# What level rider do you think I am?



## EnglishElegance (Jun 6, 2012)

I've been wondering lately what level rider I am, I will most likely ask my riding instructor, too, but I though I'd see what you all thought. 

I started riding when I was 5, I've been riding for 10 years. 
I took western lessons for about half a year when I was 6, then went to english and stuck there. I got my first horse when I was 10, she was a rangy Quarter Horse mare. I owned her for around 2 years then sold her, and got an Arabian gelding. He was extremely laid back for an Arabian. I had him for about 2 years, too, then sold him, and I've been leasing a very hot tempered Arabian gelding for a few months. I now have a OTTB mare. I do jumpers, H/J, and I'm going to be starting eventing soon.
Jumping around 3 - 3'6 .
Easily cantering jumps.
I've been jumping courses, and grids. Oxers, spreads, x-country jumps, etc.
I've done some basic dressage, too.
I have a good seat, and soft hands. (so I've been told).
I have have a solid seat and am comfortable in all the gaits - Walk, trot, canter and gallop.
I ride up/down hills good.
I don't have much showing experience, but I will be showing allot in the next few months.
Rising trot, sitting trot. 10, 15 & 20m circles.
Serpentines
figure 8's. 
Two point good in walk, trot, canter & gallop.
side pass,
I know when my horse has the right/wrong lead.
Can lengthen and shorten strides to get the right striding between jumps.
Collection/extension,
Half halt,
leg aids,
Can walk, trot, canter, gallop and jump bareback. Around 3ft is the highest I've jumped bareback.
Bending, know how to get my horse on the bit,
Ground poles, cross rails, verticals, oxers, solid objects (x-country jumps)
back up,
straight lines,
good EQ.
ditches,
ridden through/over water.
arena work, trail rides, roads, open fields, etc.
Have owned & ridden green horses. Finished horses' training. (they had the basics down but I taught them other stuff they needed to know to finish their training).
I can tell when I, or my horse, is doing something incorrect and can correct it.
Can handle spooky/flighty/bucking/rearing/bolting horses.
Riding just using seat/leg aids.
ridden completely tackless.
I can get on horses I've never seen before and ride and work with them like I would a horse I ride daily.
I hope to one day compete in high rated shows in SJ .. or eventing.
And someday, the Olympics! ~ haha, Olympic dreams <3 !
I don't know if it's possible to determine my riding level from this but ? D: Idk, give it a shot?  I'd love to know what you all think. Tips would be appreciated, too. Ask me more things too, this is all I can think of right now, but ask away and more things may come to mind!  All answers are appreciated ! Thanks so much everyone :wave:
beginner, novice, intermediate, advanced?


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Guess it depends on who you are comparing yourself to...


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Great that you can do those things - but how well? 

Compared to an internationally competitive rider, you're a raw beginner. Compared to a pony club kid fanging around, you're experienced. 

It's not possible to give you a level of riding - it is extremely objective. And why is it really needed anyway? Who cares what 'level' of riding you are at!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

well, i'd say a high intermediate or low advanced. yeah, low advanced. if you had more show or training exp. I would say advanced.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

tinyliny said:


> well, i'd say a high intermediate or low advanced. yeah, low advanced. if you had more show or training exp. I would say advanced.


Advanced compared to what??? 
This is why I don't like these 'what level am I?' threads... because 1) We don't have any video or idea of how well the OP's ride 2) What level in what sense? 
If the OP is advanced, does that mean they are only a single increment off being considered professional? Up there with internationally competitive riders?
Or advanced in the sense that they'd probably do alright at pony club level? 

Way too objective for any inkling of a straight answer


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## SilverSpur (Mar 25, 2010)

the only one who can realy answer this is your coach.

its not about how much you can do, but how effective you can do it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

it is pretty general, but I meant as a comparison to the average ameture pleasure rider. So, if you had to tell someone your level, for them to fit a horse to you , say at a dude ranch. 

I agree it's all in your perspective. Since I am a lower level rider, everyone looks higher than me!


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## DoubleS (Jun 11, 2012)

Better than me! :lol:


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## EnglishElegance (Jun 6, 2012)

DoubleS said:


> Better than me! :lol:


No way bro, you're amazing <3


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## jinxremoving (Apr 6, 2009)

You are a level 32 horsewoman. Next question.


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## Gilly (May 28, 2011)

Rider level: awesome. We're all awesome. Because we ride. And we do it awesomely.

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Seriously though, it is quite objective and you can ask five different people and get five different answers.


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## BlueSpark (Feb 22, 2012)

So subjective. In general I would say intermediate.

I know a girl who came out to ride that was "experienced" at eventing.
To get her to let up on the reins, relax on the trail and ride "on the buckle" was nearly impossible, and though she was very confident on broke horses, she tried to ride a green horse and had no idea what to do or how to cope with typical green horse antics.

To me a truly experienced rider has a fantastic seat, decades of experience riding all different temperments, ages, genders and training levels of horses. Very few people fit into this catagory in my mind, and most of the ones that do will tell you they've barely touched the amount there is to learn.


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## xJumperx (Feb 19, 2012)

Too objective! IMO, your trainer may give you a decent awnser, but it may only aply to that barn. Because that's all it can be. For example -

At the barn I used to ride at, I was in the 'advanced' level. We had set levels in our stable - Novice, Begginner, Intermediate, then Advanced. 
Novice - Beginner = Just learning to ride, knows the basics, but maybe not pretty with them. NOT jumping, or just poles.
Intermediate = Knows the basics, can execute them well. Has a few decent 'details.'(picking up the correct lead without looking, flying lea changes, etc.) but not solid. Jumping around 18', a 2' here and there.
Advanced = Basics mastered, details mostly known and well executed. Every lesson at least 2'. Our instructers only jumped 3'6 at the very highest, so the highest any of the students ever went was around 2'9.

I was in this Advanced category, then moved to a new stable because I simply learned all I could there. At this new instructer's, I am her only student, but I am more of the Intermediate/Advanced level here. She focuses more on those itty bitty details (strong legs, using legs well, using hands well) that make a more competitive rider. She also carts me around to shows and whatnot 

If I were to go to Golden Lantern, a stable where the instructor is an Olympic Rider, I would be more in the Beginner category. Levels depend on barns. As someone said earlier, Compared to Olympic riders, you are a Beg. Compared to a small Pony Club, you are advanced. Never a straight awnser.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Honesty, you seem like a good enough rider to *realistically* know how good you are. I think you have other, more ego boosting, motives behind this question.  

Ps... You can NEVER quit learning about horses or gaining experience, imo. I would never say I'm an "expert" horse person. While I know A LOT, I (no will anyone else) know everything.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Misty'sGirl (Oct 22, 2007)

I actually get really annoyed when I see horses for sale and it says "no beginners", because although I'm not currently riding, I don't know what level I'd be considered. I'm not currently looking for a horse BUT if I were, how would I know if I'm at a "suitable level" to enquire about their horse or if I'm just a "time waster"? 

I can understand what OP is asking, it is hard to know what you're considered to be, but I can also see what everyone else is saying, everyone has a different idea. 

Everyone seems to have a different idea of level, so it is kinda frustrating.


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## Gilly (May 28, 2011)

Misty'sGirl said:


> I actually get really annoyed when I see horses for sale and it says "no beginners", because although I'm not currently riding, I don't know what level I'd be considered. I'm not currently looking for a horse BUT if I were, how would I know if I'm at a "suitable level" to enquire about their horse or if I'm just a "time waster"?


Best thing to do would be to ask the owner what "level" they're at...but then you have the same problem! Maybe you've gotta be in the saddle to determine whether or not you'll be over-horsed if you purchase?

---

Actually know I'm genuinely curious about what seasoned horse owners do/did.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

So, why are you asking?

I mean, what difference does it make?


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Rather than trying to list out all the things that a beginner/intermediate/advanced rider "should" be able to do, I see it like this:

A beginner rider either doesn't yet realize that "every rider is a trainer" or doesn't know how to ride in such a way that the horse learns something from each ride. Most people progress through this stage if they stick with horseback riding for any length of time. 

An intermediate rider understands that concept and also improves the horse each time she rides, but may lack experience with a wide variety of horses and the different ways that they will "test" you. It takes a certain level of maturity to reach this level, not just years riding. I see plenty of younger teenagers who have been riding since they were 5 that don't yet fall into my definition of intermediate.

An advanced rider can handle "problem horses" or horses that have been poorly trained in the past and need more than miles under a sensitive & experienced rider to progress. An advanced rider is (or could be) a professional trainer. Only a small set of riders make it to this level, and of course, there are plenty of people out there who are professional trainers who ruin horses.

I find that many riding programs that label rider levels all fall into the beginner category (and should really be beginner, intermediate beginner, and advanced beginner), because they're just determined based on whether or not the rider can perform specific tasks (walk, trot, canter, jump a certain height, etc.) usually on very well trained schooling horses.

But to answer the OP's question more directly, I'd guess you're probably somewhere around an advanced intermediate to advanced, depending on the depth of your experience with both the green horses and with finishing horses.


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## ChipsAhoy (Jul 1, 2012)

It definitely depends on who you ask. At my last barn I was considered to be 'Advanced', but I consider myself to be an advanced beginner to beginner intermediate, at best. 

Like verona1016 said, the amount of time you've been riding doesn't define your skill. Although I've been riding for 8 years, until about two years ago I was a real beginner. I could w/t/c and jump up to 2'3, but that was on an advanced horse.

Saying a horse "Isn't suitable for beginners" is very confusing and misleading. 

When I called the barn my horse was at before I bought him and asked if they had horses for sale the first thing the owner said was "Are you a beginner?". I said no, but I also had no idea about what he meant by that (He's not the type of person you can ask questions without getting yelled at) It turns out, he meant the horses he has for sale weren't appropriate for very new riders, but were safe and green broke. 

Another person's definition of beginner, could have been someone that couldn't handle their hot, difficult horse that bucks/rears.


Because of that, I think you need to determine your own definition of different levels and decide for yourself, because opinions on here are going to vary.


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