Re-training horses from western to traditional???

[Queenbee]

As the post says really,
Anyone been there, done it and got the t-shirt?
What methods did you use? Were you sucessfull? What are the pitfalls? How long did it take?
Any opinions please. T'is a QH we are talking about...
cheers

 

[rosie55]

hi, i have a 5 yr old quarter horse who is ridden both western and english. they are really quite intelligent so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. has your horse been ridden in english tack at all and how is it bred? i would recommend a bates saddle, the one with the interchangeable gullet as it can be difficult to fit a QH for a saddle. my QH has also done dressage too and i know of QH-cross which has done lots of jumping etc.
good luck!
ps also be aware you may need a larger size bridle with a larger noseband as QH cheeks are large!

 

[Tia]

Western as in properly western trained, or western as in the rider simply uses a western saddle? There is a BIG difference. If the horse has just been ridden in a western saddle, then it's no big deal to flip over to gradually taking a rein contact and a change of saddle. However if it is a properly western trained horse then it will take far more time.

Western trained horses are super sensitive to the aids, that's why English riders can have such a hard time riding them. You will have to retrain the horse to not be so reactive to your leg pressure, as with western horses, you barely need to touch them at all and they will yield. Taking a rein contact will be an issue and will take time to retraining it to accept a heavy contact in comparison to the very light touch it will be used to. Trying to unteach it neck-reining could be rather tough. Western is a far more complicated form of riding compared to regular English - there are so many cues that are not used in English and you need to make sure you know them all if you have any chance of success.

Personally I would say this is by far the most difficult way around; it's very easy to teach an English horse western than the other way around ... however if you are in the UK, then I suspect it may not actually be a western trained horse but rather a rider who just uses light rein contact and rides in a western saddle, in which case it will be simple.

 

[perfect11s]

I know quite a few that do both sucesfuly at shows and at home, there is not too much difference between western and good english riding,
if you mean you want to ride with a lot of rein contact in a false collection/pulled in head set with a lot of leg then why??? we look for less and less aids ,with self carrage, asking the horse to do somthing then allowing the horse to do it, rewarding the right thing with release of presure the rider is fairly passive untill some change of gait or direction is required, so if your horse is well trained western then riding in a classical way should be easy, and english riders are amazed how relaxed and at the same time responsive the western trained horses are, My first time was an eye opener you only had practicaly to think to go, steer or stop, and yes you do need a very light touch I guess like if you were riding a high level dressage horse... a well trained showable QH is quite rare
here in the uk.. so if your horse goes nicely dont let some 3rd rate instructor bugger it up for you.. do some clinics and show with WES and have some fun doing some great riding, l think
worth the effort to show western....

 

[Queenbee]

cheers all (keep the tips coming!),
Teagirl: I got the wrong horse (i am looking at two) this one is actually welsh d x appoloosa but has done nothing for the last year

Tia: it has been trained western style (not just the saddle) but I think with time and patience we can make the switch. Although this type of project is new to me!!

Perfect11's: thank you for your input, but I was asking how to make the swap from western TO english, not how to stay riding western. I have ridden western and do thoroughly enjoy it, but only when i go on holiday to america. I have no third rate instructor telling me what to do, this is my own decision to:
" ride with a lot of rein contact in a false collection/pulled in head set with a lot of leg"
because I do not want to show western, I want to show English.

Thank you for your input on how 'restrictive and unnatural my style of riding is. However, if (which i doubt) you have any tips on how to make the transfer to english as simple as poss for the horse I would love to hear from you.

 

[Orangehorse]

The Western Equestrian Society is the equivalent of dressage and a fascinating discipline in its own right. A properly trained western horse is very responsive, just how a dressage horse should be.

 

[Tia]

I'd liken western riding cues to being much more similar to Classical equitation rather than competition dressage, to be honest.

Have you been to try out the horse QB? How responsive is it? And to what level of western would you say it was at? What type of western discipline is it being ridden in at present? A little more info will help try to figure out how easy/difficult the transition would be for you and the horse.

 

[elizabethshaw]

there are some awesome western horses in the uk, but they tend to be QH's simply because generally competitors will buy a QH so they can show at one of the national QH shows (these are quite high profile, and attract serious amateurs and pro's). The bottom line is, if someone is really serious about competing, they will get themselves a QH - also there is not much to touch them for the job. Because your horse is a cross (and a really nice one, I'm sure) it is unlikely that it would have been owned and trained to pro standard - you don't often see a non QH with one of the top trainers. So the horse may be nicely trained, but prob not to the standard that would make it hard to re train english - hopefully the horse has been trained to be obedient and responsive to the aids, and to a fair standard, and also to be fairly sensible and accepting of new things, especially if the previous owner has done trail work (a little like trec type obstacles) so hopefully will be level headed. Any decent instructor should be able to help, just take your time, and enjoy yourself.