Outrider ........help

[Anja]

How do I train an english trained horse to work western because I will be getting a 15 year old tb and I want to ride/show her western she has been ridding englisg most of her life please help outrider or anyone once ladie has been sold we will be buying my mare and a western saddle I cant wait

[hunters4ever]

I'm not Outrider, but maybe I can help a little. I have a Thoroughbred, ex-race horse, who does both English and Western. My horse is 16, raced until she was five, stood in a field until she was ten, and then I bought her, well my mom bought her. I did only hunt seat with her until this summer, and then we started western. The first thing you should do, is to start her in a curb bit, because all western horses over five need to be ridden in one. You can start with a kimberwick and your english bridle. Neck reining is actually not that hard of a thing to teach, at least it wasn't for my horse. I just started riding one-handed making contact with her mouth as we turned. After a while, I just needed to lightly lay the rein against her neck for her to turn. Of course you use a lot of leg aids. Western gaits are slower than English ones. To teach my horse to slow down her canter into a lope, I let her canter as fast as she wanted to. Eventually should would slow down, then when she wanted to stop, I made her canter more. It teaches them that going fast does not get them done any sooner. It was basically the same thing with making her trot a jog. I was lucky because she already had a pretty natually low head-set. Maybe some body else can give you exercises to bring her head down if it is too high. It can be difficult because basically you want almost no contact on their mouth. Have you ever ridden western? If not, I would suggest getting some lessons and helping in training her. Good Luck. :D

[Anja]

one thig I can say is that im VERY confuesed I think I might get some lessons or I might join the western club that might be eiser

[Anja]

Ok I think I may know what you mean is it when they walk with their head on the ground??? coz if it is (( all of our horsies know this!) she may allreadu have had a head start and also my mum only lets me ride in a snaffle ((happymouth)) its tastes like apples!

[hunters4ever]

The horse's head should not be on the ground. The days of the "peanut rollers" are gone. Most rulebooks state that the poll should be even with the withers, but most judges do prefer slightly lower headsets.

[Anja]

Ok well it looks like we arnt getting that horse now but my mum is lookin at a western saddle right now

[Anja]

We tryed a western saddle on our stbd today and we where woundering how the heck to you fit them do they sit behind the should on the should can someone tell me. and also It felt really starnge being in a different saddle im going to go for a hack in it tommorrow on our anglo arab it fits her the best so far well she didnt buck me off :) so If someone can tell me how to fit one I mightget to ride western PLEASE HELP Anja

[Outrider]

Hello Anja,

Where are you located? As for a western saddle fit, it sits up on the withers with the girth just behind the front legs. You want to ensure that there is plenty of space between the top of the withers and the gullet of the saddle. That is the area directly beneath the horn. The middle of the fork or "U" of the tree. If it sits right down on the withers, the saddle doesn't fit properly and you will have problems.

If you go to the home page of NR and look at the left side under specialisms, you will find a great article on fitting a western saddle. The link is also http://www.newrider.com/Specialisms/Western/Saddles/western_saddleintro7.html

Hope this helps. I have several western articles posted under the specialisms section. Let me know if I can be of any other help. Happy Trails!

[Anja]

Ok we have decided not to get it because it pokes our horse in the should do im going to try and find a old leather one thats been used about a hundered times do its nice'n'soft