Just of personal interest...

Western riding is....

  • Oh no dahling! I'm strictly English!

    Votes: 15 18.5%

  • Gosh darn, western's the only way to go!

    Votes: 9 11.1%

  • I'm an English rider, but curious about western...

    Votes: 52 64.2%

  • I'm a western rider, but curious about English....

    Votes: 5 6.2%
  • Total voters
    81
Loved those pics Cochise. Brought back memories of my wife's barrel racing experience. :D That's a pretty Appy that your riding. Is he registered?

I'm just a trail rider, but I try to have horses that ride in the "western" style. I'm a fan of reining and cowhorse classes but I do enjoy watching horses in any discipline. My vote is for western but it's hard to say that's what I do. I just like to "play with em", in whatever manner is available.

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Have fun, be safe

Jack
 
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Cochise said:
Shadowlark, I'm definitely going to try a treeless saddle, they are just very few and far between here, and the one's that are here are incredibly ugly and three times what I paid for my horse!
When I'm in the States next year, I'm going to have a good look around at treeless westerns. :)

Coss, I have barrel raced.... in my English saddle! :D *Let's all take a little trip down memory lane....*
Alright, back to February 2005....
Cheeky's first attempt at barrel racing...
Right, round the first barrel, ooh nice brakes!
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Alright! Off to the next barrel! Even got the flying change for once! Whoops, over shot a bit!! Debbie's not even holding the mane! Wheeee!
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Okay! Stay on this lead, and off to the last barrel!! Nice!
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Alright!!! Homestretch! Get some speeeeeeed on! Debbie stupidly kicks Cheeky in his tickly spot, and WHOOPS!
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It's not the barrels that's the hard part! It's when the rider gets a bit over zealous! :D
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Oh Cochise......this so made me laugh:p :p :p
 
Cochise that picture was priceless...:D :D :D

I voted for strictly english.

When I had Gracie I bought a western saddle, and I just don't feel right in it. I feel so distant from the horse, and I feel less secure, even though most people its opposite.

I am not so interested in western, but who knows, I went through a phase when I was REALLY interested, but I think my heart is with english!
 
The poll doesnt cover Raingodz and me. I live in the UK, ride English here, but am more than just curious about western. I ride it when I get the chance - and trail riding in the USA. Have a lesson when I get the chance.
Pity there is no Western teacher in Surrey on your list, cvb.
 
I would LOVE to try reining. It fasinates me. How responsive and light the horses are to the riders invisable cues (much like dressage which I am also getting in too) I ride western at the 4H shows I go to for overall points and Took some western lessons when I was a kid. Mostly though I am an english rider just curious about learning more western (reining mostly).
 
I'm English but Western Curious.

I have ridden Western on a trail ride in Canada which was fun but I think I still did rising trot:rolleyes:

I'm hoping to do a Western Experience day for my 40th Birthday next year. There are a few advertised in the horsey mags and it looks like great fun.

It is great to try new stuff. My friend was getting a little bored recently and went off and booked a side saddle lesson. She was even jumping side saddle by the end of the day:)

Not sure I am ready for that yet, though.

Loved those pics Cochise!!
 
. Brought back memories of my wife's barrel racing experience. That's a pretty Appy that your riding. Is he registered?
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levi, I'm guessing that the barrel racing didn't go so well for your wife either? :p
Thanks, that's my wee Cheeky horse, he's 11 and registered with ApHANZ, which is the NZ Appaloosa association, which is under the Appaloosa Horse Club. :) If you were to classify him, he's be something like a G grade or something, his sire was half TB and his dam was a bitser, but recogniseable as an ID mare. I think we have the first B grades in this country now! My friend is a breeder and aiming to have pure A grade Appies!

When I had Gracie I bought a western saddle, and I just don't feel right in it. I feel so distant from the horse, and I feel less secure, even though most people its opposite.
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That's an interesting point! But even in different English saddles, I get a different ride. Like on Woody, I'll feel closer to the horse in the Bates, but when I'd get into my Wintec 500 dressage on Cheeky, I'd feel perched! I'm really looking forward to trying a treeless. :)
The poll doesnt cover Raingodz and me. I live in the UK, ride English here, but am more than just curious about western. I ride it when I get the chance - and trail riding in the USA. Have a lesson when I get the chance.
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Hmm, maybe I should have included a section for "I dabble in both here and there."
I ride western at the 4H shows I go to for overall points and Took some western lessons when I was a kid. Mostly though I am an english rider just curious about learning more western (reining mostly).
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Nikki, you sound like me! We have alot of high points shows here, and I'm usually found having a go at most stuff. Some shows run both Western and English, so if there's a class I feel confident Cheeky and I can do, we'll try the western saddle and have a go around. We even won the adult walk trot class once! :D Or lately, I tried my hand at hunt seat equitation and won the rookie rider. That's a westerny class, it was at a western show! :D

I ride English but would like to have Western lessons. Problem here is not having any Western instructors within easy reach.
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It's the same down here. If you look at www.westernriding.co.nz they have a list of trainers available. Heaps in the North Island, but only about 3 in the South Island (where I am) and even then, those 3 are all about a 3 to 6 hour drive from me!
I have ridden Western on a trail ride in Canada which was fun but I think I still did rising trot

I'm hoping to do a Western Experience day for my 40th Birthday next year. There are a few advertised in the horsey mags and it looks like great fun.

It is great to try new stuff. My friend was getting a little bored recently and went off and booked a side saddle lesson. She was even jumping side saddle by the end of the day

Not sure I am ready for that yet, though.
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I agree, it's always good to branch out! And don't worry, I'm guilty of rising to the trot if on a long trail ride on my friend's horses! He does it too, so I can't feel too bad... ;)
Sidesaddle! Awesome, ok that's something I need to really try! My costume classes this year didn't really count! And jumping sidesaddle after one day... whoah!
Thanks for the input everyone! It's quite interesting to hear of everyone's thoughts on trying new stuff! :)
 
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That's an interesting point! But even in different English saddles, I get a different ride. Like on Woody, I'll feel closer to the horse in the Bates, but when I'd get into my Wintec 500 dressage on Cheeky, I'd feel perched! I'm really looking forward to trying a treeless.
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I've never tried a dressage saddle, I wonder if I would feel less secure in that? I've always really wanted one!

I feel best in my own personal english saddle, or my YO's Stubben which I feel very secure in also!
 
* I am an English rider but when I am lazy I ride Western

;) Riding DJ feels like driving a standard transmission car. Riding Bixby is like driving an automatic.

And speaking of saddles: riding Western I really prefer the Torsion treeless or bareback over the Western saddle. It's just too much saddle for me. I get claustrophobic and feel like I am trapped up there...
 
I ride English, but my OH got interested in western riding after ending up with only one functional arm when riding. Sunny loved it, and last night I had a go on Mysti and really enjoyed it. So did she. At the moment I'm on the fence. The more dressage we do the harder it is (naturally!), but also the less Mysti is really enjoying it, and up 'till we started aiming higher, she loved her schooling. Now she's not so impressed, she loves lateral work and walk, trot, canter in a decent outline, but hates trying to properly extend or collect. I think she doesn't see the point, and sometimes neither do I :confused: . Yesterday I had a go at riding her in a western frame, and we had fun doing jog and lope. She really enjoyed herself. She loves jumping though, and I doubt I'd stop riding English, but maybe for the training part we'll do a little of both.
 
Not really a choice for me there, I started out english but swapped to western nearly 10 years ago :D
Bo did both but is now mostly focussing on dressage, Jess is doing solely western at the moment and that will remain her focus but later she will be started english too :D
So I do both, all the time - ;) have a horse for each ;) :D
 
i voted western all the way, because here in Kansas, thats pretty much all we did when i started riding back in the 60's.

surrounded by feedlots, cattle ranches, and quarter horse farms, thats how people ride. ;) as a kid and teenager, i rode in western pleasure classes, along with barrel racing, pole bending, flags, and all those other "games" that people did in the fun shows and rodeos.

i've always been fascinated by jumpers and the english style but am too much a coward to ever try them. :eek: although, my old gelding i use to have, would jump every little depression he came to. i thought i was quite the jumper. :D

my mother dabbled in english (dressage) for a short time in the early 70's, but since there was very little opportunity to use her skills and the style, she quit and went back to western.

funny, i have great respect for anyone that can stay mounted on those funny little english saddles. :D i sure couldn't.:eek:
 
funny, i have great respect for anyone that can stay mounted on those funny little english saddles. i sure couldn't
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Funny you say that, I 'broke' my OH to western first, on his first english ride he hopped on board then went for the horn to steady himself (still in the early stages of his riding) and fell right off the other side :eek: no, no I didn't nearly fall off my own horse laughing :D really, I didn't :eek:
 
LOL

thats exactly what i mean!!! i steady myself with the horn quite often, and on turns around barrels, i hold onto the cantle. (maybe not proper, but thats what i do). my mare is still in the early stages of training and occasionally she will rear up when she doesn't want to do something, so naturally i grab the horn to hold on. what would i grab on an english saddle?????
 
western riding

I have tried western riding at http://www.westernridingadventures.co.uk/horse_riding_about_rocky.htm they are in the north west uk...

I found it great, and I felt incredible safe. I can be quite nervous when riding a new horse but I was so confident and enjoyed the gallops we did to!

I found it so different in the way you have a looser contact.. Took a while to grasp that if I tensed up..pulled up on reins I got the opposite effect!..I sat back..relaxed and really enjoyed the exprience.

HOWEVER!!!! when it came to dismounting I got my t-shirt caught on the horn and lifted it over my head :eek: :eek: :eek:

I rode a lovely cob called Logan who was fantastic !

I would certainly consider buying a western sadde!
 
newrider.com
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