up, especially considering you were set in your given level for an entire year, and could only move up one level with each year.

Outside of IHSA and within our own school, we had two different teams - A team and B team. A team members rode in every IHSA show. B team members only rode in shows if there was an opening and they needed to fill the spot. Basically, the trainer got to pick favorites each year for who was going to be on A team. The trainer made her favorites very obvious. Personally, I was put on the A team, but not because I was a favorite - only because I should have been competing multiple levels higher than I was, so I was valuable for the team's scores. I really hated that system too because everyone not within the trainer's little clique were not valued as team members.

Edited to add - we did not have any badges or wearable items that signified what level we were.


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

Part-Boarder said:


> The levels sound somewhat similar to competitive hockey with A and AA. Seems to connect back to competition levels - US Equestrian Foundation and perhaps other international bodies United States Equestrian Federation - Wikipedia


It might have something to do with that and I wouldn't be surprised if the stables where I took lessons was associated with the USEF. They did have horse shows where you could win ribbons and all. I do remember the manager's daughter winning some big trophy which might've been from the USEF. It makes sense that their ranking system, particularly with the A and AA riders had to do with the USEF. I do know if you were an AA rider you could get a job as a "junior," an assistant instructor.


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## -StormySkies- (10 mo ago)

No, but that doesn't sound good for a person's, specifically a child's, self esteem...


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## LemonMoon098 (10 mo ago)

Watchung Rider said:


> Well the stables where I took lessons was quite big, from what I remember there must've been over fifty horses and there were probably over a hundred students total. They needed to have a formalized system just to make it easier to know who is at what level so they know what stuff they should be teaching you.


Sure... but my high school had over 1400 students, and they had to issue tracking not only every student's grade level, but all of their classes.

There are definitely better and less public ways to keep track of these kinds of things.


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

-StormySkies- said:


> No, but that doesn't sound good for a person's, specifically a child's, self esteem...


Well just about any skill a person learns is going to have different levels such as beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. And children are going to be put into classes depending on what levels they are.


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

LemonMoon098 said:


> Sure... but my high school had over 1400 students, and they had to issue tracking not only every student's grade level, but all of their classes.
> 
> There are definitely better and less public ways to keep track of these kinds of things.


Well from what I remember now, you wouldn't wear a badge unless you were an A rider or an AA rider. Before you reached the level of an A rider you had a rank but you wouldn't wear any badge or anything else to symbolize it.


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## -StormySkies- (10 mo ago)

Watchung Rider said:


> Well just about any skill a person learns is going to have different levels such as beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. And children are going to be put into classes depending on what levels they are.


Very true, but it depends on how those classes are set up.


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

-StormySkies- said:


> Very true, but it depends on how those classes are set up.


You would be in a squad depending on your skill level. First squad was the most advanced.


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## redbadger (Nov 20, 2017)

Watchung Rider said:


> You would be in a squad depending on your skill level. First squad was the most advanced.


So there's a specific skillset one needs to demonstrate to advance to the next level, then? Like "student needs to be able to do x y z, in order to be advanced"?


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

redbadger said:


> So there's a specific skillset one needs to demonstrate to advance to the next level, then? Like "student needs to be able to do x y z, in order to be advanced"?


Yes, you would be tested periodically to see if you were eligible to move up in rank although as for what squad you would be in, Im not sure how they did it. It wasn't uncommon for people of different ranks to be in the same squad. Its been awhile since I've taken lessons there and their system was confusing.


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## BEFox (10 mo ago)

United States Pony Clubs has a rating system with levels. A rider starts out as a UR (Unrated) and works through the levels beginning with D1, D2, D3, C1, C2, C3, then B, and A. They have tracks for hunter/jumper, western, dressage, show jumping, eventing, and horse management. It's a good system because riders progress at their own speed and have a curriculum that they need to know before taking their certification. B and A are significantly difficult and the levels are not reached by most riders. You can join a Pony Club where you use your own horse, or ride at a barn with a Pony Club Center which should have lesson horses. And don't be fooled by the name Pony Club. The club is not limited to ponies and it's not limited to kids. Adults can join and work through levels and I've seen 17 hand horses at Pony Club. The name is a leftover from when it first began and was connected to Pony Club in England. You can learn all about Pony Club at Welcome - United States Pony Clubs .

Haha I feel like I just made a public service announcement for USPC. I used to be very involved in Pony Club until I retired from teaching riding. I think it's a really good organization. They teach a lot of good horsemanship.


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## gottaquarter (Jun 8, 2012)

LemonMoon098 said:


> At my schooling barn we had people organized into a lesson plan that grouped people based on skill level but that was pretty much it. Of course, some of us knew each other and what level we were in, but there certainly wasn't a graded badge system that made it very clear what our rankings were. It seems like a dangerous hierarchical system to me - just pins already sensitive young girls trying to find their place and feel confident and included against one another.


 Totally agree with lemonMoon on the labeling angle put on young girls learning a new skill or trying to improve. It might be one thing if you’re dealing with olympic type riders aiming for top tier and wanting to be evaluated as part of their “class” requirements, but to throw that out among youngsters in an already competitive world where bullies can use better to make others feel not good enough? Maybe I’m over sensitive but there was and still is way too much of this in young peoples lives. I think its common practice among most instructors to assess a riders abilities and group them in classes among a common skill level ( beginners class, advanced beginners etc) which the teacher is able to distinguish during lessons. Then they need to word it as someone needs to be “more challenged” on a different level or on a different horse. Nobody should be made to feel if they can’t move “up” they aren’t just as worthy. Getting on a horse can be daunting to anyone just starting out so It’s a big deal to just get some people comfortable and thats Ok; if they show promise or really want to better themselves the instructor should be able to recognize this and keep it a private matter based on all things considered. 

Badges to symbolize ability level? No way. Never heard of it and as an older rider myself who will never claim to be above anyone it seems unnecessary. As a mother of a horse riding daughter who had to endure daily bashing based on senseless petty peer issues growing up, it just sounds like one more way to devalue self confidence in system where nice kids finish last and have to deal with it. Just MHO.


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## NJ Rider (10 mo ago)

gottaquarter said:


> Badges to symbolize ability level? No way.


Well at my riding school you wouldn't wear a badge unless you were an A rider or an AA rider.


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