English vs. western

[MuffinMaker]

I know many more people ride english opposed to western.( I ride english) What are your reasoning of not trying western?
Would you ever?
Do think there are negative aspects to it?
Positive?

[elise]

I take english (dressage and jumping) lessons but I ride western on my own horses most of the time. I think a big reason I don't ride more western is that it seems more difficult to find lessons in western riding than it is english. Other than holding the reins a bit different, I think if you learn a proper seat, be it english or western, you'd be just as good off at the other discipline.

[kedwards]

When I started lessons (as an adult), I started hunt seat, primarily because I wanted to jump. Prior to that, I'd ridden primarily in Western tack. In fact, I even have occasionally since then, including trying my hand at team penning (albeit, while on vacation).

I have no negative views of Western. I don't think I'd ever enjoy riding Western Pleasure (waaaaayyyy toooooooo slooooooow) but reining, cutting, and barrels would all be great fun.

[CD2387]

My riding instructor starts everyone out western and me and my friend (both of us asked her to teach us english) are her only students who ride english. I do agree that western is pretty slow (english is way better). I've found that western horses (in my experience anyway) are much lighter on the bit then english horses. I ride mostly western pleasure horses who are also trained in english.

[worldtravel]

I can do both but i perfer English all the way .i like English caus seating and reins . i enjoy English .


Lauren

[Miriam]

When I was introduced to western for the first time I really loved it. The horses I was introduced to were wonderful. Thanks to Katie 85. I much prefer western to english but my western saddle is causing me problems. However Peter seems to like that saddle more than the english one :D

[Roseanne]

I love Western-horses seem to find it a "kinder" way to ride as the emphasis is on seat and a very much lighter contact on reins than English. Also, most horses adapt very quickly to Western as they already have a good understanding of the aids and both of my horses responded immediately to the transfer.

The only problem I have is that Western saddles are so heavy, and I don't like synthetic saddles. I'm just about to try three treeless saddles however, one being a Bob Marshall, which is similar to a traditional Western, and a Dartmoor, which apparently you can also buy in Western style. The Heather Moffet I'm not too sure about, as it felt a bit "odd", the tree being in the cantle.

Roseanne

[Shadowlark]

I am a total convert.. I used to event now I rein and barrel race! I actually find the "games" a lot more fun without the need to kill myself going over fences. Penning Cattle is a blast!
When was the last time that you went to a dressage test and people were whooping and cheering during a great run?
Western style riding is no less demanding and the sticklers are out there. I do find western pleasure akin to watching paint dry. Although at least everyone is dressed to impress rather then to conform it makes it a little more interesting :)

[Shadowlark]

I

The only problem I have is that Western saddles are so heavy, and I don't like synthetic saddles. I'm just about to try three treeless saddles however, one being a Bob Marshall, which is similar to a traditional Western, and a Dartmoor, which apparently you can also buy in Western style. The Heather Moffet I'm not too sure about, as it felt a bit "odd", the tree being in the cantle.

Roseanne

My saddle is actually very light! well comparaed to a lot of western rigs. It has a rawhide tree and I can swing it up without any issues I would say at max it's 20lbs It is a ladies barrel saddle.. Roping saddles make me cringe.. even jsut to get them on a 15 hand horse can be deadly!

[jUmPingIsLifE]

i ride english, these days mostly dressage but i am much more fond of jumping and cant wait till the summer to start back up again.

but i am also a western rider, i show both eglish and western adn i really enjoy both :)

[horseygal90]

It's incredibly hard to find a western instructor round here, and even then they're really expensive. I'd love to have a go when I'm older though.

[Skib]

I had a Western lesson in the UK (yes it is a problem finding a good teacher here) and then trail rode Western in the States. I really liked Western. It teaches you to sit soft and easy on the horse, so I dont think good Western riding is all that different from good English.
The main disadvantage for an older person is that in Western you are sitting all the time. In English with rising (posting) trot and forward seat in canter, the end of your spine gets some respite.
But I've read that the Western saddle is safer? And Dorrance was still riding at 90. So when I am too old to ride English, I plan to ride Western into the sunset.

[Lindsey_S]

When I started riding lessons 9 years ago, I learned English. My instructor has a policy that everyone (barring any physical limitations) must learn both. I rode western for 6 months and then was introduced to English....and fell in love with it. Now I show only English and jumping, but I do saddle my horse up Western two or three time a week for a few different reasons.
1- He's going to be full of it. (I have much more leather ito sit in)
2- I do western exercises and find that I can sit more deeply in that saddle.
3- The Western saddle spreads the pressure more evenly across his back than the English one.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that both have their benefits!:)

[LMS]

I started out western when I was about 10yrs old & started english (mainly dressage) when I was 16yrs old.
I found that with english, one had to work a bit harder on the balance (there's so little leather between rider & horse). Therefore it has helped me tremendously for both disciplines.

At the time, in my area, I found that western riders were not as gentle with their horses as Roseanne describes. So finding an instructor, let alone a competant one was difficult.
Even though the english riders in my area were very "hoity toity" (erm... full of themselves), I eventually found a good english instructor who cared more about the wellfare of horse/rider & promoting the sport, than the type of tack/riding attire. That's when I was seduced to dressage.

I sold most of my western gear (2 best saddles) after I was married in order to purchase Heidi, my Appy (approx. 7 yrs ago).

Both styles (E & W) are great, the basics are basically the same and it's all for the love of the horse & sport.

Roseanne: the heavier saddles most probably have a wood tree whilst the lighter ones (not synthetic) have a fiberglass tree (100% or wood covered with fiberglass).

[Rob26]

I'd like to learn both in the end... I think it's good to develop all round riding skills in both styles. It just makes for a more complete rider I would think.

From a man's point of view, I think western 'looks' more masculine.

[Cochise]

I've dabbled in both on my horse. But not very much! I ride every day in an English saddle, but every once in a while I get up around the hill country on friends horses in a western saddle. This is me on my horse the other weekend winning our very first western class.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/cheekystuff/main2.jpg
But he's also a lovely English horse...
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/cheekystuff/main7.jpg
We're definitely only pleasure types in the western ring, no way we could do the reining or trail!

[LMS]

I'd like to learn both in the end... I think it's good to develop all round riding skills in both styles. It just makes for a more complete rider I would think.

From a man's point of view, I think western 'looks' more masculine.

True

[LouHarvey]

I've only ridden western once - in the Rockies in Canada - but I must say it was pretty sweet..

It's veryveryvery hard to find any instructors/fellow western riders/western equipment in the UK, especially in Hampshire.. Most of us are far too stuck up to ride like cowboys! (just kidding!) :D :p

[Shadowlark]

Sitting all the time? Oh dear lord no.. we would die! We sit at a Jog but rise like the rest at a trot. Easier on us.. easier on the horse. You may hear people poo poo it.. but watch em ride and you might get a different picture of things ;) Western Pleasure of course is a different matter.. but those horses should be jogging. We sit foward in a lope/gallop also better balance!
I would consider my western saddle safer.. it fits Splash and I both VERY well - So I go no where.. I can't imagine working cattle or barrel racing in an english saddle :)

[Daffy Dilly]

Personally I've just never had the inclination. There are too many other things I want to try, and western has just never really appealed to me. Maybe its the weight of the saddles I've lifted at work, or the hassle I had cleaning them - too fancy. :rolleyes:

;)

[Rob26]

They had a feature in H&H this week about riding holidays and there was one on cattle hurding which looked very appealing!

Perhaps i'm a closet cowboy?

[LouHarvey]

Perhaps i'm a closet cowboy?

I have one thing to say to that..

yeehaw..

:D :p :D

[Cochise]

Perhaps i'm a closet cowboy?
Sounds very Brokeback Mountain!

[LMS]

Brokeback Mountain opens here soon, and is open in the UK isn't it? I'm guessing that is what you are alluding to Rob?;)
ooooh ouch!

[Rob26]

Brokeback Mountain opens here soon, and is open in the UK isn't it? I'm guessing that is what you are alluding to Rob?;)

ha ha ha I didn't see that one coming! I walked right into that didin't I? using closet and cowboy in the same sentence :D

[Cochise]

I edited my post too in case you got offended, but obviously not! You have to be sharp around me, believe me!
But seriously, I do recommend having a go at western. I'm dabbling in a little side saddle soon too. :)

[de_Stille_een]

I started out learning the basics in western, but found many reasons to switch to english: First off, the saddles were terribly uncomfortable- a quality and comfortable western saddle is more expensive than an english one. Secondly, the saddles are far too heavy for me- I'm very small, and have mechanical issues in my hands which make it nearly impossible for me to tack up my horses with western saddles- for the most part, the better quality the saddle, the heavier, so my only option would be a less than desireable synthetic.

Thirdly... I find a forward position far more comfortable than a traditional western seat- sitting a trot and canter take a lot more energy than posting or "jockey seating" a trot or riding the canter in the forward seat. Since I will sometimes ride multiple horses in an afternoon, (and usually less than well-mannered ones, at that!), I find it exhausting!

The western saddles I was raised with are just plain uncomfortable. Mind you, I was raised at a massive but not necessarily rich lesson barn, and a summer camp owning fourty horses- neither could afford a nice, comfortable saddle for all of the horses. It was just not possible. And if you've ever ridden in a low-end western, you know that it's like sitting on a rock. A rock that rubs and chaffes, at that.

I broke my tailbone a couple summers back after falling down a flight of stairs, and the combination of where a poorly made western saddle hits your tailbone and sitting every gait makes it terribly uncomfortable- the last segment or two of my spine are now crooked and tilted in towards my body, and my weight actually ends up on the third segment, which isn't designed for constant pressure like that.

I, too, have trouble finding a quality western trainer where I live. When I first began riding, I was terribly in love with the idea of barrel racing, but was crushed to discover that barrel horses, barrel competitions, and barrel trainers do not exist in the suburbs of Chicago. The very very few trainers available in western sports were just too high level and expensive for me to work with.

But, you know the ironic part? After all these years of knocking western saddles and riders... I just got a job training gaited trail horses- and guess how we ride? That's right. Western. :D

The trainer I work for is quite particular about his tack, which means every saddle is very high quality (most are about a hundred years old- old saddles were built extremely well and last forever, and they're far more comfortable than most saddles you can buy new these days), and the fact that all of my horses are gaited means that there's no bouncing, and if I'm not trotting or cantering, I don't need to use as much energy in moving with the horse at a trot or canter! The cherry on the top? Since my boss is so particular about his tack, he insists on tacking up my horses- I don't even have to touch my heavy saddles until I'm mounting! This works out quite nicely :)

I agree with LMS- I think english riding demands more preciseness from the riders- western, I've found, gives more responsibility to the horse and tack. While I'm much happier in western gear these days (while I never felt insecure in my english tack, since switching to western, I've ridden through some horribly raunchy spooks, temper tantrums, rears, and bucks- I NEVER would've stayed on in my close contact!), I will never ever regret my english training- they really drill proper positioning and aids into your mind, and now it's all second nature. I can't even ride a chair seat if I tried!

Both training styles have unique and beneficial attributes- I think that every rider should spend at least six months seriously training in each. Trainers from different disciplines have different perspectives on horse training and behavior, and they focus on different aspects of riding- there's always something to gain by trying something new.

[denise42]

I only ride western at the moment..will try dressage at some point in my riding life..but not for awhile yet..have so much more to learn with this western riding..
Hear ! Hear ! on the cleaning of a western saddle being a pain in the butt..I have a Dale Chavez basket weave patten I have used every thing from shoe brushes to tooth brushes on it and still have troble keeping it looking nice.
:rolleyes:

[Kalypso]

I started western because that was all I'd ever ridden. I have a VERY comfy synthetic western saddle, and I love it. Very light, too. When I started lessons at my college three years ago, my instructor let us ride in whatever saddle we wanted, but she basically taught us english equitation.

Funny enough, I SWORE up and down that I would NEVER ride English...I saw it as something the rich 'stuck up' people did (that was the only experience with western riders I'd ever had as yet :o ) and I would never wear those silly jods and tall boots and helmets, etc...

Then I found I was going to Ireland for a year and knew if I wanted to ride I would have to learn how to ride English, and besides I thought jumping looked interesting. So I started riding English and learning to jump...and now I hardly ever touch my western saddle anymore and I MUCH prefer English. I find English to be much more fun, not as slow, and I LOVE jumping. Besides, I like the saddles better :)

[LMS]

The western saddles I was raised with are just plain uncomfortable. And if you've ever ridden in a low-end western, you know that it's like sitting on a rock. A rock that rubs and chaffes, at that.

The trainer I work for is quite particular about his tack, which means every saddle is very high quality (most are about a hundred years old- old saddles were built extremely well and last forever, and they're far more comfortable than most saddles you can buy new these days)

Too true! When I sold my western gear & was cohearsed (by the tack store staff) into selling my old saddles & keeping my new saddle because "it was so much lighter & new"!

Big mistake! Now that I know more about tack, I'm kicking myself for having listened to the bad advice. So, for the past 7yrs I've had a lovely ornement in the corner of my home office gathering dust because it's junk! I've only ridden in it once & hate it!

I heard from a friend that my saddles had sold within 2 weeks and at triple the price I was given by the tack store.:mad:

[~*sugarlump*~]

I ride english because there are virtually no western riding schools (or anywhere that teaches western) near me
and also, i just think it's more common near me, so there is more to do

[Bacharel]

Im not sure what western saddles you were riding in! My saddle(barrel) is much more comfortable than my english saddle. The better quality saddle it is the more comfortable. (barrel saddles at least) My barrel saddle weighs 25 lbs. and my english 17 lbs. I ride in both just to swtich things up:) Although Im defintly a western girl.

[western]

I ride western all the time on my horse basically because he was trained western. At the time I bought him I didnt know much about riding a horse so western I think is alot eaiser to start out western than english. I would like to switch off into english someday because I always wanted to learn english riding. I rode english once and I loved it. It felt so much differnt than western.

[Kate F.]

I've done both, and while I normally ride english, I've "borrowed" a lot of western ideas in my english riding. I enjoy "proper" western too - but can't afford 2 sets of tack for my horses so do western type exercises with an english saddle, sometimes! It has to be this way round as I'm a bit of a jumping addict and there's no way I'm going to jump with a western saddle! ;)

"Trail" exercises are excellent for control, concentration and precision regardless of the tack, and I think a lot of english riders would learn a lot from trying some western exercises, even if they don't want to change the tack.

The only drawback I've heard with western is the attitude from some people starting to ride who say "I don't need lessons, I'm going to ride western" :eek: :eek: :eek: That's an image that can give western a bad name - then you hear the english riders in turn saying "Western is for people who can't be bothered to learn to ride" and so it goes on! If you look at proper western, it's just as demanding and exacting as english - and in many ways more so - you need all the same responsiveness, relaxation, lightness, outline and concentration - but with one hand and loose reins!

At the end of the day, riding is about communication between horse and rider, and that is completely independent of the shape and style of the tack! I think good english and good western are much closer than most people imagine!

[Dina]

I ride english because I have never had the option to have ago at riding western,
I would love to ride western one day though:)

[Dolce]

I Loooooooooooovvvvvveeeeeee western. I started English, I am at a intermediare level. I just started western to work more on my seat, and weight aids. It is great.

I have also fell in love with the Quarter horses. They are extraordinary!

The western saddle helps me to sirt deeper, and I feel more secure. However it is a pain to carry, it is very hard, I use a seatbone saver.

I like English for jumping ;)

[hackedoff]

I love western. I'm known as the yard Cowgirl! I've done the holidays and taken lessons and bit by bit I'm introducing my cob to the style, still saving up for a Bob Marshall saddle so at the moment I'm a bit 'Wenglish' in a Western bridle with Indian Bosal and SBS saddle :o
The most fun I've EVER had on a horse was Team Penning in Colorado last summer- strange horse, no hat, no body protector, chasing down cows with pointy horns-yeeha.

[atillathefun]

When I was younger I rode both - competed in English Shows and Show jumping but also in Rodeos.
The key difference for me is (and no offence intended here as I know all NR's are nice :) ) at a Western show everyone is so much more chilled out and relaxed, they just want to just have a good time with their horses but at an English show its handbags at dawn! alot of people are quite bitchy and look down their noses at others - its like if they dont win they get the hump!!.

I now mainly ride English but thats because I enjoy dressage. I do find riding in a Western Saddle makes you feel much more secure, I had an QH who could buck for Britain and I sat out many a fly bucks - not sure I would have stayed on in an English Saddle though :D

Edited to say - not all Western Saddles are Hard - its the same as English you get some comfy and some uncomfy!

[Skib]

Kate - What are trail exercises? Sounds interesting. And since you recommend them, something I might like to do.

Truth to tell, I am not sure what Western Pleasure is either.

O, and Atillathefun, is there a good Western teacher near Hertford? I'm in Surrey but we have to go up there soemtimes, and even Essex is reachable. But I dont have a horse. I need someone who provides the horse.

[Trewsers]

I ride English as does OH. Would love to try western eventually, but don't have a western saddle! Can't borrow one either, as nobody I know has one. Its one thing I'd like to learn later on - when I've (hopefully) got a bit better with my English riding!:) The western saddles look sooooo comfy.......:D

[april89]

I ride English and always have done yet I love to try new things. Western called to me and knowing that there were few places in my area and that I wanted the real "cowboy" experience I made a deal ;) - good grades, western holiday in the USA! :D My good grades came so my mum (not much of a rider) and I booked a holiday and headed out. I loved it.:D One of the most amazing weeks of my life. My saddle I could barely carry (but I am very weak! :o ) and it wasn't that comfy but a seat saver later I was in luxury for the rest of the week. I was put on some "fun" :rolleyes: but great horses and although the morning was slower as my mum was with us the afternoons on the trails were far more challenging and fast.:p And the scenery made every pace breathtaking.:) Most english riders in english tack on an english horse would struggle with most of those trails as they just wouldn't be secure enough:rolleyes: . Also rounding up cattle and splitting some - they do not want to leave their friends. I have to say I fell in love with riding western although I love English equally.:) Since I finished my holiday I have not yet ridden western again but if I was offered a chance to ride out in it again I would love to. However, I have to say for any schooling work or dressage which I would otherwise miss I'll definately stick with English as I do believe for the type of riding mainly done in Britain it is the faster and more exhilerating of the two.

Sorry about the Saga! :o

[Sunkist]

I ride english :D
But western woulod be bad for trail riding :D
I wouldtry out western
But.... i think i like english betta

[dwoodie]

Western all the way! Some of us dont like to go fast all the time. And I have never been bored riding western. As far as english--I have never tried it so I will not knock it.

I am from the country and only do trail, and work the farm so I have never found a use for been exposed to english. I did however purchase an english saddle off of ebay once to try it out and it sat in the tack room for 3 years before I finally sold it. Didnt look like it had anything to hold on to and I like the security of the "horn" if I need it. lol