Converting a Western horse into English?

Question

How hard is it to convert a Western-trained horse to English?

(the horse in question already accepts a snaffle and has been ridden in it)

Any steps that I need to take to switch the saddles and get him used to the difference?

Also, I'm not very familiar with Western.... do you post the trot when riding Western? If not, how should I introduce posting to the horse?

Answer 1

Hello I have been converting my QH to English form Western. She has done fine with it. I think she likes better because the saddle is lighter! But she has not had any probs learning to do more English things like the two handed reins and more leg communication. I think you'll be fine.  

Answer 2

I don't know what the easiest way to convert it is, but my riding teacher told me "it is easier to speed a horse up than to slow it down," meaning, that it is easier to convert a horse from western to english, than from english to western.

And no, you do not post while riding western, unless you have a wierd riding teacher like I did the first time i rode,

Answer 3

It's not to hard, basically if your horse is already rode with a snaffle your 2 steps ahead. It's usually the bit that causes the most problem, as for the saddle I would suggest to put the english saddle on the horse and lunge it. If there is no sign of issues then you should be okay with the english saddle. Vice versa with english to western.

Depending what your doing in the western saddle you don't have to post. If your riding pleasure you don't post, but to get your horse use to it get them into a nice slow even trot and just slowly stand and sit with them, if they get all goofy lay down some trotting poles and go over them at the trot. You can also stand and sit in the walk to get them use to the movement. The trotting poles help alot because you can push them over while your posting so they get use to it because they have to think about stepping over the poles to worry about what is happening on their back.

Good Luck

Answer 4

well, i rode my horses in western and english tack. . . . they didnt seem to mind the changes. i think the biggest thing is the bit changes and the use of neck reining to the use of two riens/hands. . . maybe that might be harder for the horse to pick up on, but my horses didnt seem to mind, i didnt neck rien that often but then again i rode trails so  maybe there is a bigger difference then i noticed, you'll have to ask people who are more hard core showing english and western to see the differences rather then my opinion.

edit: post trot doesnt mean that much to a horse b/c you are still moving with the horse, you can do a posting trot on any horse. just like you do a sitting trot in english, it's more of you getting used to it if anything. western horses are still horses, they're not that different from an english horse except their trot isnt as fast of a gait(called a jog), no big deal just teach the horse to move at a faster pace of trot, all horses can do almost any gait( cept maybe only gaited horses can gait. hehe) anyway, it's not like it's a whole different animal, same animal different tack and few different commands but same basic set up.

i'm still lost on why people think that western is so different from english. but yet again i trail ride mostly.