I agree.
I’d call my homebred ammy friendly. After all, I am an amateur and I started him myself and I didn’t die. We’ve parted ways once so far and it was an honest spook. He’s pretty honest in general.
Others might not call him ammy friendly as he is quite sensitive and prone to anxiety. All in the eye of the beholder I guess.
horse will place at top of a class no matter who is riding
I think this is an important component.
TO ME, an ammie ride is a horse who isn’t so difficult that a pro needs to ride it. They have high rideablily scores and a somewhat even temperament. Basically, they’re not going kill or maim less than a pro rider for basic mistakes and not “on the mark” aids and exceptional reflexes.
Pro rides are different. Especially getting thought the young horse years. These are challenging horses to ride who challenge the rider. Eventually they may get with the program but that usually requires age and training. Trainer riders/trainers are best suited with exceptional reflexes, including stopping bad behavior when presented. And teaching the horse that “that’s nice, but we’re not doing that undersaddle.” without getting angry. And having the skill sets that most pros have when dealing with unfortunate circumstances.
Ammies may be 100% on board with and also riding this. Many ammies may not have the skill to do this because they just can’t. Time in the saddle is a major factor for many. It would be great if every ammie can learn on a school master but that just isn’t the case. Many ammies invest in the youngster in hopes that the’ll eventually learn things together.
Ammie friendly means to me a horse that an ammie can ride and give aids to (and the horse is prone to listening) and make mistakes with, and the horse will never object so much as to harm the rider.
To me ammie friendly means they can take a joke. That means when as an ammie you sit on one trained to PSG or higher and try to canter a 20m circle but hit the wrong buttons and start getting flying changes or tempi changes on said 20m circle, you can stop and try again, no harm no foul. You’re not ruining the horse’s high level of training, the horse doesn’t get flustered or upset at your incompetence and otherwise keeps all 4 feet on the ground.
To me, a pro ride horse is a talented horse that exhibits one or more limiting factors (temperament, inconsistency, quirks, etc.) that would make it an unacceptable risk for most riders, no matter how fancy.
As a rather senior rider, I agree with rulex above. Also in my mind it is a horse that takes care of me rath
er than me taking care if it. I probably break easier than I used to, I have diagnosed back arthritis, am not as strong as I once was. My sense of self preservation has grown significantly in the last couple years. Do I want one more upper level horse? Sure do, but somehow I dont think that search will be easy. Better safe than sorry.
To me, an ammie friendly horse needs to be fun to ride. Whatever that means for a particular ammie depends entirely on that individual.
For some–that’s riding on the trails once a week and schooling in the arena occasionally and never going above first level. But loving their horse and trusting Dobbin to take care of them.
For some–that’s moving up the levels, schooling six days a week, on a really talented steed.
A pro ride is basically something that takes guts to ride. One that has enough quirks that only a pro would ride it because they have to.
So—comes down to attitude rather than talent for me.
To your point, it’s hard to define because everyone’s definition of amateur is pretty different, and amateur does not accurately describe many riders’ actual skill level.
What comes to my mind when I think of the “stereotypical” adult amateur rider - pretty competent at 2’6”-3’ or 1st-2nd level dressage, able to sit a small buck or head toss but prefers not to deal with more than that, and maybe takes occasional lessons but is not in a strict program. Therefore an amateur-friendly horse will take a joke, will perform what is asked and not get terribly upset if the riders puts them in to a bad distance, or asks for a transition not quite 100% crisply or correctly. If it doesn’t get ridden regularly, even has a couple weeks off, it still comes out safe and trained every ride, time off doesn’t cause much regression or need for significant “prep” (lunging, etc.). I agree it’s largely about temperament and not training. I’ve known amateur-friendly three-year-olds, and not-amateur-friendly PSG schoolmasters. But I do think a degree of it can be trained into some horses, some can be taught to be less reactive and more willing to deal with imperfect riders.
What class, though?
You described my definition to a tee.
Pro ride horses are the ones that you get off and are drained from having to micro manage whatever quirk they have.
I’m cool with quirks on the ground though. Those I can work with.
When someone asks if a horse is ammy friendly without any further qualification, I imagine a rider that is competent at training or first level, probably wants to school second. They don’t have an independent seat, especially at the sitting trot, and they give conflicting aids sometimes. They’ll be intimidated by too much power and don’t want to manage something with a major quirk. They probably don’t ride 6 days/week, and probably don’t ride more than one horse - so their toolbox is smaller and their fitness and suppleness in the saddle are somewhat less. They want to score in the 60’s at the lower levels and have fun while doing it without fear of bodily harm.
The Ammie horse at 15 yo was probably not an ammie horse at 6yo.
Often true! But there are 6yos who can take a joke. What that looks like to me in a dressage horse is one who can be in the process of learning changes with a pro, while at the same time having an ammy on board who can try to play along too, make all the mistakes, and the horse doesn’t get flustered or upset or regress significantly in between the pro rides.
Ammie ride - Fun to be around, fun to ride, safe to ride, can take a joke and doesn’t hold grudges.
Pro ride - requires hypervigilance to provide the conditions that allow learning and progress safely, often results in mental fatigue more than physical fatigue and often emotionally draining because you have to keep everything in check
When I start feeling that a horse/ride seems more like a high maintenance relationship where everything is one-sided…well that is a pro ride. If I’m dreading getting on because of the mental and physical awareness that it requires just to have a ‘quiet’ ride or a safe ride, that’s a pro ride
I’ve always thought pro’s horse = complex personality + exceptional talent/athleticism. The first without the second is an animal of very limited usefulness. The second without the first is a high-dollar unicorn.
I would agree with that. If someone has to asked if a horse is ami-friendly, it says to me they don’t have a lot of confidence in their ability.
So, i guess it would be a pro ride if when you finally dismount you literally kiss the solid ground?
I have a horse who I would have considered a pro ride in her younger years (not anymore). Things got so sketchy for awhile that I used to set a timer on my phone and force myself to keep riding until it went off. I felt like I could kiss the ground some days.
Lol. I suppose you could say that. It may not always be temperament-related, though. I had a rock solid OTTB in his teens that came to me for a step down. He was a favorite with both humans & horses at the CCI**** eventer’s barn where I boarded & trained. Once, eventer asked if i could stand OTTB at the side of the arena to lend moral support to a client’s new baby OTTB while they free-jumped it. All 3 of us humans stood slack-jawed watching this baby. It was the most insanely athletic jumper I’ve ever seen in person not with an FEI level rider on board.
The owner was a woman in her late 40’s/early 50’s. One of those amateurs in name only types. Ten years later, she rides with my current trainer. And I swear she’s a vampire because she doesn’t seem to age at all in both appearance or physical fitness. Woman is an extremely good rider. She routinely buys cheap & flips what I consider to be 100% project horses. She got said horse for around $1k. Still, she opted to sell this one for $5k, advertising him as having the talent & athleticism for ( and requiring) a pro on a shoestring budget. He wasn’t mean or particularly quirky. Just in need of that 1% of riders who are tremendously confident, with ice running through their veins & athletic enough to follow movements that were basically unnsittable to all but .0001% of all riders.
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