Riding is a lifelong endeavor. It is impossible to ever know everything, and so we are all eternally learning. As research and best practices change, so does our horsemanship. As we become stronger and more confident, the riding skills that we practice change as well. I have some levels that I keep in mind when evaluating my riders and creating lessons plans for each horse/rider team. I would like to share those with you so that you may better understand the prerequisites for moving onto the “next bigger jump!” You’ll notice that each of the levels have riding goals as well as horsemanship goals because I think it is very important that my riders develop a relationship with their equine teammates and know the proper way to care for them.
The Levels: