Continuation of Long Tails - Any western Riders here??

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Kate_13

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Lots of you have expressed your opinion for the post about the long tails and the way that the western riders/ horses look and perform.

I think I must the only one in the minority of actually liking the western style and way of going. (I ride English now only due to lack of shows in my area without having to travel miles), I appreciate all disciplines for what they are.

My question is: Are there any western riders who use this site?
 
I ride western in that I have a reining trained APHA and ride her in a western saddle. I don't presume to say that I am a western rider as basically I sit on her and am learning as I go along, I have a very experienced trainer who despairs of me, and a horse that thinks I'm talking total twaddle, she "speaks" Canadian, I as yet, do not. I intend to get there in the end though.

There is a massive difference between the way horses are ridden in an English saddle over here and in the UK, the contact is looser and the horses are expected to carry themselves. As someone who has been bought up riding in England the BHS and PC way ("Your reins are like washing lines, take a contact") it is a huge culture shock to me and I have so much to learn.

You are so right when you say that each style must be taken on it's own merits I do agree with that.
 
One of my friends is - she has just bought a qtr horse mare and rides western, she used to ride English but felt that the Western style was more secure for her (hence less nerves).

I went to a ranch in Andalucia and tried it for a week - could not get used to not having a contact on reins - but it made my leg a lot longer after a week, put stirrups down two holes when came back to UK!!
 
Not a western rider any more, although i initially learned to ride western..the transition to an English style of saddle and different way of riding was frankly scary.

I still like this style of riding, but find myself seriously at odds with everybody around me, so have adapted to riding on a contact (kind of) although I would argue til the cows come home that western horses are on a contact of sorts, but a much much lighter one
 
I went to texas to see some family who have horses, they took me to watch friends practicing for team roping- wow! Got to ride a 4yr old QH mare, just playing. Came home and got lessons, on show pleasure horses so really had to get balanced and effective and my main lesson horse was 5! Then had lessons from her trainer who taught me roll backs, spins and lead changes ..
My last horse was taught to back up, spin and do sliding stops and it helped us sooo much in my last season SJ. He was also polite and well mannered from halter work.
Horse in siggy feels too sharp at mo to play too much western, however he has learnt to back up in halter and will now back up under saddle. He is also polite on ground, good halter work and when he settles will see how he can cope with the speedier work, as he is BSJAing.
Id love to barrel race!
 
all our polo ponies are trained western style, yes we do have a loose contact but then saying that when you ask with your hands it's not a battle only really need finger movement. I ride both western style and english, only thing I would say if you are going from english to western It is a bit of a shock as most of our horses are very sensitive so barely any leg is really required.
 
Prittstick - Barrel racing is excellent fun! My old mare used to win loads!


Cazza - I was trained western, I have just chosen to ride English for ease of show locations. Am contemplating training my boy western. If only there were more western shows local to me. Ummmmm
 
Kudu, going off on a slightly different tack here, but do you think it's easier going from English to Western style or vice versa?

Personally I am debating trying another style of saddle altogether, maybe Australian stock (mid way between the two?) as I have always ridden very short (racing stables do that to you) and find the ultra long western style incredibly uncomfortable, I am also the biggest weed out and find the saddles uncomfortably heavy to carry about, I have mastered the art of getting them on a horse with little effort though
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I came here at a bad time to do any regular riding though, when the weather gets warmer and the ice disappears I will be able to buckle down and get my act in gear. It's so odd after 35 years of riding to feel like a complete and utter novice again. I am devouring books like a starving person, I don't understand the horses, their schooling, the aids, the bits, I even had to be shown how to do a cinch up!
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I can only give you my opinion, but I rode English, then trained western, then back to English! A class in western riding involves riding a pleasure class Westrn, then a quick tack swap to English and ride a show and a couple of jumps. Versatility is the key.

Now to be completley controversial, I find riding both styles pretty much the same. You still have to ride from the body, thhe position I find the same as I ride long anyway and you still have to be in alignment. The fact that there is no contact on the reins is the only difference, but to be honest, shouldn't all horses be ridden to hold their own carriage? e.g In advanced dressage classes you are to demonstrate that your horse will hold its own carriage by releasing contact on the reins.

I personally think that western style is so pleasurable to watch and to do as it takes a good rider to be able to have total control of the horse and perform advanced movements with only a finger touch too the reins. It is all body!

On the tack front, yes they are blumming heavy saddles, I used to have a super light one which had a flexible tree. There are lighter ones out there and manufacturers usually put the kg weight on their saddles on the internet.

Keep going with it, you will find it very rewarding. However I have no experience of race horses or the position for riding them, all I can say is just lengthen your stirrups as and when you are comfortable.

Good luck
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Prittstick, Zara Stud in Sidlesham used to do events, but don't think they are doing that any more.

There is Burley Villa in thhe New Forest and some Pony club events have barrel racing.

You could come to my yard and we can play together?!!!

The western horsemanship of GB club do racing and cattle classes. Wes and AQHA do pleasure and trail.
 
I do know what you mean, although I think I'd be an embarressment. You should come up to me for a weekend and teach me some stuff. All my lot can 360, sliding stop, roll back 180, and can virtually trott backwards! no exaggeration there. But I don't know how to look pretty on board!
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All of my horses are all trained western. They are all AQHA's, APHA's and Appaloosa's and they are such lovely horses to ride. Some of them are at varying stages of training.

I have a cutting horse who was very sharp when I first got him a couple of years ago - I have been slowly changing this on him for regular riding, but when he works the cattle with me I flip him back into it. I changed him because my daughter, who was 9 years old last year was penning on him and found him just toooooo responsive for her aids. He is pretty good now though in that he can flit between me riding him and her riding him.

I also have a reining horse who is also incredibly sharp, however I like her
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Barrel racing over here is worth BIG BUCKS! The prize money can be up to $50,000 at events so good barrel horses are quite sought after.

All working horses whether they be cutters, ropers or heelers are at a premium here at the moment. Everyone seems to be looking to buy working-stock cattle horses.....hence that's what I buy and train up.
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Not really but I grew up in British Columbia riding western in the "real" sense as up the sides of mountains and in games. I did do some AQHA stuff a few years ago but mostly I was teaching their hunt seat horses to jump and didn't compete in western events because I wouldn't let them dress me up!
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That said, I'm seriously considering bringing a western saddle with me. Used ones are relatively inexpensive here and good ones - especially some of the lighter ones made for Western Riding (the equivalent of Equitation) and speed events are lovely to ride in. (There is an American show jumper, Todd Minkus, who hacks his horses in a western saddle. They tend to be much easier on horses' backs and at least make for a change of pressure.) The ones for reining, WP etc tend to put the leg more forward and my English self hates them. Cutting saddles are not for riding in, they're for cutting in.
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Wintec does sell a light Western saddle. Otherwise there are ones without a full skirt which are much lighter.

One of the freakiest accidents I ever saw was at a huge Quarter Horse show. The fashion is to literally have tails that drag on the ground, complete with weaved in hair extensions. One horse in the line up at the end of the class was fussing away and eventually stepped backwards, right on to his giant tail! He freaked out and ended up flipping over on the rider! Luckily she was not hurt but it did not put a good spin on the fashion for me.
 
Only the last 6-7 years, the horses I started on were all ready mades, but we now have ex-racers doing it surprisingly well
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. I just wouln't know what to do at a show, and all of ours are ridden in copper inlay snaffles, so I don't know what they would think of a proper western mouth piece
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