Why does Western riding appeal to me?

Ive been riding English since '09 now and I've never really looked at Western or knew or heard much about it till being alot more active on here, so in the last 5 months id say. I don't do any eventing in English yet, like to get into show jumping. There seems to be LOTS of people on here that ride Western and it sounds like lots of fun, and more comfortable than English. I've never ridden Western and id like to even try one lesson, but why am I finding it so interesting? I don't own any English stuff other than, boots, half chaps, breeches, helmet and that's it. So if I switched I don't own much id need to swap out. But should I give it a bit of a try and see how it goes?

It was pretty much the same thing for me, except reversed. You know the story :) Been western all my life, blah blah blah, but I always had a thing for watching English riding. I actually enjoy watching English events more than most Western. So, I have an english saddle, pad, and girth.

Do both. There is no reason why you have to choose one or the other! Most of my riding in the past 3 months has been English, but I still loooooooove my western saddle, roping, barrel racing and riding one handed :P

Didnt know you got into English! And I don't think I can do both, id have to go to 2 different barns to do lessons :p and English saddles to me aint that comfortable after a while and posting drives me nuts! May just be a bouncy horse when I comes to posting. And the only English eventing I like is jumping and endurance riding is what id do. And id have to get use to riding with one hand LOL

I think you should take some lessons first. I remember when I wanted to get into eventing. I almost sold my pleasure horse for a big nice warmblood. I took jumping lessons and dressage lessons for about 3 months. I even entered in a CC competition with my quarter horse. I decided it wasn't my thing and that I enjoyed pleasure much more. Its always good to tests the waters before you dive in.

I started off in dressage for the first three years and then moved to a hunt barn. I rode hunter/jumper for a gazillion years and then, I don't know why... I just felt the urge to switch. I moved over to western pleasure and to me, it's actually a lot harder.... But I really love it....

Sometimes we just need a change...

Pony, why do you find western pleasure more difficult?

It's easier to speed a horse up than to slow it down!

I just got into English back in November or so, after 9 years of Western.

I know quite a few horses who would prove that statement wrong!! It takes a good while to teach a horse forward motion.

True... but they's lazy.

The challenge is to be collected, forward and slow at the same time.

If im trotting im usually posting in my western saddle haha. Only one of my horses has a nice slow jog. All my horses and I were trained for "english", so for me personally the difference is only the saddle, and depending on the individual saddles you use it's not necessarily more comfortable. It should be fairly easy to switch or to do both, since same horseback riding skills are required for both disciplines.