Tentatively mulling over trying western riding...

[ApacheWarrior1]

Ive never ridden western before but it looks so comfortable and relaxed when others are doing it so it got me thinking ..... as I am a generally useless rider and have a tendancy to fall out the side door at the slightest spook maybe I would have more chance of staying with my steed this way.... can anyone shed any light on this please?

 

[Red-1]

Ive never ridden western before but it looks so comfortable and relaxed when others are doing it so it got me thinking ..... as I am a generally useless rider and have a tendancy to fall out the side door at the slightest spook maybe I would have more chance of staying with my steed this way.... can anyone shed any light on this please?

Yes, go there. But be careful who you ask for help as there is more to it than strapping on a western saddle!

 

[TTK]

Have a look at the New to western riding UK group on Facebook. They have a pinned list of western instructors in the uk. Some have school horses, others teach you on your horse, some will travel to you. Good luck.

 

[SEL]

When I used to work overseas the western saddles would always go on if we thought we had a wobbly rider - they are a lot more secure. I've done a fair amount of long distance rides and a good western saddle is great for comfort & security

 

[HollyWoozle]

Absolutely give it a go! I’ve done quite a bit of western riding (mostly trail riding) and love it.

 

[splashgirl45]

I rode western in my youth and found it pretty easy to adjust to, I rode horses that were used to being ridden western and never tried it on my own

 

[Poingsettia]

I swear by my western saddle for regaining confidence. I don’t have a horse any more, but have kept it, just in case. I went on a ranch holiday in Alberta Canada in 2001. Galloping in the Rockies and on the ranch chasing cows without a care.

 

[Poingsettia]

This was me in October in South Africa, on a very chilled Mary-Jo!

 

[ycbm]

Just be aware that if you are anywhere near borderline on weight for your horse to carry you, the average Western saddle, according to my friend who has bought several, weighs 22kg.
.

 

[Bob notacob]

This was me in October in South Africa, on a very chilled Mary-Jo!

Lovely! Horses with stripes and an endless horizon ! Makes me quite homesick. Western riding as far as I can see, relies on the horse using its natural abilities to avoid hazards such as gopher holes . They have to have the freedom to look down and spot problems. It is not that far away from how I ride out hunting.

 

[Skib]

I love it but it is harder on ones spine as all sitting. And European competition Western or barrel racing which I dont like is very different from Western trail rides in usa

 

[Orangehorse]

It isn't hard, its just different. There is a thriving Western riding scene in the UK.

 

[Landcruiser]

I love it but it is harder on ones spine as all sitting. And European competition Western or barrel racing which I dont like is very different from Western trail rides in usa

That's not quite true. Lots of western riders post to trot, or else stand with weight slightly out of saddle and let the horse move under them in faster paces. I have ridden nothing but western on my own horses for 15 yrs now, and find it massively more comfortable and relaxed than english riding. The horses stay much more relaxed, and are very responsive if correctly trained.
With regard to the saddles, they are heavier for sure, but there are options on synthetic or part synthetic, or even treeless, for lighter weight options. Both my American western saddles are mid weight range, both well under 20kg.
If you decide to have a go OP, there are various places doing taster days, but I'd suggest a trail ride to start rather than actual lessons on a competition western horse. The competitive/high level side of Western isn't for everyone (it's not for me), and I'd hate for you to be put off. By this, I mean if you sit on a high level western pleasure type horse you might wonder what you have got yourself into, as the way of going can feel very unnatural (it is). But a nicely working western trained horse is an absolute pleasure to handle and ride, and trail riding (IMO) is a great way to start. (My 2 first ever western rides were in Nevada and Maui - how could I ever want to ride english again after those experiences?).

With regard to security/not falling off. Western saddles lack a knee roll and you sit with a much longer leg. It feels very strange at first, but you get used to it, and then it is much more secure. In 15 yrs I've only ever come off once (sustained bucking) unless you count the slide off whilst opening a gate when the saddle slipped. You do have the horn to contend with if you use a horned saddle. Great for hanging things off and holding on to. Not so great jumping, and even less great if you do find yourself flung off sideways (dirty stop at a jump) and find yourself hanging off the side with the horn essentially embedded in your inner thigh, having torn through several layers of muscle although no layers of clothing or skin in order to embed itself. I stayed on though...).

In other words, OP - Go for it. Western riding is great and doesn't limit you to western riding. I've done TREC with western tack for nearly 10 yrs.

 

[Skib]

(My 2 first ever western rides were in Nevada and Maui - how could I ever want to ride english again after those experiences?).

I think of it as like languages. One can enjoy speaking and reading French and enjoy German or Russian too. So one can enjoy both Western and English riding.
And as for coming out of the saddle - I prepared for USA by having a couple of Western lessons here in UK and then also had a few in USA. No one ever suggested my coming out of the saddle. Unless adjusting my weight forward coming down a steep mountainside.

 

[ArklePig]

I'm following with interest as I tried it for the first time yesterday. Totally hooked! I am also a generally useless rider, I felt very secure and more confident than I usually would.

I had not ridden for a couple of months and I have an old pelvis and back injury and while I hurt today, my hips and back are totally fine. (seat bones are battered ?)

 

[Orangehorse]

I remember having a discussion over lunch with a group of riders about how easy/hard it is to fall off a western saddle.

We decided that it is possible, but if you do it can hurt!

The first canter I ever had on my newly broken-in horse was on a western saddle. He did the most enormous buck - I remember looking down his shoulder to see the hard track far below - but although thrown out of the saddle I did not fall off, so that was a good lesson for both of us. I did have a bruise on my stomach though, where the horn got me.

 

[SEL]

I remember having a discussion over lunch with a group of riders about how easy/hard it is to fall off a western saddle.

We decided that it is possible, but if you do it can hurt!

The first canter I ever had on my newly broken-in horse was on a western saddle. He did the most enormous buck - I remember looking down his shoulder to see the hard track far below - but although thrown out of the saddle I did not fall off, so that was a good lesson for both of us. I did have a bruise on my stomach though, where the horn got me.

I took a ride out once with novices and one of the horses did a cat leap over a trickle of water heading down the beach to the sea. The male rider landed on the horn. He literally couldn't speak for the rest of the ride. I had no idea what to say ..... somehow 'oh dear did that hurt' just didn't seem appropriate!!

I have been bucked off straight over the top of the horse but that was practically into space. Most of the time though you are wedged in so even when I had a horse go down on her knees I didn't go over her head - which I would have done in an english saddle.

@Skib you can post to the trot in a western saddle if you want. I've even jumped logs and ditches - you just need to learn a different way of going with the horse.

If I could find a tiny one for a small microcob then western we would be. She's hacking only these days and bitless too so we could really rock Thelwell Cowgirl in the Bucks countryside

 

[Landcruiser]

I think of it as like languages. One can enjoy speaking and reading French and enjoy German or Russian too. So one can enjoy both Western and English riding.
And as for coming out of the saddle - I prepared for USA by having a couple of Western lessons here in UK and then also had a few in USA. No one ever suggested my coming out of the saddle. Unless adjusting my weight forward coming down a steep mountainside.

https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/articles/free-articles/julies-blog/western-posting/

 

[scruffyponies]

I managed to fall off in a western. In a fit of hubris I allowed a (quiet) horse who had never worn a western before to canter down a drop-turn onto a forest track. He must have felt the flank girth tighten on his belly, and panicked, putting in 3 or 4 almighty bucks, which weren't in themselves a problem but his front foot slipped and unable to rebalance with the back feet in the air, he fell on his nose, leaving me no option but to roll off onto the adjacent banking.

The moral of this story is that ANY horse in ANY tack can make you look like a muppet.

 

[Alibear]

I vote yes its a lot of fun. A Ranch holiday 7 years ago converted me and I only rode English once afterwards. It's addictive though so be warned

 

[eahotson]

I managed to fall off in a western. In a fit of hubris I allowed a (quiet) horse who had never worn a western before to canter down a drop-turn onto a forest track. He must have felt the flank girth tighten on his belly, and panicked, putting in 3 or 4 almighty bucks, which weren't in themselves a problem but his front foot slipped and unable to rebalance with the back feet in the air, he fell on his nose, leaving me no option but to roll off onto the adjacent banking.

The moral of this story is that ANY horse in ANY tack can make you look like a muppet.

Smile

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I have ridden western a lot in the past, I was lucky enough to own both a Quarter horse and a Tennessee Walking horse. I actually found it much easier than English style, more relaxing and always felt very secure. But both horses had been trained to the highest standard so that helped. Not by me I hasten to add but by their previous very experienced owners in the States.

I am seriously considering if I do ever get back to riding, taking up western again if I can find a suitable horse. I agree that the saddles are very heavy, I had the heavy very fancy show saddle and a lightweight synthetic everyday saddle. I think I would have difficulty putting a leather western saddle on an 11.2 never mind an actual horse, so it will be synthetic for me again I suspect.

 

[Pippity]

I agree that the saddles are very heavy, I had the heavy very fancy show saddle and a lightweight synthetic everyday saddle. I think I would have difficulty putting a leather western saddle on an 11.2 never mind an actual horse, so it will be synthetic for me again I suspect.

It's the weight of the saddle that's put me off. I'm already not a lightweight, and adding a very heavy saddle would be a bit unfair to my horse. If there are synthetic ones available, though, that makes it more doable.

I've got a week of riding in New Zealand coming up, and I've only just realised from looking at the videos that the horses all seem to be in Western saddles, so I could well be having a western riding bootcamp!

 

[phizz4]

Just be aware that if you are anywhere near borderline on weight for your horse to carry you, the average Western saddle, according to my friend who has bought several, weighs 22kg.
.

My synthetic/leather mix western saddle weighs 22 lbs, my full leather Ray's saddle weighs 35 lb.

 

[phizz4]

I imported my lighter-weight saddle from the USA without any problems. Many of the tack stores have comprehensive instructions for measuring your horses back and getting the right fit. There are also several good western tack sellers here in the UK.

 

[Lyle]

It's the weight of the saddle that's put me off. I'm already not a lightweight, and adding a very heavy saddle would be a bit unfair to my horse. If there are synthetic ones available, though, that makes it more doable.

I've got a week of riding in New Zealand coming up, and I've only just realised from looking at the videos that the horses all seem to be in Western saddles, so I could well be having a western riding bootcamp!

I have a Wintec Western saddle that I use for starting horses. Had a good old fashioned, proper western style that was really great but too heavy for the smaller horses. Thr wintec is cheap, cheerful and light. I really like that i can chuck it on one handed really. Would recommend as a starting point.