whats the 'boundaries' of Beginner/novice/intermediate/advanced?

Hello, just wondering what everyone thinks the meanings of:

Beginner
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced

Beginner, tends to listens, hangs on pretty well.
Novice : doesnt hang on as well falls off on occasion.
Intermediate : good enough rider to fall off going much faster.
Advanced: tends to stay on most of the time, but stopped going fast and now just walks around and tells other people they are doing it wrong.

If you look at the Dressage tests that go along with those levels, you will get a good idea of what each of them is capable of. It also depends on if you're talking about the horse's level or the rider.

FE - one of my students horses is riding intro dressage. She's a 3 year old Warmblood with about 6 months of training. My student is a Training/1st Level rider.

So, it kind of depends on whose level you're talking about.

Joe, you made me spit out my juice!!

OP, are you talking about defining the horse or the rider?
Rider:
Beginner: can sit on a horse, has a basic understanding of tacking up, brushing, etc. may need some supervision when doing things. Understands what's asked for in regards to riding basics (sit up straight, heels down, how to ask for w/t/c, etc.) Has issues if the horse does anything unexpected (such as not turning where they want, goes faster than they were expecting, etc.

Novice: Is starting to learn more advanced horse care (worming, recognize certain illnesseses,) can determine if a horse is obviously lame from the ground and when riding. Is learning more adv riding, controlling shoulders/hindquarters, has the basic idea of how to fit tack. Can handle if a horse spooks (not exactly ride thru it, but doesn't completly panic if the horse spooks) can handle a horse that needs a "firmer" hand and guidence.

Intermediate: cross between advanced & novice

Advanced: appears to know almost everything and can ride any horse to others, but when asked they say they know almost nothing and are trying to keep learning.

Pro: Same as advanced, but are confident enough in their skills they feel they can teach others

HORSE:
Beginner: a horse you'd feel comfortable letting your 3 year old kid ride around an arena by themselves.
Novice: one that is able to tell if a rider is scared, and "holds their hand" thru things. Knows how to challange the rider just enough to build confidence, and doesn't have their own agenda.
Intermediate: a horse that needs a rider who can pay attention and isn't afraid to get a little tough if needed.
Advanced: ask the pros if you're ready first

I meant rider but its goodto know the definitions of horse levels too ! :)

By the sounds of it I ride a horse who is intermediate/advanced and im quite advanced aha

I don't think it's possible to categorise riding levels like that. I to consider a beginner a rider who has just started, only has a few rides under their belt and cannot yet 'think for thenselves' in which basic aid to give.

After that it gets blury. Is an advanced rider someone that simply looks nice in the saddle and can put a horse somewhat in the aids?
Or is it someone riding at the top level of their discipline?
Is it a breaker?
Someone who has spent a lot of hours in the saddle do thinks it's their right to be classed as advanced?

Every time you think you know a lot, you'll get shoved down and realise how little you actually know.
I consider myself quite an experienced rider, I have taught riders, trained horses from scratch to working st a reasonable level in dressage including ottbs and other horses that were not ridden well by previous owners, I have ridden to and competed at quite high levels in Dressage. I don't consider myself advanced. Put me on a western horse and I'll be a rank beginner.
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Beginners fall off a lot
Intermediates fall off seldom
Advanced riders know when to bail
Pros don't have to.

This is almost impossible to define. I think the definition of beginner and novice are defined quite well by BusySmurf.

From there it gets VERY fuzzy. I know people who can can compete in dressage and/or jumping shows and do very well. However, they don't know how to measure a saddle correctly, and they have no clue that their saddle fits so poorly that their horse is hollowing and swishing it's tail in pain, not friskiness. Are they advanced? They know how to ride, but they know nothing of tack or the horse's signals. My best friend in High School kicked my A@# in every dressage show we entered. When I invited her to come and spend the summer with me on our ranch riding my trail-horses, she was in an absolute panic and fell off at every spook and had no clue how to help shift her weight to help her horse up difficult terrain or through water, over bridges, etc.

A pro knows something - not necessarily everything - so much better than most people, that people are willling to pay to learn from them or to watch them.

But advanced and intermediate - geesh - that depends so much on how you define it and what's important to you. I will call my daughters intermediate when I trust them to care for and ride a horse on their own, with me not having to check in too often. I'm defining advanced as me not having to check on them anymore.

I think it all depends on the rider. Like me, from descriptions I'm an advanced rider (give lessons and what not) but I still have things to learn and are by no means a pro. Some people know a lot but that's all. That can't ride like they say they can because they have all this knowledge. So all in all, depends on the person, the setting and the horse. At least that's how I see it.
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