Can you ride English using western tack?

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MyBoyChe

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This might be a really stupid question, but I have no idea! Seriously considering a western saddle for my boy as we hack out for hours and they look so comfy. We are very relaxed hackers and I think the style would suit us both. However, finding somewhere local to learn is proving difficult. There are one or two options but both are 50 miles away so not really practical . Is it viable to just chuck the tack on and go or do you need to re start the horse to a different set of aids. I dont want to get to a really high level, just to be able to hack out safely.
 
MyBoyChe said:
This might be a really stupid question, but I have no idea! Seriously considering a western saddle for my boy as we hack out for hours and they look so comfy. We are very relaxed hackers and I think the style would suit us both. However, finding somewhere local to learn is proving difficult. There are one or two options but both are 50 miles away so not really practical . Is it viable to just chuck the tack on and go or do you need to re start the horse to a different set of aids. I dont want to get to a really high level, just to be able to hack out safely.
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Yip, I do. I've got a super comfy startrekk treeless western style saddle and we ride English style, though mostly on a loose rein when daundering about the country side. I've done endurance in it as well.

It's great if your doing a good bit of mileage. Also handy if something jumps out of a bush whilst your daundering about in a day dream. That pommel really stops you coming out the front door.

You just have to get use to the funny looks from the odd other rider (jealousy normally)lol
 
you can ride english if you want, i remember going for my first western saddle ride and couldn't understand why i couldn't trot properly, of course the stirrups were really long.... der!!! next time i shortened my stirrups and i felt happier. my first saddle was a Barefoot western , i found it fantastically comfortable and secure , if you decide to get a treed western saddle look carefully at fit, they can be very heavy and have different sorts of rigging etc, i never could get on with a cinch but you can get convertors now! i too love riding in a more relaxed fashion, the OH rides in a stock saddle on a loose rein and just neck reins everywhere, by chance his horse is trained for it but you can teach yours , it's not difficult ( youtube is your friend!!). x
 
Yes, no problem. Jumping is a bit more tricky as if you over fold you stab yourself in the gut!

Also, a Western saddle is not allowed in competition.
 
Just be careful doing rising trot! I did a couple of days in Western tack and was in agony so just went back to posting, bit dodgy with that ruddy great horn!
 
Yes- I don't find them comfy on British style horses going how we train them- think of a perfect QH jog compared to a dressage trot! There's a big variety in the saddles but they wouldn't be for me full time- posting isn't a comfy as in an English saddle IMO and I wouldn't want to sit to my (Welsh, forwards going) ponies all the time.
This may be totally wrong and is only based on 10 weeks and a few other rides, but that's how I felt :p

Some of the hackamores however I think would be fabulously comfy for the horse hacking!
 
I ride my English trained mare in a western endurance saddle (specialized trailmaster - it's amazing!) and we have no problems. I ride on a long rein anyway and neck rein/use voice commands) so we try and stay nice and relaxed :-)

The endurance saddle has no horn so I can still rise to the trot comfortably which is just as well on very long endurance rides.
 
Red-1 said:
Also, a Western saddle is not allowed in competition.
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Depends on the competition. Endurance - fine. TREC - fine. Western classes - more than fine! Competition isn't JUST about dressage, SJing and eventing you know. I've even used mine in a local show turn out class (I was there to get experience for my new, green mare). It raised a few eyebrows but we were allowed to enter!
 
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