Okay, so I've ridden Western my whole life. I've only ridden English on saddlebreds in 2nd grade at a Saddleseat Riding Camp. And...my mom's kind of dating a professional polo player. He invited us to come riding (my mom, me, and my never-before-layed-her-hand-on-a-horse nine year old sister) next Saturday and, while my sister has NO clue how to ride or any aspirations to get on a horse, my mom's bf said his polo Thoroughbreds are bombproof so she can (with any luck) handle just walking....no trotting or cantering for her lol. And we're going to be riding ENGLISH. And I ride WESTERN. And have my whole life.
I mean, in 2nd grade I was able to handle and ride our high-strung TB with my mom walking beside me, and that mare rode English, but I had no idea what I was doing. My mom rode that TB mare English a lot, so she knows a loootttttt more about English riding than I do.
So, any tips for riding English on his TB's? Oh--The only type of horses I've ridden in like the last like 6 years are my gaited horses. Paso Finos, Missouri Fox Trotters, etc. So they don't trot...They fox trot and do Corto's and Fino's and "fox walks" and such. But I haven't been on a trotting horse in a looonnnngg time....since the riding camp probably. Would it be easier for me to sit the trot like in Western when I go ride English? Or attempt to post, which I really haven't done in a while?
And i can't really 'practice' English riding because a.) I don't have English horses anymore and b.) I only own Western bridles, although I could put a pair of English reins on the Western bridle to help with learning English hand positioning and c.) the only rideable horse in my barn now rides Western. I suppose I could put my mom's old English saddle up on him and try him around the pastures....but I don't want my mom's bf to think I'm a total novice to the horse world. I've been in it my entire life, and he offered to let me excercise his TB's sometime over email! Their excercise is pretty demanding....20-minute interval canters.
Anwyay....any pointers so I don't look like a complete idiot when the four of us go riding? In Western terminology lol. And how holding the reins is different? Thanks so much!
I mean, in 2nd grade I was able to handle and ride our high-strung TB with my mom walking beside me, and that mare rode English, but I had no idea what I was doing. My mom rode that TB mare English a lot, so she knows a loootttttt more about English riding than I do.
So, any tips for riding English on his TB's? Oh--The only type of horses I've ridden in like the last like 6 years are my gaited horses. Paso Finos, Missouri Fox Trotters, etc. So they don't trot...They fox trot and do Corto's and Fino's and "fox walks" and such. But I haven't been on a trotting horse in a looonnnngg time....since the riding camp probably. Would it be easier for me to sit the trot like in Western when I go ride English? Or attempt to post, which I really haven't done in a while?
And i can't really 'practice' English riding because a.) I don't have English horses anymore and b.) I only own Western bridles, although I could put a pair of English reins on the Western bridle to help with learning English hand positioning and c.) the only rideable horse in my barn now rides Western. I suppose I could put my mom's old English saddle up on him and try him around the pastures....but I don't want my mom's bf to think I'm a total novice to the horse world. I've been in it my entire life, and he offered to let me excercise his TB's sometime over email! Their excercise is pretty demanding....20-minute interval canters.
Anwyay....any pointers so I don't look like a complete idiot when the four of us go riding? In Western terminology lol. And how holding the reins is different? Thanks so much!