I have a delimma. At the stables where I ride, they only teach you how to care for a horse from ground up in

Question

the Western classes. The English lessons, which I take and love already have horses ready to go so I am not able to learn how to put tack on or groom. They don't even offer it as part of the lesson. Do you think it's worth it to learn both styles of riding so I can learn how to take a horse out of his stall, groom and saddle up?

Answer 1

Absolutely!!  Learn all you can.  Learning two disciplines of riding can't hurt.  

Answer 2

Sure, why not? It will make you a more well-rounded rider in every way :)

Strange way to run a lesson program though . . .

Answer 3

When it comes to horses and riding, you can never know too much. Although Western tack and riding is different from English, there are many similarities. Knowing the similarities and differences will help make you a more rounded horse person.  If horses will be a significant part of your life, I would invest the time (money) in learning Western style riding, grooming and saddling in addition to the English you are learning.

While riding English is beautifully formal, there's nothing like a relaxed ride (or full gallop) in cowboy boots and comfy jeans.  

Good luck with your lessons and take a ride around the ring for me.

Answer 4

That seems like a difference in teaching styles.  I would suggest talking to the instructor and letting them know what you would like to learn.  You're probably paying to learn how to do all that stuff and if you aren't learning the basic important stuff, you need to speak up.

Answer 5

Yes it's very important.

People that ride and don't take care of there own horses (as in tacking up and untacking and grooming) just seem like s****. uncaring people to me.

knowing how to do all that is part of horsemanship.

Answer 6

Maybey ask you instructor if she could give you a private lesson on how to groom and tack up a horse but it would also be a good idea to learn western to cause then you will be a more rounded rider and will be good at mutiple disciplines

Answer 7

I think it is a good idea to learn both so that you can have a more rounded horse experience.  If you were to continue your English riding and then buy a horse of your own, you wouldn't know how to groom him or saddle up on your own....that's silly!  All riders, regardless of discipline should be able to take care of grooming and saddling the horse.

What is the stable's reason for not teaching the English riders how to groom and saddle up?

Answer 8

You should learn both ways of tacking horses and all.  I only know how to tack an english horse, but I wouldn't mind learning the other way as well.  Learn it while you still can.  Ask your trainer if you can dedicate a lesson or two to learning how to take care of the horse on the ground.  There is so much you need to know, and you don't want to learn right when you get your first horse.  Even if you never get a horse, it's always good to know your dos and don't around one.

Answer 9

I think you should learn how to tack a horse no matter what style of riding you do.

Answer 10

It cant hurt to learn all that you can.  Just ask the instructor to learn more.  You are paying them.  You will become more well rounded and more experienced and it shows that you are more outgoing and eager to learn as much as you can.

Answer 11

Absolutely.

That's part of riding.

Answer 12

Whether or not it's "worth it" depends on your situation - your cost and time - and whether or not you have the money and the time to do both.  If you do, then, yes, I would recommend it - especially if you ever plan to have your own horse.  Learning how to handle one and saddle one is very important but I think the grooming is even more important for your relationship to the horse - like petting a dog and playing with it and such.  I've never ridden at stables - always had my own horses as I lived in the country - but grooming the horse and putting on the bridal and saddle and such was always a time to check the horses for any problem there might be with the hooves or legs and such as well as a time for the horse to get comfortable with me before I jumped in the saddle - not to mention that I like to check the tack myself to be sure that it the saddle was cinched tight enough and the bridal wasn't irritating the horse or anything.  (I guess it was sort of like packing your own parachute when you're going to jump out of a plane - I didn't trust anyone else to do it instead of me.)

Anyway, if time or funds are short and you cannot take both classes at the same time, maybe you could complete the English lessons now and do the Western ones when you are finished.  

Answer 13

I think its silly that the English lessons do not involve basic horse care and grooming/tacking of the horse. Those are basic parts of horsemanship, and the instructor is ultimately doing a disservice to the students by not teaching it.

I think you should ask your instructor for a special lesson on how to do those things, and then arrive early for all your riding lessons from now on so that you can groom and tack your own horse.

And kudos to you for taking the initiative