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
My friend managed to get the front strap of her chaps hitched on the horn - she was left hanging there, screaming with laughter and little legs kicking fresh air :D
 
I did some in Canada ridding fjords and quarter horse, but here in the UK found the few western ridding schools I could find were 6 months waiting for lessons! and to cap that off, the weight limit was 12.5 stone at the best place and 13 at another...no chance of me getting near that,so that was it.

I wrote 3 times to the President of the Western Society in England and she suggested I visit some western shows and talk to owners{apparently some riders have so many horses they are desperate for riders to help exercise their horse,but....at the show my 14 year old nephew shouted at a rider during judging"stop kicking that horse", the president of the western society was in front of us judging...}
To be honest I was so embarrassed even though my nephew was right... you could have heard a pin drop ..she looked over her glasses and glared at us, so I have never pursued my dream.
 
I ride both equally, But I said western rider curious about english, because I started western, and seemed to learn quicker under that disapline, I found starting enlgish there was so much more to learn. but my all around favorite..


BAREBACK! forwards ANDD backwards, not to mention laying down (on a safe horse) heres my walk down memory lane this summer..
BAT SKILLS! *wth is mum doing? how come shes stearing me EVERYWERE?!"
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*bow chicka wow wow*
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*nooo! you cant make me!!*
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aaannd, because im cool like this..
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you've gotta admit, bareback is awesome, if your horse isnt rough as heck, bouncy, and short strided *ahem* sassy.
 
I learnt english and have always been an english rider apart from occasionally having a western saddle when there weren't enough english saddles to go around on big group hacks. But recently had a go on a well trained and sensitive western horsie and now keep watching fatty bouncing around and doing spins (to aim her big a*se at other horses usually) and thinking she'd make a nice western pony.
 
Had a go once but I don't think that the horse not being used to western at the time was a good idea especially when I had never ridden that way.

I would love to have a go on a horse that knew *** it *** doing in that sense.

think it looks comfy and I ride Kia without a saddle sometimes so maybe it would be nice.

Out of curiosity does anyone know if a western saddle is just like a bareback pad?? Comfort wise i mean with the stirrups and everything???

Am I confusing you's as much as I'm confusing myself????

Nikki xxxxx
 
Can't really vote as I dont think western is the only way to go. Up here its difficult to find a western riding instructor. However I do love western riding and do feel that it was the first step to gaining my confidence in riding where as before driving was my passion and I hated riding. Now I'm cantering, jumping a little and want to do dressage.
 
FAO Fred

hi all, just a quick one, I wondered which society you contacted? And where the show was that your nephew had to shout at one of the riders? Only reason I am asking is western done well... you shouldn't feel the need to tell somebody to stop kicking... western riders dont "kick"... however... I know of one association in the UK, that... well... to put it politley... they show the general public all that we "real" western riders try to tell people we are NOT all about... big spurs, big bits, horses heads in the air, it's horrific and a mess and I hate it.

In all my years in theis country, and competing in all disciplines, I know ther is good and bad, but these people, and the few that call themselves "instructors" should be strung up with their own shanked and ported bits stuck where the sun doesn't shine and spured in roughly the same area!

Incidently, I ride in a ported shanked bit and with spurs... but not like they do!

You may not want or be able to give the name of the association, but if they were a breed society... you should have been alright, if they were "equestrian's" most places - you should have been ok, but not all... and if they were "horsemen", well you and your horse should high tail it out of there!

Let me know where you are and I should be able to point you in a better or more helpful direction.

Please don't be discouraged.
 
you shouldn't feel the need to tell somebody to stop kicking
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This I quite agree with :D
western riders dont "kick"...
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This I think should be adjusted to Western Pleasure riders don't kick - if you have watched barrels/poles - yes, they do kick - the hope is that these people are skilled enough with spurs to disengage them when they kick.
big spurs, big bits, horses heads in the air
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Again, often seen in speed events with even breed societies!
I know of one association in the UK
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Sadly I think I may know who you are referring to, though there is definatly more than one association that works like this :(
I ride under WES and the WHA (will AQHA UK when my baby is a bit older) and certainly that sort of behaviour is not encouraged, though, as with all associations there are often bad apples in the barrel.
and if they were "horsemen", well you and your horse should high tail it out of there!
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;) are you implying what I think you are? - bad horsemanship is certainly not encouraged - If you feel you see it then report it to the Assc secreatary - I know for one she will not stand for it.
J x
 
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Uh oh... here we go!

This wasn't exactly what I meant to start, but ok...

Western Riders and I meant all of em... are supposed to need the slightest touch from spur, or calf, and/or a subtle shift in body weight to convey changes of pace/direction etc... So - sorry, but it's not just pleasure competitors.

Please don't take offense at this next comment, but... WHA games riders are not a standard to be aspiring too.... can chasers etc in the US, they tend, not all, but most tend to wear bumper spurs, not jingle bobs etc as you'll find the majority of the WHA riders wearing. Bumper spurs are considerably less liable to cause damage when the riders are pushing for the extra bit on the home straight... as they do, no doubt and yes indeed they kick. As do ropers and so on... but I am talking equitation as opposed to games/working classes.

So tell me, if you were telling somebody how beautiful English riding could be, i.e. Grand Prix dressage, when done as it should be... then the person you were telling this to, assumed English was English, and went to watch the Prince Phillip Cup games... would you really want them all thrown in the same barrel? I sure hope not. Because, efficient or not, no pony clubber will ever bring tears to my eyes as Carl Hester on Escapado did, or some other stunning partnership, and I feel the same about western. Be it pleasure, or trail, horsemanship or reining... it should be a seamless partnership not a kick and jerk fest.

I was born and raised in the USA, I have seen it all done right, and all done wrong, and I am sorry, but the majority, NOT all, but MOST... of the gamers here are an embarrassment to the sport.

Somebody did a barrel and reining demo near here in the summer... at a very crowded country fair... I walked away in shame. I was appalled, and it does our sport no good at all that these people tout themselves as the genuine article. I know what club this person belongs to, and it’s not WES or AQHAUK… oddly… neither will have her?! Allegedly… though from a reliable source.;)

A program for children shown on CBBC during the summer had a "genuine" cowboy ... from Essex :rolleyes: I think... giving the kids at an English riding school lessons... I wrote to the BBC in disgust. His position was wrong. His tack fit badly. Even the way he taught these kids to stop, go and to turn the barrels… wrong- wrong and wrong again. And I know him... and I know his "standing" and I know it's rubbish. Sorry but it really is.

It's not right, and with our UK reining team fighting for some sort of recognition and legitamacy, and the UK youth team that travel the world competing... we're trying to get the reining in the Olympics for 2012... this is publicity we do not need... this makes us laughing stocks, and believe me... to a large portion of the UK... we are already amusing enough with out showing off poorly fitting tack on hulking great hairy beasties that are totally out of control, and ridden by people in poor quality line dancing boots and hats... oh boy here I go... Ok. Muzzle back on now. And breathe…

Before the furor hits I better point out, I am not against hobby riders, I am not against hairy beasties... I am against the people that make the saying "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" a way of life.

Too many people in this country think western riding is all flash saddle and neck reining... bingo you’re riding western. Too many people do not put the endless hours of training, and groundwork into their horses to get that desired attitude and obedience to the voice, to the weight aids etc.

The tack over here is on the whole, cheap and nasty, although there are slowly more good western tack shops opening, not all but some... and many so called saddle fitters, well they may have the accent, but not all have the knowledge. Some good western shops have closed. Some just disappeared.:confused:

If you can show me more then a handful of western riders that are gaming in this country that are skilled enough to not use their spurs when riding on the rail... let a lone in a tense adrenaline charged run... then I will eat my hat.:eek:

At present I only show AQHA but now my youngster is old enough I will be showing at some WES shows. I had given up membership of WES as it did not support games and working events, which I believe are the original roots of western... AQHA UK now has more forward thinking council members and these events are starting to trickle in over here... I was a member of WHA for a while as I love cattle classes, and every little girl wants to be a barrel racer... but I could not continue my support of a club so h*ll bent on yee hawing around the country with no interest in pursuing the skill that western riders should be able to show, whilst working, running barrels, or jogging down the rail. Heck... even on a hack. A western horse should be the epitome of a quiet, well trained horse, as near to bomb proof as you can get, with four wheel drive and power steering to boot. Any breed can do it with the right training. But it's not just not any rider that is capable of that.

I am really sorry that somebody's post has been corrupted like this, I only wanted a person new to western to know that because they had one rough experience they should keep trying as there are plenty of us out here that want our sport to succeed in what is essentially an incredibly stuffy and biased country.

I think I have covered all points… oh, and before I say “I am implying nothing, only stating facts as I see them”… I better be sure what it is you think I am implying?! :D

Till the next rant,:p
 
4 or 5 years ago I watched Joe Glow a Appaloosa stallion and his rider/owner at a demo{western riding and reining} it still remains the most beautiful demo of riding I have ever seen.:)

Only one rider resorted to kicking at another show{perhaps I should have mentioned this because it was not my intention to cause any malice etc}.It was the 'western pleasure class' the horse shied at a make shift bridge and refused to move.The rider got tuff and no doubt thought after all the expense of getting there, the horse will cross the bridge.He didn't and became very agitated. I think the total silence when the rider was disqualified was a different way of shouting disapproval. .
My nephew is usually very quiet and I was surprised he stood up and shouted especially with the judges sat infront.There was an elderly gentleman near by,he came over to us and chatted about the rider and horse, saying 'its a classic example of to much to soon for the horse,they would have been better working and training from the ground rather than showing'.

While at the western riding centre in Canada the owners told me that they found a high number of English style riders had difficulty working on a loose rein.

Now,I'm hoping not to be hijacking Cochise thread,I have seen western shows here in the UK where a rider and horse were clearly very good, yet get no where in the judging.Puzzled by this I asked the elderly gentleman who seemed very knowledgeable, he said 'the problem is, that horse isn't a Quarter horse or Appaloosa,there not going to be placed by these judges' the judging was very suspect I felt and disappointing too{a similar prejudice owners faced with coloured cobs in dressage events ?}

Anyway,if you know of somewhere in Staffordshire with western trained horses and they teach to,please PM me,Fred.
 
'the problem is, that horse isn't a Quarter horse or Appaloosa,there not going to be placed by these judges'
Ah Well me and Malaga might as well pack up and go home!:D
(Actually I just want to learn to ride properly not win a rossette)
 
Hi Fred

Got five minutes spare so HI!

You were watching a trail class, pleasure has no obstacles, its just walk, jog, lope, reverse, walk jog lope, line up. Somewhere you do a back up... judges discretion whether in the line up or out on the rail.

Trail is one of my fav classes, but you really have to get your horse doing alot of homework... otherwise, they'll let you know they are not ready, usually in public! Mind you... sometimes, horses are just over sensitive... usually because they feel the riders nerves, and think "if your scared of it... why are we going near it?!" Then they decide for you, that your not! So, I would like to defend that rider in case they knew darn well the horse was just taking advantage...:eek:

It sounds like you were def watching WES or WHA as you wont get other breeds at AQHA shows, apart from in the reining, if it is NRHA classes... where you will see Joe Glow doing well!

These may not be the best for you to watch in terms of eduction... and seeing it done right. Some areas are better then others, but to really see international horses and impeccable turn out, you need the AQHA shows. Not saying there aren't a few nightmares there too, but thers def less. AQHA members have alot more to lose if a complaint is filed as they can face prosecution by the American parent association, get fined, get barred... etc.

I do know people around staffs, so I will get my map out and see who/what I can find. Whats the furthest north/south east/west you would travel?

Better run, but keep up your western! It's great!
 
I ride English (dressage) in lessons and sometimes in between; on weekends I sometimes wear my jeans and western boots and my guy wears his western saddle. I also put the western saddle on him when I'm feeling insecure due to back pain, or when I want to try something new that I'm nervous about.

When I ride western I have to remember to tuck my shirt into my pants so I won't get hung up on the horn when I dismount (I have done this more times than is good but my guy just stand there waiting for me to "uncotch" myself (I got that from a Tammy movie). I have gone so far as revealing my bra to a riding companion in this way (completely by accident trying to get uncotched) but so far have never managed to get a bra strap hung up on the horn! :eek:
 
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