beginner… ?
advanced beginner… ?
intermediate… ?
amateur… ?
I’m not referring to any specific disciplines, such as hunter, jumper, dressage, eventing.
beginner- might occasionally curl up into fetal position and/or scream if something isn’t quite right. Likely to lose balance with a jackhammer trot.
advanced beginner- can walk/trot/canter under controlled conditions
intermediate- can handle most stuff the average lesson horse can throw at them. Probably can’t handle a runaway, rear, hard buck or a total a-hole horse that is very balky.
amateur- not a pro. Skill level, in my mind, can range from about intermediate to professional level.
[QUOTE=aurora171989;7767495]
beginner… ?
advanced beginner… ?
intermediate… ?
amateur… ?
I’m not referring to any specific disciplines, such as hunter, jumper, dressage, eventing.[/QUOTE]
Beginner - knows NOTHING
Advanced Beginner - realizes they KNOW NOTHING
Intermediate - can accurately recognize a BEGINNER
Amateur - can put on a halter but considers themselves to be PRO
It’s been a long week. I couldn’t resist.
Carry on.
[QUOTE=shakeytails;7767532]
beginner- might occasionally curl up into fetal position and/or scream if something isn’t quite right. Likely to lose balance with a jackhammer trot.
advanced beginner- can walk/trot/canter under controlled conditions
intermediate- can handle most stuff the average lesson horse can throw at them. Probably can’t handle a runaway, rear, hard buck or a total a-hole horse that is very balky.
amateur- not a pro. Skill level, in my mind, can range from about intermediate to professional level.[/QUOTE]
I agree except for the skill level of the amateur. An amateur is simply not a pro. Skill level can be rank beginner.
Those terms mean nothing to me at all. If someone described their riding to me in any of those terms, I’d ask for clarification or presume they were pretty clueless.
beginner–100% trainer dependent, minimal experience, struggles with use of basic aids (nothing wrong with that, everyone starts somewhere)
advanced beginner–I picture a gutsy kid who can ride schoolies around W/T/C with a few small jumps, couldn’t manage a more difficult or technical horse (a crow hop would unseat them)
intermediate–big range of skills and abilities, not a beginner, can stick a good buck and ride a somewhat naughty horse but not a professional and not ready for a real “problem horse”
amateur–anyone who rides and doesn’t get paid for it, skill level varies.
thanks all, also what does novice mean to you? Also could amateur and novice be referring to classes in a show?
It all deoends on context.
As an Eventer, “Novice” means “jumps 3’” and “Intermediate” means “jumps 3’9”.
But they are likely to mean different things in a different context.
Yes, “Novice” and “Amateur” are used to describe classes at a show, and can mean drastically different things, depending on context.
[QUOTE=joiedevie99;7767655]
Those terms mean nothing to me at all. If someone described their riding to me in any of those terms, I’d ask for clarification or presume they were pretty clueless.[/QUOTE]
Yep. The only exception is if they are at a riding school with a decent number of horses who uses the classification to define which set of horses are available for different types of lessons. In general, horse people who know enough to not be rank beginners know how useless those types of classifications are to anyone who isn’t used to their specific context.
Novice was a level in IHSA which included jumping but was the lowest of the levels which did. It was based on experience at rated h/j shows specifically. Novice in other shows often means fewer than 3 blue ribbons at that level, has to do with points in QH if I remember correctly, and is a level in eventing.
Amateur is someone not paid, of hugely varying skill levels. Definition is the same in a class. Unless you’re talking FEI, in which case “amateur” is just someone who isn’t ranked on the international rankings and is a totally stupid way to use the word, and insulting to my intelligence.
Great question! 
Beginner: Knows nearly nothing about horses, tack, ground handling, or riding. Assume NOTHING and lead them by the hand EVERY step of the way. Priority is keeping them safe and the experience positive so they will want to learn more.
Advanced Beginner: Can ride in private or small group lesson at walk and trot, learning to canter and hold two-point over X-rails. Not yet able to be left alone, not yet able to tack up horse or mount without supervision, should not be allowed to ride alone outside of ring just yet. Supervise ground handling skills.
Intermediate: Can bring in, groom, tack up horse alone, lead out and mount. Is comfortable in private or group lesson setting, walk, trot, canter, take diagonals and leads competently and understands basic arena figures, etiquette, and safety. Emphasize the WHY of doing things correctly as well as “how.” Prioritize the development of understanding and empathy for the horse. Teach elementary stable management in passing. Should be able to trail ride or hack out safely and happily, and be ready to graduate from this level BEFORE being allowed to “show!”
Amateur: Horse owner or rider who “has a life” outside of horses. This likely may include a full-time job, a spouse, kids and all their activities, vacations, and payments on house, car, etc. all of which are prioritized ABOVE riding. This is hard for many instructors to swallow, who think every single client wants to be re-created in the trainer’s own image. Try to emphasize horsemanship beyond just riding, but good luck with that; the reality is what it is. :rolleyes:
Lady E your post is interesting and very specific.
Novice in horse show terms means a horse or rider who have not won 3 blues in a division. Novice is also a generic term for one with limited skills or experience
Maiden and Novice were terms used in my local show series for number of blues, none or three.
Amateur is someone who doesn’t make their living at riding - USEF has a specific definition for USEF rated shows, that includes Hackneys and ASB. Dick Francis’ protagonists were usually “Sham” ateurs, those who rode for money under the table. Juniors in USEF are not covered by the Amateur rules, I don’t think.
