English and Western Horseback Riding????

Question

what is the difference between them?? and Which one do u like better?

Answer 1

Then do what you want

If you do not like the other then go English

Just because you learn to ride  No will make you compete ..

so just learn everything you can , and all of it will come in handy  when your out on the trails any way ,,

Go where you will be happy the most ...!!!!!!!!1

Answer 2

The difference is that the western saddle was designed for ranch work and long working hours in the saddle and it's origin is taken from the saddles used by the Spanish Vaqueros working cattle ranches in Mexico and the western disciplines and competitions are rooted in developing and advancing the skills of ranch horses and riders to give both horse and rider a keen edge in the ranch work they did. The English saddle was designed for foxhunting and the English disciplines and competitions are rooted in developing and advancing the skills of the horses and riders to give both horse and rider a keen edge in the hunt ride (over ditches, hedge rows, fences and such) and in aristocratic recreational riding sports.

Answer 3

I've ccp'ed this from an answer I previously gave on the differences between the styles.

I've ridden both and don't wish to get into a style war. I grew up riding english and in truth, I prefer it, but I also love to ride western every now and again. There is good and bad to both styles, I am the first to admit it. Even the gentlest shenk bit used in western is harsh, but a longer rein and direction provided by pressure on the neck mean that the rider rarely uses the bit. In english riding, and don't get me wrong, we have some severely harsh bits of our own, the average bit is the snaffle, in most cases a mild bit, but even the most mild bit is harsh in the hands of a bad rider and since most english riders guide their horses via direct contact with the bit, there is much more opportunity for an english rider to hurt a horse's mouth. English saddles are smaller, and for the most part lighter, I will leave dressage saddles out of this, for they are often as heavy as western saddles, but to be fair, barrel racing saddles can actually weight less than some of the lightest english saddles, excluding those scraps of leather used in horse racing. Both styles when performed correctly ask for three natural gaits from the horse, the walk, trot or jog and canter or lope, however, there is some tendency in western riding to slow the horse down to the point that the lope becomes a four beat gait, the front feet cantering or loping and the hind feet trotting, but I have yet to see cross cantering in western riding, where the horse canters on one lead in the front and a different lead behind. I don't feel either is better or worse so long as the rider is a kind and caring individual, I think it is simply a matter of preference, both for the horse and the rider.

In the end, the best style for you is the one you feel most comfortable with, you can hack out (trailride) no matter which discipline you choose, it can be as simple as fiding the right farm from which to take lessons and the style with which you are happiest.

Answer 4

The biggest difference is the saddle.  The Western Saddle is much bigger and has the horn on the front of it.  It's supposed to be for tying rope, but for beginners, it's a nice place to hang on!  The English saddle has less material.  It doesn't come up around you as much as the Western saddle.

For beginners and for trail riding, the style of riding isn't that much different.  You'll just learn to sit on the horse and move with the horse.  When you get more advanced, western is a lot more about your seat while english is a lot more focused on your legs.  Since the english saddle is smaller, youhave more contact with the horse with your legs.  The way you ride western is to keep your butt down in the saddle.  Riding english, you stay on by keeping your legs against the horse.

In english, you'll learn to post the trot... meaning you have to bounce up and down on the horse.  Eventually in western you will learn that too, but only after you sit the trot a lot.

English is a little more demanding, especially at first.  Your legs will hurt because you'll spend a lot of time posting.  But if you have a slow horse in western that you really have to squeeze, then your legs will hurt from that too.

I prefer english because I like that I can feel the horse with my legs.  When I ride western, I feel like there's way too much saddle between me and the horse... I feel like I'm perched on top of the horse instead of being a part of the horse.

As a beginner, they're not much different.  It is really easy to switch from english to western if you ever want to switch.  You can also take english lessons, but then when you want to trail ride your horse, you can put on a western saddle.

I've ridden both and I strongly prefer english... but it's all personal choice.

Answer 5

In English riding you use a smaller and lighter saddle so you can connect more with the horse,and in english riding you mainly compete in dressage, jumping, and hunter classes, and in western is more for barrel racing, trail riding, and all those cowboy/cowgirl activities (roping, herding ect.) western is more relaxed and laid back thats why its my favorite ! if you want to no more full detail about them you should check out this website http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-diff...

hope this helps!

Answer 6

Styles...the interesting thing is. English style riding seems to be more proper and well dressed to the untrained eye. Western style is more wild and, some would say dangerous (but they are generally not horse riding people)

English - Riding pants in beige/tan or black, proper shirts, knee-hi riding boots highly polished. Proper seating in the saddle and well, google horse back riding in the United Kingdom.

Western - Rodeos- barrell racing - roping....jeans, cowboy boots, western shirts, cowboy hats... google rodeos, and any of the others mentioned above.

Personally, I prefer Western riding for wild action and fun...English for competition...truth be told if you are going to learn to ride a horse, study both styles.