western riding, barrel racing

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ldlp111

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Just wondered if anyone knew of somewhere to try western riding and the games. I can't seem to find anywhere near me (somerset) to try it :(

On my list of things to do... :)
 
For my 30th birthday My lovely husband bought me a western riding experience from one of those red letter days things that was based at a equestrian venue in The New Forest. I can't for the life of me recall the name or the nearby town !! etc (I travelled from Scotland to go!). But I'm sure you will be able to google it or something similar.

I must say, I have always rode, my entire life English and have done a fair bit and I found it INCREDIBLY difficult to ride differently and it is a completely different way of riding. From someone who can handle a wide variety of horses and disciplines (not an expert I must add!! But reasonable) I was reduced to looking like I was starting again, trying to master walk and halt!!!!

Would have taken a good few more lessons to get to do barrel racing for me anyway!
A real eye opener.
Enjoy.

Ps. At least you're already down south, so should be places near ish to you.
 
Barrel racing is excellent. Done it in USA when ranching and its fast but the horses were so well trained. Not done it in UK but worth a go. We did have a couple of western lessons first.
 
I had a western riding lesson a couple of weeks ago at Southern Schoolmasters in Surrey, really enjoyed it but my god was it totally different!! Felt like a total beginner again and like the other poster it was a struggle just to get walk & halt ;-)
 
many years ago I went on a western riding holiday and we did barrel racing, it was great fun...I think the holiday place was in Ringwood in the new forest....might be worth a google
 
The Western Horseman Association have barrel racing and other events. I think they are Kent based. Looking on FB for their page is your best bet.
 
splashgirl45 said:
many years ago I went on a western riding holiday and we did barrel racing, it was great fun...I think the holiday place was in Ringwood in the new forest....might be worth a google
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Yes Ringwood rings a bell, that must have been where I was!

Like I say, a fish out of water and I think it was easier for those who had never ridden before at all to get to grips with the Western style/aids. Good fun all the same.
 
Supertrooper said:
but my god was it totally different!! Felt like a total beginner again and like the other poster it was a struggle just to get walk & halt ;-)
Click to expand...

It does that to you, and in effect you ARE a total novice again. Everything you learned before must be put aside, forget the contact etc, and learn to swing those humping great saddles not lift, and that's before you stare at a cinch and think "How in heavens name do I do this?" and do not say 'Whoa" unless you are prepared to actually stop, not slow down, also get used to sounding like you are snogging your horse.

I bought a trained horse and boy I learned quickly.
She stopped - fast. I didn't.
Hated snaffles (so I learned about the mechanics of curbs and how to ride with one - blasting the BHS theory that shanked bits are cruel right out of the water) and didn't have a clue what a normal leg cue was, click to go, kiss to up the speed, hum to slow down 'Ho!' to stop and stand.
I learned what Western weight cues were, my trainer spent half his time laughing at me and the other half pulling his hair out in frustration.

I haven't even sat on an English saddle, let alone ridden English in 10 years, and have no intention of ever doing so again, although nowadays I don't ride western either, so in the last couple of years I have had to learn to ride in yet another style.

There is nothing to stop you doing barrels at home, plenty of info on training, patterns and distances online. You do need a good surface rather than grass though.
 
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well I found western riding quite easy, we did lots of riding along and picking up things from the floor as well as barrel racing, it was great fun ...I found it much easier than riding in English saddles( I was a lot younger and more supple then)...definitely give it a go while you are young!!!!
 
Thanks for all links and replies :)
Have found a few places that do western, going on holiday beginning of september so will see if we accidentally end up near one of them ;)
 
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