Any other western riders? - Pic

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burtie

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Having struggled with my horse being a bit spooky out hacking and after a chat with my friend who is an experienced western rider we decided to try her old saddle on my horse, thinking that the more secure western seat would help with my unexpected sideways movements.

Anyway it seemed a reasonable fit and he seemed happy so after a successful test ride in the school we rode out today and with some hints form my friend we developed an english-western style that really seemed to suit us, and given the high winds we test drove the spook security and have to say I'm rather taken and felt very safe in the saddle(touch wood!).

So he'll still be a dressage horse as his day job, but can be an overgrown cow pony for his hacking/relaxing days!

Does anyone else combine both styles of riding and any hints and tips?

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I don't but have often thought about doing exactly the same thing & if I could afford a really decent western saddle I'd happily turn my coloured WB into a little paint horse for hacking. I'm sure he'd enjoy it too! Sounds like a great idea to me.
 
Got myself an Australian Stock saddle a year or two ago, which felt very secure. Sadly doesn't fit my current horse, but would love to sit in it again some day, the most incredible thing, high front and back so you really sat into your horse! Think it's a great idea to experiment with different styles, especially if it make you feel safer!:D
 
I ride western on our younger ones and 'wenglish' on my old boy.

Here I am on my old boy:

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And here I am looking quite the mong on our 6 year old QH mare, also just back from a little hack on her own.
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First time saddled for my stud colt:

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And for the Ahhhh factor, our first home-bred western baby on his birth day:

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attheponies said:
I don't but have often thought about doing exactly the same thing & if I could afford a really decent western saddle I'd happily turn my coloured WB into a little paint horse for hacking. I'm sure he'd enjoy it too! Sounds like a great idea to me.
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Looking at the vast array of saddles from £200 - £4000 was putting me off a bit as I know nothing about them! I didn't realise my friend still had her old one, so it's been great to try it. In fact I'm hopefully going to buy it off her as it seems to suit my boy so nicely. Still have to invest in a pad though as well as and that seems a bit of a minefield (and not cheap!)so I'll probably go with one like the one of hers I'm currently borrowing.
 
I used to ride my polo mare first in a hybrid stock saddle and then in a Western saddle but with English bridle and bit, we did a lot of long hacks and it was just more comfortable for both of us, and the horn was always useful to hang on to if necessary! I now ride totally Western though, having learned much more about the cueing etc and have become more competitive with it.
 
If you blur out your face and your boys sheath your picture could be that of my friend and her mare!

She has ridden in a western saddle / english bridle for years as her mare is more comfortable in a western saddle (was a dressage diva in her early years)

I've got no tips, my friend rises to the trot. Has jumped a few jumps in it on pleasure rides and her mare does all the old dressage diva stuff - extended trot etc wearing it!
 
I've always been tempted to learn to ride Western but what puts me off is that I'm quite heavy, and I notice from sales adverts that Western saddles are pretty heavy too - my girl, stocky though she is, might not appreciate it.

On the other hand, they always look SO comfortable - the Australian ones as well - and as she's a shocking shyer when cantering in open fields, I could do with it. But I'd be very grateful for any comments on the weight issue.
 
We have a Wintec western, they come up on ebay quite frequently, but they only do one width and it comes up quite narrow. We also have a Dream Team treeless which is very secure and comfortable, abt £400. We use rope halters for riding, so I suppose we look quite western!
 
I bought a WintecPro Stock saddle for Malaga and he won't have it so we've had to just work out how to keep his Bob Marshal steady and the brand new saddle is sitting in the trunk unused...very expensive mistake :(
love Western Style riding gets rid of so many bad habits
 
I ride in an Aussie stock saddle for everything from hacking to xc. Even have done dressage in it but have just bought a proper dressage saddle for that! I love it.
 
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