Western and English!?!?!?!?!? Difference?

Question

What is the difference between riding western and english i dotn understand i just keep seeing questions about it. I think i ride English????!!! lol

Can you ride Western in England, by looking at pictures non of them look like they have been took in England.

Please help give me as much info as possible.

Thanks

Lauren

Answer 1

It has to do with the saddle and style of riding.

In english you use an english saddle

http://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/e/ed...

You also have to post, where you move your body up and down with the motion of the horse and to keep your balance (you do this during troting)(in the picture, do you see how the butt actually appears to be out of the saddle and in the air?) English riding is a lot more about moving WITH the horse to stay balanced

http://www.mikesparr.com/wp-content/thum...

English riding events include jumping, dressage, and cross country.

Wester riding uses a western saddle

http://www.countrymunchkins.net/wp-conte...

Western saddles are a lot bigger then english saddles. Also, while in english riding you move your body with the horse to stay balanced, in western riding, you try to stay more centered and squared in the saddle to stay balanced. Western riding is more about keeping your center and staying square in the sattle

http://www.barcbarhorses.com/chip%20west...

Some big western riding events are barrel racing, cow cutting, and rodeo. You have to think about it this way. Western saddles were used by the cowboys, so they are going to be more for endurance and LONG hours in the saddle, and they are more likely to be found in events with farms and cow herding and such

WESTERN

http://www.northviewfarm.com/images/news...

ENGLISH

http://www.psjshows.com/images/photos/ye...

And how do you tell what you are? Well, what kind of saddle do you use? The first one I showed, the small one? Or the big one I showed second? That will tell you what kind of riding you do

And yes, you can ride western in england. Its just a different style of riding

EDIT If you are having problems telling the saddles apart, Western saddles have a Horn (the thing that sticks up at the top of the sadle), English saddles do not

http://www.myhorse.com/assets/Gear/Tack/...

Answer 2

if your horse goes super slow or games, plus uses a saddle with a horn and a usually a bit with a shank, you probably ride western especially if you are inclined to wearing cowboy boots and jeans to ride in. if you ride english your horses head will (most likely) be up more and the saddle is smaller and the bit doesn't have a shank. also you post at the trot, wear paddock boots and half chaps to school in or tall boots. this is also english if you jump or do dressage which is a whole other subject.

and you can ride western in England. just like you can ride english in America.

western and english are totally different

Answer 3

It is about "style" and terminology mostly.  Many techniques of riding are classified in one way or the other but the movements are virtually the same.  There are different types of dress, tack, preferred breeds for different disciplines, etc.  You can ride any style at any place at any time.  Both western and english riders post and sit the trot, both canter (western term can be lope), but western also has a jog.  Western reining is like english dressage - very much about intense communication with your horse through your body (instead of mechanical means - or it should be). I ride my warmblood eventer and then tack up my quarterhorse for reining and my thoroughbred for casual riding.  Your horse is not "western or english", it is a horse and is probably willing to do anything he can for you if you ask nicely.  I don't get hung up on "categories" but a lot of people do.  It is just a personal preference and is not a big deal to me.  Riding is all about communicating at an advanced level with my horses, and you can call it anything you want.  Keep an open mind and have fun.  Don't get stuck in the prejudice because it will only expand your limitations and nothing should do that.   You are free to make your choices but DO IT ALL.

Answer 4

my oppionion is just the saddle.. I ride an english pony that we enter western games in.. My mare neck reigns and so forth I just have english tack.. Most major lesson programs the difference is that english they say is faster then western western is suspose to be long and low frame but also SLOW unless gamming then its FAST.. But really its should only be different tack...

Answer 5

There is a huge difference. I ride western and have since I was 5 yrs old. When you are riding western your saddle is very different the style and the way you ride are different. I cant really explain it as well as I could show you. I guess you will just have to google it to better find out. I would ride either or. I like the way English looks cause it makes you look well sophisticated and proper while the western look of course makes you look like you just came out of a western movie. lol

Answer 6

I ride English, and I ride in the US. If you have a saddle horn, you ride western. If the saddle's smaller and more streamlined, then you ride English. When you ride English you post at the trot most of the time, but in WEstern you always sit.

Answer 7

This is english - http://www.flickr.com/photos/genewolf/62...

AND

This is western - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pg23/402489...

hope this helps : )

Answer 8

the differance between the two are.

riding position,english riders ride up on the horses withers and western rides further back in a more relaxed position.

saddles,a western saddle is larger to spead the weight out across the back in a larger area and has a saddle horn used to dally a rope to(not a hand hold) and uses one or two cinches(western term for a girth)the front one is called a cinch and the back one is called a back cinch or belly cinch.english saddles are smaller and the sturrups are called irons,they dont have large skirts or fenders and no swells or a horn.

they use about the same bits for training,  the english call them headstalls and westerners call them bridles.in western riding we use split reins or ropers reins in english riding the use a set of reins that are made from one piece of leather.conrary to poular belief yes some do use a pelham bit with two sets of reins for training in western riding.

horses.western horses have a different posture than english riding.english horses have a higher head that is more collected at the poll with the rear tucked in under the horse,western horses have a more relaxed head position to allow the horses to see the livestock better and allow for more ballance for quick turns.

yes you can ride western in england and it is ridden all over the world for working livestock

i should add that there are several different western riding styles and each have their own headset.there is western pleasure(peanut rollers),working horse or ranch horse,cutting,roping and gaming.

you can find some western saddles and tack in the UK but most people order it from the US.i should add that we dont all dress like we just walked out of a western movie and out here in the western US you will see more people riding in t shirts and ball caps than in ten gallon hats and button up shirts.

Answer 9

You can't ride Western in England. I've never done it but I know its more for comfort. The saddle is bigger and you sit further back. You have your legs almost straight because the stirrups are so long. There is a thing to hold on to at the front and you hold the reigns in one hand. So basically its easier.

English the saddles are smaller and you ride with short stirrups. It is harder to balance and more uncomfortable if you aren't used to it. You can jump when you ride in an English saddle and you use both hands all the time.

Personally I love English because I love jumping. I also think you have more control because whenever I've seen antone riding Western they have their reigns really long! I have never ridden Western but I have heard American's say that it is easier because there is less to hold onto on an English saddle so its easier to fall off riding English.

Answer 10

The simplest way to find out what way yo have been taight is:

Do you rise or sit a trot?

Western is totally sat in the saddle, whereas Enlgish riding means you rise in a trot, bobbing up and down in time with the horse

Hope this helps (and makes sense lol)

Anmd yes yo ucan ride western style in the UK or English in America, it doesn't matter

Answer 11

the main differences between english riding and western riding are the tack that you use, and some of the different "customs".

the differences between the tack are that english saddles are lighter and less bulky, while western saddles are bigger, heavier and they have a horn.

western saddle:

http://www.chicksaddlery.com/Merchant2/g...

english saddle:

http://affordable-tack.com/courbette-eng...

the horn on the western saddle is the bit that sticks up at the front. this is used when rounding up cattle and so forth. it is mainly used to hold rope but can be used for other things too.

there are also differences in the bridles they use.

western bridles usually dont have a nose band.

http://www.outfitterssupply.com/images/W...

and english bridles usually do. there are of course acceptances.

http://www.tackroominc.com/images/Plain-...

also yes, english riding does rise to the trot, called posting. it is easier for the rider to do this as it is less tiring.

the different types of riding also have different 'basic' gaits.

english:

walk

trot

canter

gallop

western:

walk

jog

lope

western riding also preffers natural horsemanship rather than using 'force' and being the boss, the horse and rider work together 'as one'.

more information on natural horsemanship can be found here:

http://www.parelli.com

hope i helped.