Just a simple question
 

Why do you ride in your discipline? This is *NOT* an english vs western debate, just a simple question. I have always been curious about why people chose to ride in their particular discipline. I'll start!

Im Cori, I ride western. I never chose to ride western, it was the way I started riding way back when and learned to love it. Though I will occasionally ride english, I really do prefer the comfort and security of a western saddle. Theres just something that gets me about all that leather and tooling of a western saddle. That being said, i've never struggled with sitting the trot but I do struggle with posting in an english saddle. Strange, I know!

So...whats your discipline and why did you chose it?

I ride English, just because that's what I got lessons in when I was one elementary school and I really liked it, plus jumping(: I love jumping , I can ride western... I'm
Just not very good at it it seems harder to me so I just prefer English
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It was never really a question for me I love everything about western. With that said I envy the people who ride english. It looks so gracefull and I am one of the clumsiest people in the world! lol

Interesting question, Cori.

When I first got into horses, I fell in with a group of people who showed the A rated Arabian circuit. Some of these folks rode Western, some English.

Since I wanted to show Saddleseat and English Pleasure, I lessoned with a dressage trainer who taught me a balanced, English seat.

I was never really interested in Western, although I've ridden in Western tack over the years. I'm not really a Western rider per se, just an English rider who knows enough to fake it in a Western saddle! :-P

I don't like the feel of a Western saddle, to be honest. There's far too much leather and padding between me and the horse. I need to be able to feel what the animal is doing under me, and I can't do that using Western tack.

For me, those little postage stamp saddles will always feel more 'right' than all that bulky leather.

I ride English (hunt seat) because that is what the friends I had when I started taking lessons did.
How is that for a lame reason.

I have dabbled in western because that is what my horse did before I bought him and a division at an appy show includes both English and Western classes.

But I, like SR, prefer the postage stamp type saddle (though now that I am older my larger back end means a larger saddle and it can hardly be described as a postage stamp anymore). When I climb into my western saddle I feel like there is just too much saddle to deal with.

Well... I ride western. Its what Ive always done. However I can ride english as well.
But I only know the very basics of the english riding.... I can post on correct diagonals and everything.
But I prefer western. As I love working cattle... and that can be difficult to do in an english saddle.

I ride western. I started out bareback; then moved to english because that's how the barn I worked for rode. When I went to strictly trail-riding, I went western. I'm like Corinowalk, I like the comfort and security of the western saddle. It's always nice to have the horn to hold on to if the horse gets a little jumpy :0)

I only started in western because my instructor only owned western saddles.

I truly am a cowgirl at heart.I adore riding out in the open pasture full of hefiers and their calves, the wide blue sky overhead, and a trusty horse under my tush. Nothing beats it.

I have ridden english a few times, and I don't care for it. But I envy you english riders with your impeccable balance and fearless attitude. I had a horse try to scratch her belly with her hind foot while I was riding english and I nearly was tossed off her back. I'll stick to my bulky circle y saddles

English riders have grab straps, if they need something to hold on to. I don't use one, but a lot of folks do. :-)

I ride Western. I don't show, I just have Western tack. Nobody around here rides English. I have an English saddle that came with a rescue horse from the cities, and it sits in the tack room. I sat in it once. I was like... oh hell no.

I like Western because I am a heavier rider, and the bigger saddle distributes my weight better than a little English saddle. I think it is more comfortable for the horse as well.

I like speed, fast turns, and English to me seems more "Prawncing Ponehs" than anything.

Besides that... cowboys are hot.