I'm so excited! I just switched over from western to english and it is so much fun! I'm also going to a riding camp this summer! Any of you switch over from one style to another?
No,but I did get moved up a level in my lesson. Well I was supposed to awhile ago,but we couldnt fit it in our schedule. So I start the next level in June. Im so excited! Today we got to bathe the school horses and it was so much fun!
I'm kind of prejudiced toward English because that's how I was always taught, but I've ridden Western trail a little bit. I did at one time buy a Western horse and switched her over to English, she won ribbons in dressage, jumping and eventing with me and a pony club girl I leased her to. To me, English seems better because you can do more, like jumping. But a horse or rider who has good basics in either can go on to do whatever they want, the basic training is the same.
U can jump in western 2, but its way less comfortable. Dressage in English is a lot like showmanship in western. There isn't a sport in western that i am aware of that involves jumping because like i said before it is uncomfortable.
Originally posted by littledog123: I'm kind of prejudiced toward English because that's how I was always taught, but I've ridden Western trail a little bit. I did at one time buy a Western horse and switched her over to English, she won ribbons in dressage, jumping and eventing with me and a pony club girl I leased her to. To me, English seems better because you can do more, like jumping. But a horse or rider who has good basics in either can go on to do whatever they want, the basic training is the same.
I don't think there is a style that is better because that is just an opinion I know a english rider would have a hard time lassoing a bull while a western rider would have a equal amount of trouble doing 3-day eventing.
You're definately right, "better" was a bad choice of words, I should have just said better for the horse sports I personally enjoy doing! I certainly did NOT mean to cut down Western riding AT ALL! I would actually someday like to try more Western sports--the little bit of Western trail I tried gave me a lot of respect for Western riding--I don't know about lassoing bulls but maybe a calf or a very elderly goat would be more my speed? And I wouldn't even try that in an English saddle...the point I was (somewhat awkwardly) trying to make is that it doesn't matter what style a horse or rider starts out with, if you have really solid training in the basics you can be good at lots of different horse sports.
When I switched to english, my instructor took my reins away while I was posting trot so i could learn to stand up and keep my balance. I can say i had a hard time with it because in western the horn can help you push up when you get to the up part of the posting trot. In english there is nothing like that so it took me a while to get it right, but after a couple minutes I was posting like a pro.
Wow, you sound good! Posting in an english saddle sounds kind of difficult.I ride in an endurance saddle because of my height. The smaller people ride in western. Last week we rode bareback,and it was so much fun,but I couldnt post when we trotted so it felt really weird. At the barn I take my lessons at there is a pig named Buckley,he is so funny! He likes carrots and gets offended when I dont give him enough.
LOL: to me, posting with or without a saddle or reins seems normal, it took me a long time to be able to sit the trot without bouncing or making the horse uncomfortable. But you Western riders seem to be able to sit the trot effortlessly!
I ride western. No need for posting in the English sense. If you just move with the horse, no need to post and look silly. (Looks silly to me, anyway.) As for bareback, I prefer riding with no bit, either. I had a wonderful horse that you could ride with just a halter and lead rope... or nothing at all. Just holding onto the lower part of his mane and a little pressure on the side you wanted him to turn was all you needed. Wonderful gelding.
Originally posted by littledog123: LOL: to me, posting with or without a saddle or reins seems normal, it took me a long time to be able to sit the trot without bouncing or making the horse uncomfortable. But you Western riders seem to be able to sit the trot effortlessly!
I wouldnt say effortlessly i still cant sit the trot in western well i might i havent ridden western in a while LOL.The lesson went excellent yesterday only i was really sore because we worked on the extended sitting and posting trot and 2-pt position so I couldnt move for a long time.
i ride western all the time but i have rode english once but i thought it was strage without the saddle horn there. but when i rode english it was on a friends horse and after a while i jumped off and got back on my horse. it is western for me!
