HELP! Want to get started and of course.. I can't. :P

Help!
I really want to start riding Western. I lean on my hands too much & think it would help, and I'm always riding my horse with one rein for no reason.. haha, and I just REALLY want to start Western but of course.. my barn doesn't do western & we have zero western places around here! UGH!
Ideas?

Well wouldnt you be able to learn to neck rein doing english too? I would imagine.
Otherwise could you look for a coach who does private work, and not just through a barn.

You can certainly learn to ride western in english tack, but riding in western tack feels quite differant to English. Try putting your horse in a snaffle and just teaching her to neck rein. Pick up a cheap western saddle and headstall (you could use the same bit) and just plod around to get used to the feel. I find this is the best way to start if you already have a riding foundation in a different discipline.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! Yeah, today we were doing no reins randomally, and I was trying to get him around a corner with only one rein [too lazy to pick them both up, lol!} and my trainer called it "sorta riding western". Haha.

Well, using one rein by direct reining still would not be "kinda western" since it is still direct reining. That is unless you were picking up the outside rein and touching the neck, that is neck reining.

Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Nope Whipple, you are right. That is how you start to teach a horse neck reining. I agree with spastic that the best thing you could do is buy a cheap or used western saddle and just start riding. You can even keep the bridle and reins that you use now. It may look a little mismatched but who cares. It will probably take a little time to just adjust to the difference in balance points in western tack but if you don't try, you never know if it will help you. Good luck.