What is better for horses? English riding or Western?

Question

What is better for horses? English riding or Western?

Answer 1

Western gives the horses a lot more freedom and the saddle is less imposing so I would say Western.

Answer 2

A western saddle is not less imposing it 's the other way around , Its heavy and makes the rider more lazy !

It really doesn't matter to the horse!

But it should  be to the RIDER, because

most western riders cant ride English well (I did not say all )

And more English riders can easily ride western .

I do both on same horses just have different seats but all aids are the same basically !



Why do you ask ? edit more so we can help

Answer 3

Each is better for a different purpose.

English saddles allow the horse more freedom through the spine.  They let the horse use his backbone better, and are best for things like jumping, racing, and dressage.

Western saddles distribute the rider's weight over a larger area.  This restricts the freedom of the spine, but is better for long distance riding.  It also serves as a firm platform for roping and so on, because there is a second cinch which holds the back of the saddle in place.

Answer 4

neither, its the rider that counts.  lol :)

Answer 5

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.

Answer 6

idk what's specifically better,

but i took english lessons.

theres isnt that much of a difference

i don't believe....