well..i did it!

[floppy]

i went riding western style today :)
i went out on a hack on my fat hafligner with this lady who has a western trained QH horsey and we were tlakign and i said how much i wanted to try western at least once so i know what it was like so she dismounted and told me to swop horsies with her..so i rode her horse..she told me everythign i needed to know...its wa s brilliant! i did a few little piorette things (SP? name?) running backwards...stopping ..galloping to a stop etc..the lot...only thing i didnt do was catch a cow! ehhehe..it was cool..i could be converted but sorry my heart is still on an icelandic..QH are too expensive...maybe when im older and have more $$$ in my piggy bank..for now i can only afford one horsey!
but just so you all know it was brilliant!!!! and not so difficult as i thought it would have been!:D

[Outrider]

You don't have to have a Quarter Horse to ride western! Your Icelandic could do it just as well! Its simply a matter of the tack you use, the way you ride and training. Different tack is cheaper than a new horse! :)Happy Trails!

[floppy]

im sorry hunter4life but what more can i say? the first thing i ever learnt about western was the saddle and how to put it on and i that was just after christmas this year! my whole life of riding since i was child (im now 21) i have only ever ridden english, germany is the first country i have lived in (i have been here for a year now!) that people actually ride western...or should i re-phrase that i have ever seen people riding western!2 weekends ago was the first time i actually saw a drill thing for western riding...and other than that the only ever time i seen 'cowboys' is old western movies.
so how can i really know what its all about?hmm nevermind...one can only know what one is told! and what i did today was whilst out on a hack so there isnt much more one can do....................

i know you can train other breeds of horses western but i like QH :p
QH here cost from $6,000 ++ i thoguth iw oudl wait until i was marrie dfor the QH..then iw ould make my future hubby ride and make him buy a QH :D
oh and you can buy western saddles for icelandics outrider, i saw them in a magazine today :)
and there is nothign about horses that i find boring what so ever!

[liz--y]

:( thats so unfair i want a go a western.
glad you liked it :D

[Outrider]

I'm not talking showing hunter. Just personal pleasure riding. Not everyone shows, and frankly, if I really had to have a $4000 saddle to show in, I don't think I would want to show. To me, the point of showing a horse should be the ability of the horse and rider and not the tack. You should have nice looking tack, but if a judge was spending points on the look of my tack, that is not a class I want to show in. Years ago, when I did show, tack wasn't that big of deal. I am spending around $1500 for a western saddle right now, but that is because it is hand made from scratch for my horse. I don't plan on showing. Just riding. Ah well. To each his own.

Floppy, get yourself one of those Icelandic western saddles and go have fun cowboying! Happy Trails!

[floppy]

hehe we'll see outrider, first i got to get myself a light wintec tolt saddle because i will be buyign a young icelandic that is ready to break in... So once she is all trained up and i got more money in my pocket maybe i will get myself a little western saddle!hehe..
i wouldnt want to go to shows if i had to pay 5 arms and 6legs for a saddle either.

there is a place about 2hours drive from where i live in switzerland where a guy has over 200 western saddles for sale and starting price is $1000 and like everywhere else the price goes up as you go along the racks of saddles!!
but they would all be too big for my icey :( nice place though. ITs more liek a museum than a shop because he has REALLY old saddles etc.
i cant wait for the western part of this site to start running :)

[Outrider]

I'll bet you could find a decent saddle in the States that would cost under$500 even with shipping! How big is the Icelandic? Give me a back length and withers height. Broad backed or narrow withers? I would also wager an Aussie stock saddle with a horn would work well too and you can get those here for around $250. Let me know and I might be able to help you. Happy Trails!

[floppy]

thanks outrider, but first i gotta buy my icey :)
all the iceys i have ridden have had narrow withers and comapred to other breeds they back lengths are shorter. For a more detailed sized ask wally or frances seeing as they have iceys on site!:)

[Barkless]

Wintec makes western saddles too. ;)

[floppy]

yeh i know someone posted on here not too long ago about a wintec western saddle :)
(firts i gotta get a normal tolting saddle though)

[Outrider]

Tolting saddle? What's a Tolting Saddle?

[FRED]

Hi floppy, so it was ok eh, trying western riding.
I have been trying to find somewhere to learn,I found a place,but it will be ages before its open,they plan to do western hacks
{trails,I think that should be} too.
The instructor at this new place is being trained and horses too
by a guy named Chris Brisbane who is said to be very good.
Here is there web site if you want to look.
www.horsewhispering.co.uk
Good luck on future trails and happy trails.
Fred.

[floppy]

yup is was fun fred!:) i looked at the website!! fascinating..hehe i almost forgot to come back and reply!:D

a tolting saddle, outrider, is basically a saddle that is long in the sides kind of like an english dressage saddle
go look at
http://www.icefarm.com/tackstore/index.html
and you see a few types of saddles.
i woudl like to get a wintec saddle because its light and REALLY confortable!!!!!!!!but they dont have a picture there of one.

[Outrider]

Ah. I see. Does Tolt mean something in English? What does the longer flaps do for you? With fenders like that, you are half way to a western saddle! All you need is a pommel and horn! lol

Hey, Fred, there is a person that posted here, EponaUK is her screen name and she teaches western riding in England. Her website is http://www.lloydschaps.com and I am hoping to get her to write an article or two for The Western Way. And oh, by the way, that will be up in a couple of weeks or so with its debut articles. Happy Trails!

[Maci]

Outrider: Tolt is a special gait that Icelandic horses have. Just like the pace is special for the Standardbred. A tolt is like a running-walk, I think.

floppy: Have fun buying your new horse, and buying all those new horse accesories (sp.)!

Maci :)

[Outrider]

Thanks Maci. See, you can teach an old cowboy new things! Happy Trails!

[FRED]

Hi floppy, glad you liked the web site, the lady who is getting horses trained is looking to set up training for western riding, the place is very peacefull and plenty of land. I asked her partner if he thought to try, you should have seen his face.. :eek:
He is a farmer friend and came out with sad old joke...
"the best thing abut horses is betting."..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz eh up I'm napping at THIS OLD JOKE..z zz zzz zzzz zzzzz

Thanks Outrider for your advise, I have looked and will contact people to see if there is a place in Staffs that has horse and trainer for western riding.I can't wait to learn.
Good luck with the new Western Way Section.

Anyway, we shall have us a posse soon, {not in the gangster sense of the word..} and with luck, be able to do all manner of very tidy work man like things with horse and rider in harmony.
Next after this, my own horse,with luck..can't wait.
Best wishes from Fred.

[floppy]

tolt is the most comfortable gait in the world :)
its because of this and a few other reasons that i decided to get an icey :)
much better than trot