Anyone ride the same horse western and English?

Mum's horse rides 'Wenglish'

Western saddle - mostly adapted / lazy english aids. We are in no way experts in either - neck reining she can take or leave - we dont do any western 'specialty' moves either...

She copes fine, trailing one day then english SJ the next. Shes a clever bean though. Backed english then one day when Mum's hips got crocked we 'plonked' a western saddle on her and off she went!
 
I grew up riding my pony both. I used my seat/legs in the same way it was only my reins that were different. He could neck rein, do sliding stops and everything but then was equally happy show jumping with me English :)

It depends how Western and how English you want to ride though. I knew English riders that used Western Tack at rodeos but rode exactly the same as in their English tack.
 
No I don't. I have some horses who are only ridden English and my western horses are only ridden western. I don't find the two styles comparable enough to mix and match even though some of the movements/aids are similar.
 
I guess it depends what level, if you're doing both at low level it probably wouldn't matter but if you're wanting to do grand prix dressage then western pleasure day after it's not really going to work
 
Iv just began training with my horse and riding instructor to start him western, he loves it! We also do dressage and a wee bit of jumping and he copes with both just fine :)
 
My pony was broken in Western and was taught to a high level of western riding, then was took off the people he had on loan and the next people plonked an english saddle on and started riding him as if he was an english horse. When I bought him he was very confused about certain english aids and took me 2 years to school him properly.

I can ride him in his english tack western and I have no problems. He'll do which ever style I ask for, though he is a lot calmer to ride when western.
 
I ride our youngster English (dressage and starting to jump) and also polo style for stick and balling which I'd imagine is similar to Western as involves neck reining etc. She adapts quite happily to either and knows what is expected depending what we are doing!
 
Mine's done both with correct tack and training in the past, but is now ridden "Wenglish/happy hacker" in English saddle and snaffle. He neckreins, I get on western style off english style, etc.
 
Not my horse but have ridden at least one that coped fine with English/Western AND side saddle. Know several who do both happily - and one who will only respond to the 'correct' aides depending on the tack he is wearing!
 
Is it an English horse that you are trying to change to western? If so, and providing you are only doing low level stuff, then I think you'll be fine. I know there is absolutely no way I could easily change my personal western horses to riding English as they are trained cutting horses and would not be able to cope with the leg, rein or body pressure, they are way too highly tuned and responsive for English. It could be done I suppose but it would take literally years to convert them. The English horses I own could be probably be trained to being very low level western horses much more quickly. It's doubtful any of them could ever be more than low level western horses though.
 
Absolutely! It does of course depend on the horse, the training and the rider but generally speaking it can be done.
As other posters have said, if the horse is destined to compete at a high level then the training is going to be contradictory - western horses need to have very little knee action and a level outline as opposed to a dressage horse that will need a more extravagant action.
Having said that, basic principles are very similar - lightness, straightness, rhythm, obedience, elevated shoulders, engaged hindquarters etc are all things that are required in English and western. My horse does both quite happily, and has competed at a decent level under western tack - if I'm riding him English I tend to ride with a lighter contact than possibly a 'normal' English rider, purely because he is more used to being ridden that way.
 
y horse is English.Had a first stab at western over the weekend.Found it quite hard as I had to unlearn quite a lot.Loved the lightness of it all.Probably will need to do a bit more first but was wondering if I should change completely or persist in English or try to do both.
 
Hi Shelley - you might find it easier to concentrate on western for a while and get really proficient. If you want to try trail, it will really get you both working together and it's an excellent way to get a horse to listen to you and focus on what he or she is being asked to do.
Even if you decide eventually that you want to go back to English, what you will both have gained from western training will have given you a whole new dimension which will be very useful to you, I'm sure.
Out of interest, where did you go to have a lesson?
 
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