# What level rider am I?



## oozyrat (Sep 11, 2011)

I have been taking lessons for a few years from people we know that have horses, but only started riding seriously this last year. I may begin taking lessons somewhere else soon and I would like to know what level I'm at. I'm 13 years old and mainly ride western.

These are the things I know how to do:
How to properly groom and tack up a horse on my own
Walk, jog, lope, stop, turn, back up
Extended jog
Posting
Leads
Bareback riding, walk, jog and lope
Spin turns
Rollbacks (not perfectly yet, but fairly well)
I've showed in WP, equitation, horsemanship and trail
Dealing with some problems (extremely lazy and dead sided horses, head throwing, spooking, ****y mares, etc.)
Maintaining collection, the right speed and headset with all these things

I hope this is enough information, I don't have any videos or pictures.


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## RunJumpRide (Sep 29, 2011)

Sounds to me like an Intermediate. 

You and I sound like we are about near the same level, and for lessons they usually rank me as a ''6-ish'' (1 being very beginner, 10 being very advanced) which is about an intermediate, where I ride at.


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## Amber and Mac (May 12, 2011)

I would say Advanced Beginner to MAYBE intermediate. That's just because my cousin is an Advanced Beginner and she can do pretty much everything you can do. I also think how long you've been riding also fits in with with what level you are. My cousin has ridden her whole life yet she only rides lets say a couple weeks a year. Where as I've ridden my entire life, Every week (excluding some winters..). People SAY i'm an Intermediate rider but I really don't like classifying myself as anything.

As long as I can still be able to ride, I'm fine.


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## Cinder (Feb 20, 2011)

I'd say Intermediate if you can do all that with a fairly good posture. If you still have consistent pretty serious posture issures, than advanced beginner.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I honestly couldn't tell you without seeing you ride. 

On a broke horse, it's easy to do all those things. The question is can you do them properly and can you do them on different horses? 

I'd lean towards advanced beginner if I had to judge off of this.


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## Amber and Mac (May 12, 2011)

Spastic_Dove said:


> I honestly couldn't tell you without seeing you ride.
> 
> On a broke horse, it's easy to do all those things. The question is can you do them properly and can you do them on different horses?
> 
> I'd lean towards advanced beginner if I had to judge off of this.


Ohh, This is also true! Being able to ride one horse doesn't make you a spectacular rider. Riding different horses gives you more experience. Especially if you ride the younger or ****y horses. Those are always fun. Or maybe a green horse? My favorite.


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## RookieReiner (Oct 13, 2011)

advanced beginner, I think intermediates can start to train horses with the help of a experienced rider ( understand when the horse is pushing the hip/shoulder, diving in, on the front, dropping the shoulder, stopping on their front vs back, leadchanges and when the horse does it improperly, pushing in the backup, etc. etc. etc.) most people who say they are experienced aren't even close to that.....


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## All Shook Up (Feb 7, 2011)

I would say advanced beginner or the beginning levels of intermediate. Like RookieReiner said, intermediates begin training horses, and you have dealt with simple problems, but not a whole lot, you didn't mention bucking, rearing, bolting, or balking. Another thing is, you haven't went out into a lot of other disciplines, and an advanced rider can ride any horse, any time, any where. Try to switch it up, maybe jump a few logs and take a dressage lesson, not that you have to go on in that discipline, but you have a little knowledge with everything. Good luck!


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## oozyrat (Sep 11, 2011)

Thank you so much for the replies everyone!  Most of you mentioned being able to do these things on difficult/younger horses, I don't have the chance to do that where I ride because most of their horses are very well trained. I'd also love to try some other disciplines (I'm learning a bit of english at the moment) but this place is pretty much just western. These are some of the main reasons I really want to get lessons somewhere else too, so I can have more experience with different things.

Again, thanks for answering, you're all a lot of help to me!


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