Ignorant Riders.

[MajorityRules]

I am absolutely FURIOUS at the moment. I was on facebook, looking at horse groups when I came across

"English riders are athletes.... Western riders are lazy"

So I read further, already a bit peeved about the clear lack of knowledge of the disapline the creator and some of the posters have .

and I pulled these quotes -

"western is suppose to be more relaxing and i realized that you dont post, or have a right or wrong diagonal"

"agreeed ; ) , Tail extenions are pathetic , and they look stupiddd ?" (Because apparently western riders are the only one's who use them :rolleyes: )
"western sattles are deeper than english and usually have a horn coming up the front to hang onto with one hand."

"in english you use both hainds on the reains and in western you only use one hand."

"English riding has more of a style and uses more muscles then what western does."

"And how heavy are the saddles western riders use?! on their little horses. and they dont even sit forward when they gallop, how bad for the horses backs?! Lazy!!"

"western people WANT horses like that, they are too lazy to move FORWARD"

"really ___?? a bit that doesnt rip their lips off?? how about rips their HEADS OFF!!! havent you seen those bits people use for western? strait rods and kimberwicks??? jesus. try making a western horse go slow (if it even had the desire to move forwd in the first place...) in a french link snaffle!!! "

"i completely agree with all the people saying that yall are idiots." (western riders)


ARG. I Can't even put how agrivated im feeling into words right now! *Crawls off soap box*

eta: by ignorant I mean lacking knowledge, not being rude..even thought they are...Oh, look at me, back on that darn box.

[Keket]

I hear this from all sides.

"English riders are constantly hauling on their horses' mouths."
"Western riders use harsh bits."
"English riders always keep their legs on the horse and never give it a break.
"Western riders are lazy."
English riders this, western riders that...

If it was just ignorance, I could forgive that. But it's willful ignorance in most cases, especially in our area. I can understand the English riders in Europe/UK thinking these things, because they don't have the exposure to it. I simply make sure to be nice and correct them about what western riding really is. But the riders in our area, where there's a mix of both western and English trainers, there's just no excuse. They just want to be prejudiced against the other.

A good English rider and a good western rider and a good Spanish rider and a good Icelandic rider and... They all have the same thing in common. They're all balanced and have developed feel and timing and sympathy and respect for the horse.

[Cochise]

What would they say about those of us who attempt both? And a lot of the time, on the same horse? ;)

But really, I'd take it with a grain of salt, there's a reason I stay away from sites like that. :)

[Painting Horses]

I took a few years of western lessons and found them MUCH easyer than english HOWEVER I only did basic flat work and stuff, I see reiners, and ropers and theres no way in hell that can be easy lol. I can't rope on the ground let alone a horse LOL. While in English i'm going up higher and higher in levels so of course it will seem harder. My western buddy is going from riding pleasure horses to hunters and she said it's much much harder, BUT once again we're going from flat work to something with more work. I'm sure she would say the same if she started barrel racing :P. I hope everyone gets my point?? I think it depends on what you do with each, Pleasure riding is a lot easyer than dressage or jumping and reining & barrels are much harder the cantering in circles lol. That was very rude of them, we have some of that here but I have no problem because I use to be in mixed classes, Some western and some english lol.

[casey]

I'll bet its American English style riders that say those things, not English, English sytle riders. (If you get my drift):D

[NicP]

What a shame people have to be so vocal about things they don't know about.

I have only tried western riding once (and that was in South Africa!) and it certainly gave me aching muscles - just different ones to English riding!

As Painting Horses says, it will depend on the level you ride at too. I thing the western saddly is more secure at first but if you do go onto barrel racing etc., I have seen that done and you clearly aren't lazy doing that!

[Julz]

it's just people who obviously dont even have the time to research the two different riding styles before shooting thier mouths off...ignore, dont rise to the bait, and most of all, dont go down to thier level... you cant possibly teach them any different through word of mouth (internet) because they will simply read what they want to read... and ignore everything else...it does make you wonder though how they treat their own horses...... If only they could take off thier rose tinted specs....

[Grace O'Malley]

I'll bet its American English style riders that say those things, not English, English sytle riders. (If you get my drift):D

Actually I don't get your drift. Which is probably a good thing, because if I did, I would probably be quite offended.


But to speak to the topic, yes, many of us have experience with both styles and it is ignorant to bash one or the other (just like it's ignorant to bash people based on nationality). I think, because the saddle is more supportive, it is easier to ride western *badly*. People can do things that would have them on the floor in no time if they were using English tack. But to ride either style *well* requires the same level of skill.

[dilaika]

Ok...people are idiots,lol.

I think that it's like someone said....for a very beginer, western is easier in certain ways (particularly on beginner horses) because the saddle is more secure and you can grab onto the horn.

Once you start learning to do more advanced things, they're both difficult in different ways.


I think that these dumb English riders (and I'm an American mainly hunt-seat rider myself) are the same as the non-riders who say....come on, I know that you all can chorus this with me.... "but the horse is doing all the work"

=P

[gone24now]

I actually had a good snicker at the comments :D Wow, how ignorant can people be! I feel sorry and pity this person, what a shame... but how entertaining it can be. :p

[Berry]

Actually I don't get your drift. Which is probably a good thing, because if I did, I would probably be quite offended.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think casey was meaning that there are differences between the 'English' riding of the USA and what we would consider it here in the UK. I went to Iowa and met a lady who showed Appaloosas in English tack, but the style was to walk around with a loose, western-style contact (can't remember what the showing class was). :confused: I think there is a lot of difference cause you have hunter classes, jumper classes, stuff that doesn't exist in the UK.

[Shootingstar]

I think that these dumb English riders (and I'm an American mainly hunt-seat rider myself) are the same as the non-riders who say....come on, I know that you all can chorus this with me.... "but the horse is doing all the work"

I may have misenterprited your post, but English riders aren't any more 'dumb' than Western riders.


On a better note~
Both styles require a lot of skill, I read somewhere (and whether it is true or not is a matter of opinion) that western riders ride with their posture, and english with their balence.

Anyone who says that either style is 'harsh', 'stupid' or 'lazy' has clearly very little experience in horse matters :)

[khippor]

No offense to those Westerns out there, but I have been drowned in "cowboy stupidity" in the last 6 months since moving to Utah. I swear, if I have to hear one more cowgirl tell me that my english saddle is dumb and useless, I'll flip my lid. Id love to give my 12lb saddle to her horse for a day to relieve the back pain of her 55-100lb saddle. I'd love to see someone actually try to fit a saddle out here, versus dumping the mess of leather on whoever she desires to run silly around some barrels. God, I just want to scream!
-pant- Ok, Im done....for now.

[ina.click]

I'm so lucky, I don't even know how I ride :D Whether is English or Western little do I know, all I care about is learn to ride the horse and produce her minimum or not discomfort at all.

I guess my saddle is English, no horns anywhere although I wish I had an armchair sometimes.

On any forum and actually in any community, virtual or real, people break into little groups, find themselves something 'special" about that group and start gossiping or booo'ing and the other groups. From religions to horse riding styles, I guess we behave the same :)

[MajorityRules]

No offense to those Westerns out there, but I have been drowned in "cowboy stupidity" in the last 6 months since moving to Utah. I swear, if I have to hear one more cowgirl tell me that my english saddle is dumb and useless, I'll flip my lid. Id love to give my 12lb saddle to her horse for a day to relieve the back pain of her 55-100lb saddle. I'd love to see someone actually try to fit a saddle out here, versus dumping the mess of leather on whoever she desires to run silly around some barrels. God, I just want to scream!
-pant- Ok, Im done....for now.


I've never seen a western saddle that heavey? :S I thought they weighed 50 at most. :confused:

This is exactly why I didnt defend western more. Because it doesnt matter what kind of rider you are, english or western. If you stick strictly to one disapline, I could put my money on you talking about the other disapline that way. Especially when your showing.

Actually, Most western riders ( I know) do have saddle fitting skills. The can fiquire out what bar size you need, what kind of skirt you need (If your horse has a long or short back).. which isnt all to fitting a western saddle (I just dont really know much about saddle fitting myself, moms the one to talk to for that).

And good for you for putting up with it and not flipping your lid. I would have. But remember, theres just as many english riders to comment like that as there is western.

[Harleyhorse]

I truly believe it is all lack of education. People are going to believe that they are right and no once else is. And trying to show them the other side is a lost cause on most people, but there are a few out there. And its sad that more people are not up to learning more about the different types of riding.
I am an english rider, in the hunter/jumpers, and it amazes me how one sided people are. I grew up riding both, and still do time to time, but I have more of a passion for the english side then I do the westren. But I can honestly say that the basic schooling for both is the same. When I ride my hunter/jumper mounts our warm up is basicly the same as my sisters' reiner, we are both looking for forward movement, roundness and for the horse to be in blance and listen to us. The only real difference you can see when watching our warm ups is that I ride with a much shorter reinm then she does, and my horses mane is a LOT shorter :D
I guess what I am trying to say is that the basics are all pretty well the same is all the sports, it just the fine truning in the later stages that are different. But the end results all have one thing in common: We as riders all want a horse that is forward going, that is working with us and is enjoying it.

And I find a lot of the groups on Facebook are just a place where people put people down for no reason at all, its sad really.

[Palomino Mare]

[COLOR="darkslateblue"] I was on facebook,


BEBO;):D

[Izod1360]

I saw another group on facebook and it was talking about how horses are evil and ugly! People are weird.

But on the western/english issue. I have had lessons in both!:) But I like english 10x better. But I would rather do western for trail riding;) Both have their own difficulties!(I don't think I spelt that right??)

[MajorityRules]

Yeah, I think you did .

I dont know if I could choose between the two..Maybe I'd have to go bareback?

[gone24now]

As for the weight and fitting of western saddles. There are a lot of saddle fitters around here to help make sure it is sitting properly. These saddles can be very heavy, especially the show saddles. I can barely lift my BO's daughters saddle up onto her horse for her, because she surely can't. I purchased a good synthetic saddle which I love that weights 10lbs. That way my kids can carry it and tack up, and less weight on my big guy. I am looking for a Circle Y, but would only use in showing. Also, big bonus of synthetics is the cleaning, put on grass hose off, scrub with soft brush hose off, clean again.

[casey]

Actually I don't get your drift. Which is probably a good thing, because if I did, I would probably be quite offended.


If you would have been offended by my statement, you would have totally been wrong in your conclusion.

I will try to explain myself. Western riding here isn't big, and I dont think I have ever heard a negative comment about Western riders in the UK. Infact I have only heard of people saying "ooh I would like to try that"

However, in the states, English is more popular (as opposed to western here) and I heard much bitching and competative talk between the disciplines. Which is bound to happen. Just as Dressage riders dont like the SJ way of things, and visa versa....Nothing sinister in my comments.

Therefore, I can only gather, it was an American board and not an English one.:)

[x.fat-pony.x]

Tbh, I've always thought that Western looked easier, but only because I have been brought up in England, where, like Casey says, Western riding is not very common.
Over here, to an average person, English riding is percieved (sp) as dressage and fancy stuff, whereas Western is the whole 'cowboy' routine, sitting back and letting the horse get on with it.
I suppose it's like the whole dressage/jumping debate Most people think more work goes into dressage, as horses jump naturally etc, but equal work is gone into each.
I've always wanted to try Western, and am looking into booking some lessons, as the way Brad moves I swear he has done it at some point in his life! :D

[Afellpony]

I learnt Western Riding here in East Sussex. There is also a Quarter Horse Stud (at Bodiam) near where I live that trains people in Western Riding. Western is a far more relaxed and inform style of riding but I think English looks neater and more professional. There again, horses for courses syndrome!

[Grace O'Malley]

If you would have been offended by my statement, you would have totally been wrong in your conclusion.

I will try to explain myself. Western riding here isn't big, and I dont think I have ever heard a negative comment about Western riders in the UK. Infact I have only heard of people saying "ooh I would like to try that"

However, in the states, English is more popular (as opposed to western here) and I heard much bitching and competative talk between the disciplines. Which is bound to happen. Just as Dressage riders dont like the SJ way of things, and visa versa....Nothing sinister in my comments.

Therefore, I can only gather, it was an American board and not an English one.:)

I appreciate you coming back to explain, but I wonder why you think English [riding] is more popular in "the states." That may be true in some areas (big cities back east, perhaps?), but the cowboy is an American icon and most casual riding in this country is western.

I live on the west coast, and while this isn't really a cowboy area, western riding is still more prevalent than English style. All the English-style riders I know have experience with western style as well, and would not badmouth it. Many local shows have classes in both disciplines (say, English in the morning and western in the afternoon), and it is common for riders to enter in some of each...with the same horse after a quick change of tack and clothing. While of course there are specialized dressage or hunter/jumper barns, etc., most boarding facilities cater to riders of both styles and we get along just fine. Yeah, there's some good-natured ribbing, but mostly we talk and watch each other and try to learn something.

There are ignorant people everywhere. The nastiest comments I've ever heard about western riding were from a German man who clearly had NO idea :rolleyes:. But the truth is, most horse boards are pretty petty places. I read a couple of other boards, but this is the only one I bother to post to. Too many flamewars over nothing ...

[mogadoga]

Haha well that was funny.
As for saddle weights, my friends jefferies vsd weighs a ton!!

Anyhoo, i ride english. And would love to do western, but i actually think it will be hard!! Saying that some western riders will think english is hard. Just what your used to i suppose.