Riding English style on a Western saddle

[Teehee]

Hello, I was just wondering... I have a western saddle for my pony, but I learnt riding English style...

Would there be any problem with riding English with a Western saddle?

I mean does it really matter if I use both hands on the reins instead of using one hand? Can you jump with Western saddles...etc?

Thanks,

 

[KarinUS]

I think it will depend on your Western saddle. A lot of them have the stirrups very far forward and tend to put you in a chair seat - hence proper English riding might be tough.
I don't think I would use a Western saddle to jump in, maybe the odd log on a trail but not any serious or frequent jumping.

 

[Kalypso]

You shouldn't really, but I've jumped Mia plenty of times on the trails (fairly large jumps, as well) in my western saddle. Cowboys out west jump in their western saddles all the time. They jump fences, ditches, you name it. When you're chasing cattle across the fields, you can't exactly take the time to go around everything! Of course, you can't 'show' jump in a western saddle

I have both types of saddles now, but when I learned to ride on my first pony Kalypso about four years ago, my instructor basically taught us english - posting, position, rein holding, etc, even though we were riding in western saddles. Granted, we did some western pleasure riding, too, but it was mostly 'english' style.

Just be careful which kind of bit you hold two-handed. Most western bits are not meant to be direct reined and you could end up hurting your horse's mouth! I very often ride my pony in a western saddle and english bridle so I can direct rein her, but if I have her western bit in, I do not direct rein

 

[Teehee]

Just be careful which kind of bit you hold two-handed. Most western bits are not meant to be direct reined and you could end up hurting your horse's mouth! I very often ride my pony in a western saddle and english bridle so I can direct rein her, but if I have her western bit in, I do not direct rein

Thanks, I'm using this bit... I think it's for English riding?

 

[Kalypso]

Yup, i think it's just a loose-ring snaffle, and can be direct reined or neck-reined

I figured you probably knew what you were doing, just thought I'd caution anyway

 

[Teehee]

Yup, i think it's just a loose-ring snaffle, and can be direct reined or neck-reined

I figured you probably knew what you were doing, just thought I'd caution anyway

No, It's always good to mention things like that... because I bought the bridle with the saddle... and it just happen to have that type of bit.... but it could of had the other ones! I never knew that the western bit could hurt the pony's mouth using both hands!

 

[Tuff_up]

i rode english style for 2 years in a western saddle before i finally went to a western pleasure stable that knew what they were doing.lol it didn't kill me to know how to do the posting diagonals and everything but its just seemed funny to me how every other horse person riding western was sitting. anyways i have a neighbour who does the odd jump in a western saddle so i see no harm in what your doing as long as you and the horse know what your doing and nobody gets hurt/harmed.

 

[Kalypso]

No, It's always good to mention things like that... because I bought the bridle with the saddle... and it just happen to have that type of bit.... but it could of had the other ones! I never knew that the western bit could hurt the pony's mouth using both hands!

The reason is that many western bits have long shanks on them, which put a lot of pressure on the horse's mouth! Most western trained horses are neck-reined, which means the shanks just give a little extra fine-tuned control but the reins aren't really used as much, hence not a lot of pulling on the horse's mouth. But being direct-reined, in an english-style grip on the reins, would put a lot of extra pressure on the mouth because of the shanks. Hope that made at least a bit of sense

 

[Alfies-slave]

I know a lad who jumped in a western saddle. His chances of becoming a father have been reduced, when the bruising had gone down they discoverd he had twisted a tube which is aparently a very serious thing to happen to a chap. The doctor made a comment about 'black grapefruit'

You can jump if you adopt a position like the huntsmen you see in old pictures, leaning back with your legs forwards and heels jammed down. On reflection it is probably not a good idea to choose a saddle with a large horn.

 

[Horsewoman]

Hello, I was just wondering... I have a western saddle for my pony, but I learnt riding English style...

Would there be any problem with riding English with a Western saddle?

I mean does it really matter if I use both hands on the reins instead of using one hand? Can you jump with Western saddles...etc?

Thanks,

I don't know a lot about Western riding(but that's never stopped me before!) but looking at the saddle and film footage of people riding that way I would think it might be quite difficult to ride "English" on a Western saddle. Can't you have a few Western lessons?

 

[Teehee]

I don't know a lot about Western riding(but that's never stopped me before!) but looking at the saddle and film footage of people riding that way I would think it might be quite difficult to ride "English" on a Western saddle. Can't you have a few Western lessons?

By the sounds of it, as long as the bit isn't Western, there should not be any problem with me riding with both hands (English style) and I wouldn't be standing up & down... because that might be very uncomfortable? It would be really hard to find a Western teacher around here... besides I'd rather not learn western... since I also have an English saddle... and I don't want to be mixing up the commands... in between horses...

 

[Peace]

I've never had a problem rising to the trot in a western saddle. However, I have spent many a miserable hour trying to acheive the correct shoulder-hip-heel alignment in them, for the reason Karin explained. I think I've only ridden in one or two that didn't force one into a chair seat.

I've also heard that the western tree doesn't allow the horse to round his back properly and for that reason western saddles shouldn't be used for jumping. Someone should send Mr. Parelli a memo.

 

[Kalypso]

By the sounds of it, as long as the bit isn't Western, there should not be any problem with me riding with both hands (English style) and I wouldn't be standing up & down... because that might be very uncomfortable? It would be really hard to find a Western teacher around here... besides I'd rather not learn western... since I also have an English saddle... and I don't want to be mixing up the commands... in between horses...

I usually ride in my western saddle whenever I ride (recently, anyway) and I ALWAYS post while I ride. Every so often, I'll do a western-style jog or sitting trot, but Mia is really more of an english horse than western and her trot is much easier to post to (besides, better for her back, I guess).

 

[LMS]

hehehe I too learned how to post in my western saddle and how to stand in the stirrups (not the 2 pt though).

I agree about the jumping, western saddles are not designed for it. That's why they invented english saddles So ...Dear Mr. Parrelli... hehe

 

[Kalypso]

lol I learned two point in my western saddle -- stirrupless, of course!! That can get SO painful, especially when instructor forgets about you for twenty minutes!

 

[LMS]

lol I learned two point in my western saddle -- stirrupless, of course!! That can get SO painful, especially when instructor forgets about you for twenty minutes!

How did you manage that? The 2pt with no stirrups I mean

I can't remember being successful at it with no stirrups in my western saddle.

Yeah it is painful (winces at the memory)

 

[Kalypso]

how? I don't know...we just had no choice! She said to do it, we did it! You just grip with your thigh muscles really tightly! These were classes for college, not paid lessons...I was being graded for it, so did what I was told! I did have very good balance and stuff there for awhile, though...

I need to start having lessons again!

 

[Cabbitt]

By definition, you can't "ride english" in a western saddle, just like you can't "ride western" in an english saddle, or ride side-saddle in a normal saddle. However, there's no reason you can't RIDE it a western saddle, but if you're going to be doing "english things" (such as dressage work and jumping), you really should get an english saddle. Different saddles have different purposes, and a western saddle will put your body in a position different from that of an english saddle.

Also, I am very against jumping regularly in a western saddle. It isn't made for it from the horse's point of view (I would say frequent jumping in a western saddle is quite detrimental to the horse, although I'm sure occasionally and over low jumps there's no harm), and definitely not made for jumping for the rider, either.

If you're serious about riding english, you should get an english saddle. However, as long as it fits you and your horse, it doesn't have to be a super expensive, nice saddle.

Also, you should not direct rein your horse in a western shank bit, period. Especially when jumping. It is made for neck reining, where the major effects of the turning aids through the reins are applied to the horse's neck, with only residual effects on the lips,bars, and cheeks.

 

[janet hakeney]

I've also heard that the western tree doesn't allow the horse to round his back properly

How do you think reining horses do such great slide stops unless it is by rounding their backs? That has to be the most extreme back rounding any horse does under saddle!

Of course you can ride and train in the 'English Dressage Style' in a Western saddle if your definition of it is to ride with your legs and hands in contact. I ride a lot in a western saddle and it doesn't stop my horse performing half pass, piaffe (back is quite up for that movement!), flying change etc.

I would agree that it isn't a great idea to start jumping anything over about 2 foot high in them as the rider is unable to alter their balance point sufficiently to get to the horses balance point over a bigger fence.