# What would you say a competent novice can do



## Blackbeauty14 (17 July 2014)

I know it's different between people but on a broad sence what would you think a competent novice should be able to do?

Currently looking to buy a horse which says it would be suitable for a competent novice, before I go view it just wonder what people would class competent novice as?

To me would be someone who can walk trot and canter.


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## be positive (17 July 2014)

I would say that they should be confident in walk, trot and canter on a sensible horse in places other than an arena, so happy to canter in a field without having a meltdown. Then depending on what they want from their riding longer term possibly able to do basic jumping and ride a horse in a reasonable outline and good rhythm, not suggesting they will need to be ready to go out and compete but have the ability and confidence to be in control of what the horse is doing rather than being a passenger. 

Many people can walk, trot and canter but are not necessarily competent and would be far from ready to have their own, if you feel you are confident enough to venture into ownership then go out and look at horses but do try and take someone with you that has more experience, ideally your instructor or YO, who will help you avoid some of the pitfalls along the way.


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## Fides (17 July 2014)

Exactly what be positive said


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## Blackbeauty14 (17 July 2014)

Hi yeah I can walk trot and canter can pop over jumps, have started working horses into an outline and doing leg yields but more difficult on riding school horses as any progress I make gets wiped out by my next lesson. Wouldn't say I am perfect in my riding which is the only thing that stops me but guess no one expects a novice to be perfect all the time as am still learning!


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## Circe (18 July 2014)

I agree with walk trot and canter in an open area, and popping a small fence.
I would also expect that anyone thinking of buying a horse should, at the very least, be able to catch, groom and tack up a well behaved horse on their own. They should also know some simple first aid and signs of colic/ laminitis. (I'm thinking the more common illness's ) and when to call a vet. If they aren't competent at basic horsemanship, then really they should be on full livery.
Kx


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## MrSpam (18 July 2014)

I think it depends - I count myself as a novice and would only look for a sensible horse when buying - manners for me and safety out hacking are v important. I have been riding for more than 40 years and used to compete and hunt and have owned horses since being a child and worked on a yard one summer holiday as a teenager. I'm still happy to jump a decent course, but compared to most people I know I'm inexperienced because I haven't ridden a really wide range of horse, just my own over the years. 

Take an instructor to look at the horse with you. Suitable for a 'competent novice' may mean 'nice, genuine horse', but could also mean 'cheeky blighter with bad manners just waiting to get the better of an inexperienced handler'.


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## dogatemysalad (18 July 2014)

A competent novice should be able to walk, trot and canter on a schooled, straightforward  horse and to be in control at all paces. They should be balanced and not hinder the horse's movement, and be able to give the aids clearly using the minimum signals needed to get a response. They should be able to dictate the speed within each pace and be able to bring the horse to a halt without making an appointment to get it to stop. 
 A competent novice is a rider, while an incompetent novice is a passenger.


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## oldie48 (18 July 2014)

Having just sold a horse, it's been a real eye opener. I had someone who had hunted for 30 years who rode like a sack of potatoes, someone who described themselves a a confident novice, who basically couldn't ride at all (not even rise to the trot!) with his "experienced" partner, who rode appallingly, a novice, who actually rode very well but his very experienced partner was so nervous I wanted to pass her a sick bag! I would always describe myself as a novice as I will only ride sensible horses, i don't do buckers or rearers or nappers. so for me, a novice rider is someone who an ride a sensible horse and get a reasonable tune out of it.


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## Wishful (18 July 2014)

I'd class myself as a competent novice.   I ride at a rs and on their sensible horses I am happy in all paces and have been jumping up to 70cm and having a play at on site unaff dressage getting high 50s to low 60s.  Still need to improve my ability to have a horse properly between hand and leg in a dressage context.  Done lots of hacking in the past but need a kind horse on the ground.   Calling a vet would be easy-wait for husband to walk in door. ..


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## nicelittle (18 July 2014)

After searching for a long time for 'horse suitable for a novice' I decided that it also meant 'horse lame, but you won't be experienced enough to notice' 
I changed to looking for riding club type horses - owners seemed more realistic.


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## alainax (19 July 2014)

There has been a lot said about the riding aspect ( being able to handle a sensible horse in wtc, in varying terrain ( not just in the school)), however the part about just horsemanship being missed out. 

For me a competent novice would not only be able to wtc a sensible horse in most terrains, be able to hack out alone, know road safety etc - but they would also have a firm grip on caring for a horse. 
Good ground handling skills
All the basics of feeding/tacking up/mucking out etc
Knowing how to load
 how to travel
 how to bed down
 how to build banks
 how electric fencing works and why
what is ragwort, how to remove and why
how to boot up and bandage, when and why
what to feed, how much and why. 
how to monitor a horses weight
Knowing which rugs, when and why
worming, delousing, when and why
and a million other things on top!

The problem with the term " novice" is that it is used by riding schools, to determine levels of riding school rider. So you may well be in the "advance" class in the riding school, but in the real world it still a nursery novice. 

Id not expect a competent novice to be able to compete at any serious level, to be able to clip, to be able to bring on a youngster or solve serious schooling issues. But they should be able to care 100% for the horse, seeking guidance when required, and be able to exercise the horse appropriately. A horse suitable for a competent novice to me, is a great horse for the right person. Not a plod or a kick a long, may not win many prizes but will listen, be attentive to the leg, and put up with some minor errors.


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## holzrokz (19 July 2014)

Very true alainax.
I think you can be a competent novice for riding and/or general horsemanship. 
I would describe myself as a competent novice. Never had my own horse but have shared an ex-showjumper for almost 3 years. I had to go from riding school horses to hacking out on my own/schooling on my own, which was a huge learning curve! She is the best horse I could have asked for to teach me as she is safe and will put up with my errors yet will not do something unless asked correctly. Jumping wise she was a total school mistress and we have just done our first BS together (only 80cm so far). However flat work she is much more tricky and I've had a lot more lessons to try and improve us both. My instructor thinks she was ridden in draw reins when younger so have been working on undoing that and she is improving. 
She will occasionally have the odd buck, spin, spook and explosion though and I can deal with these perfectly well and have not yet fallen off (touch wood). 
I have also ridden in competitions for my old Uni riding team, and although a lot of the time horses are riding school horses some are on working livery and so have not been quite so easy to ride. 
However my general horsemanship I have less experience in. Anyone can read a book about how to do all the above things that you mention. I have knowledge about most of the things you have written about, but current share horse is on full livery so I never have to muck her out etc although I do things like tack up/bring in and turn out/bath her/clean tack/fill hay nets etc. 
some things I know how to do but have never done them like put on a bandage etc. Feeding is a big gap in my knowledge. 

So I think both riding and horsemanship could be very different for some people. There nay be many people out there who describe themselves as experienced etc as have owned horses and have good knowledge but they may not have ever had a youngster, done much jumping or schooling.

An insteresting point though, how would you describe someone who is say better than a competent novice, but not yet experienced? There never seems to be a word for someone in between.


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## webble (19 July 2014)

I would say that just as important as finding a suitable horse is making sure you know enough to look after it. 

A lot of riding school riders can be great experienced riders but have never tacked up or mucked out in their life. As someone said do you know how to spot basic illnesses and lameness? how to fit a bridle and judge if a saddle is roughly correct? How to put any boots on? decide what feed is suitable etc? Riding is really only a small part of ownership


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## cptrayes (19 July 2014)

An insteresting point though, how would you describe someone who is say better than a competent novice, but not yet experienced? There never seems to be a word for someone in between.
		
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In other areas it's called an improver.


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## LessThanPerfect (19 July 2014)

I would have  thought you'd use the term "intermediate" rider?


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## Honey08 (19 July 2014)

I agree with the above.  A competent novice would be confident and ready to move on.

I once sold a first pony as suitable for confident novice.  She was a good pony but very forward, so although trustworthy she scared those just used to rc plod types.


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (20 July 2014)

Somebody has already suggested there should be a differential between "horsemanship" and "horse management". I would tend to agree, in fact at most equestrian colleges there are separate courses, and assessment of competence, for both.

I would expect a "competent novice" to be able to walk, trot, canter on both reins and pop a small'ish fence on a reasonably well-schooled horse. I'd expect them to know the rudiments of such stuff as working in an outline, and/or some lateral work - at least in theory if not perfect in practice! I'd expect them to be able to hack a sensible horse out in a group and know the basics of road safety and how to handle their mount safely and courteously to other riders in the group. Hacking solo??? mmm, not sure on this one, would depend largely upon the horse.

For stable management: I'd expect a rudimentary working knowledge of care of a pony at grass (everything basically in the old pony club "Keeping a Pony at Grass Manual" - you can tell how old I am ). I'd expect them to know how to deal with a hot horse after a ride, how to put a rug on properly, being able to tack-up solo, groom, pick out feet etc: plus, very importantly, when to call the vet if there's a problem.


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## Tnavas (23 July 2014)

Competent Novice to me would be BHS Stage 1 level.


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## equestriansports (23 July 2014)

I bought my first horse a little over a month ago and I'd say I'm a competent novice. Have worked a riding school yard and a livery yard. To me, a competent novice should be able to:
Make a bed to a decent standard (banks, patted down, minimum of 6' deep when on concrete)
Know the signs of lameness, colic, choke and other basics
Can tell what ragwort is, remove it and know to get rid of all leaves, roots, effects on horses
Can work in an outline in walk and trot, canter confidently, can collect and extend to some degree, can handle a few bucks, ride a more forward going horse, some basic lateral work - if just in theory
Tell if a saddle doesn't fit, bridle doesn't fit, bit isn't suitable
Jump a 2' course
Know basic feeding
Can do a basic lunge session.
Hack out with a group of people and know how to cross roads sensibly
Fully groom including plaits
Know when a horse needs new shoes / trimming
To me, that is a competent novice and would all be done on a pretty well schooled horse with decent manners.


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## surreygirl17 (29 July 2014)

equestriansports said:



			I bought my first horse a little over a month ago and I'd say I'm a competent novice. Have worked a riding school yard and a livery yard. To me, a competent novice should be able to:
Make a bed to a decent standard (banks, patted down, minimum of 6' deep when on concrete)
Know the signs of lameness, colic, choke and other basics
Can tell what ragwort is, remove it and know to get rid of all leaves, roots, effects on horses
Can work in an outline in walk and trot, canter confidently, can collect and extend to some degree, can handle a few bucks, ride a more forward going horse, some basic lateral work - if just in theory
Tell if a saddle doesn't fit, bridle doesn't fit, bit isn't suitable
Jump a 2' course
Know basic feeding
Can do a basic lunge session.
Hack out with a group of people and know how to cross roads sensibly
Fully groom including plaits
Know when a horse needs new shoes / trimming
To me, that is a competent novice and would all be done on a pretty well schooled horse with decent manners.
		
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Wow!  You remind me of that scene in Pride and Prejudice when Mr Darcy states what he thinks a truly accomplished woman is.......and is told it is a wonder he knows any!  Some of things are quite a big ask as it really depends on the horse the person has been using.  I agree with most things there but I've been riding for 25 years and still can't plait!


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