I have been riding for about a year(would of been longer if there had of been a riding school around before last year) most of my family have something to do with horses i’ve been around horses pretty much all my life(although not riding them just brushing them sometimes since there racehorses) i have my own horse now which i’ve owned since xmas 2008
I am wondering am i a beginner or a novice rider???
What is the differents between them??
sorry i forgot to add
i can walk,trot and canter
im starting to jump my horse is an ex pacer to he hasent jumped before
but i am starting to learn in the lessons
yes i can walk trot and canter without stirrups but i cannot jump without stirrups
This time ill try put in as much as i can
my instrustor says i have a natrual seat
my heals are almost always down my back is always straight i can trot good-rising and sitting i can canter without a problem my hand position is always good my toes are in most of the time(in showing your toes have to be in)

Everyone has different ways to define beginner, intermediate, and advanced. For example, at my current lesson barn, they define a beginner as someone learning the basics of riding – steering, balance, and control. Intermediate riders are refining themselves – subtler cues such as weight shifts, and learning things like lead changes and lateral movement. Advanced riders are learning to improve the horse.

Within each level, there are numbered sub-levels defined by what exactly is being learned. This is as much or more to help with lesson planning as ranking students.

You can be an advanced dressage rider but beginning jumper, and vice versa. I’ve been riding 25 years, I teach sidesaddle riding, and I have trained several horses. But at this barn I am considered an upper level intermediate rider because I have not learned or mastered a number of subtle skills.

Many shows will define beginner as someone riding less than a year, or showing for less than a year, or won less than three classes, and similar things. I’ve been in "beginner" classes with amazing riders who were beginners only in the sense that they hadn’t shown before, so never won a class!

Also, it is possible to w/t/c and even jump without doing it well. I’m not saying *you* don’t ride well – just that there’s folks out there who rent a horse, cling to it for dear life during a foxhunt, and say they’re expert riders because they hunt. And many of the great masters humbly say they are still learning their basics.

The important thing is to not let a label define you, make you feel inferior, or stop you from striving to better yourself!


9 Responses to “Am i a novice rider or a beginner?”

  1. Kimberly Says:

    i would say your higher than novice.you havnt said what kind of riding you can do- if you can jump it would be intermediate or something

    novice and beginner are kind of the same thing i think
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  2. GOODD Says:

    Novice and beginner are the same.

    How long you’ve been riding is irrelevant as far as evaluating your skill. I rode with one trainer for almost 8 years and didn’t learn a thing other than how to stay on a bucking horse while he tore across the ring at a gallop. Good to know, handy skill to have, didn’t help my actual riding ability.

    If you can walk, trot and canter without your stirrups I would say you’re an intermediate rider. Otherwise I’d say you’re a beginner.
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  3. Rachael Says:

    hi i would say that you are a novice rider but it depends on how you ride
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  4. Mia Says:

    i would saY YOU ARE A NOVISE RIDER DEPENDING ON HOW YOU RIDE
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  5. Jess Says:

    Novice, once you start doing some jumping and stuff and maybe a bit of competition I would say Intermediate.
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  6. jazzy! Says:

    i would say ur still a begineer becomeing a novice as your learnign to jump im nto sure if u have galloped before if you have galloped i wiould say once you elarnt hwo to do 2 -points ur a novice

    around were i ride novice is considered the in between of become intermedant so your working on ur leg aids and controls so ur builfing up the basic skills you learn

    and a begineer is considered someone dosint know how to do trot/canter/gallop/jumping/no stirups/bareback
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  7. Mikaela P Says:

    beginner
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  8. equusaside Says:

    Everyone has different ways to define beginner, intermediate, and advanced. For example, at my current lesson barn, they define a beginner as someone learning the basics of riding – steering, balance, and control. Intermediate riders are refining themselves – subtler cues such as weight shifts, and learning things like lead changes and lateral movement. Advanced riders are learning to improve the horse.

    Within each level, there are numbered sub-levels defined by what exactly is being learned. This is as much or more to help with lesson planning as ranking students.

    You can be an advanced dressage rider but beginning jumper, and vice versa. I’ve been riding 25 years, I teach sidesaddle riding, and I have trained several horses. But at this barn I am considered an upper level intermediate rider because I have not learned or mastered a number of subtle skills.

    Many shows will define beginner as someone riding less than a year, or showing for less than a year, or won less than three classes, and similar things. I’ve been in "beginner" classes with amazing riders who were beginners only in the sense that they hadn’t shown before, so never won a class!

    Also, it is possible to w/t/c and even jump without doing it well. I’m not saying *you* don’t ride well – just that there’s folks out there who rent a horse, cling to it for dear life during a foxhunt, and say they’re expert riders because they hunt. And many of the great masters humbly say they are still learning their basics.

    The important thing is to not let a label define you, make you feel inferior, or stop you from striving to better yourself!
    References :

  9. Teresa H Says:

    If you go to shows, definitely start as a novice rider. If you are young you will become a good rider more quickly. However, you do need to put time in the saddle to become intermediate.
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