[Hidalgo13]

I'm considering switching from english to western riding. I know both disciplines have certain differences, what changes should i anticipate? In terms of riding technique, way of thinking, etc. Also is it true it's easier to go from english to western, but it's tougher the other way around?

 

[buggy]

The biggest challenge that I can remember (switched 15 years ago) was going from always having at least light contact to working on a loose rein. I had to consciously remind myself to loosen the reins.

 

[SketchyHorse]

I'm considering switching from english to western riding. I know both disciplines have certain differences, what changes should i anticipate? In terms of riding technique, way of thinking, etc. Also is it true it's easier to go from english to western, but it's tougher the other way around?

Is there a specific discipline you're looking at doing? Barrels, WP, Reining? Honestly... not much. If you're just looking to "mess around" then none really. You'll ride basically the same as you would English. If you're looking at a specific discipline - possibly. Every discipline has it's technique and style that works best. I'm an English rider, self taught Western. If I rode my BO's WP mare around you probably wouldn't have any idea I don't really know what I'm doing. Probably the biggest thing you'll come across is working on a looser or draped rein & "looser" (for lack of better terms) leg.

Can't speak for that last part as I went from English to Western. I've heard that thrown around before & not sure it really has much stock. English is difficult to learn no matter if you're just starting or rode Western for years lol.

 

[Smilie]

I'm considering switching from english to western riding. I know both disciplines have certain differences, what changes should i anticipate? In terms of riding technique, way of thinking, etc. Also is it true it's easier to go from english to western, but it's tougher the other way around?

Nope, it is harder to go from English to western, in my experience. I always showed my future all around horses western first, and then added Engish

While you certainly use contact when first starting a young western horse, and two hands, you do vary that foundation, working towards eventually riding that horse one handed and on a loose rein, able to rate the hrose off of legs and seat alone, which is not done English, where you always ride with some rein support, two hands, as well as seat and legs

of course, I am talking of show level training, and if just pleasure riding, then it is bascially just a tack change, and where you can ride with two hands on a curb,stay in a snaffle forever,, riding with two hands, ride with contact, ect switch back and forth, and no penality!

 

[beau159]

I don't know that it's easier to go from one to the other, either way.

I am primarily a Western rider but I like to do some local hunter classes. The biggest "challenge" for me is to keep contact on the reins. So I would agree with buggy that your biggest challenge would be learning to let the horse travel on a loose rein.

Realistically, at the basic level, there is no difference. In western you are going to pick up contact on the reins to teach your horse things, and in english you are going to give them slack sometimes too. Your leg/seat cues are the same for all basic maneuvars.

You only start getting BIG differences when you specifically want to do a certain events.

 

[Smilie]

Is there a specific discipline you're looking at doing? Barrels, WP, Reining? Honestly... not much. If you're just looking to "mess around" then none really. You'll ride basically the same as you would English. If you're looking at a specific discipline - possibly. Every discipline has it's technique and style that works best. I'm an English rider, self taught Western. If I rode my BO's WP mare around you probably wouldn't have any idea I don't really know what I'm doing. Probably the biggest thing you'll come across is working on a looser or draped rein & "looser" (for lack of better terms) leg.

Can't speak for that last part as I went from English to Western. I've heard that thrown around before & not sure it really has much stock. English is difficult to learn no matter if you're just starting or rode Western for years lol.

The only thing I found, I had some trouble with, adding HUS to my western horses, was myself learning to post on the correct diagonal!
Very easy to lengthen stride, add contact, as western horses, trained correctly, certainly understand contact, versus trying to teach a horse to rate speed on a loose rein, and if a senior horse, to also guide one handed, through all maneuvers, versus having two reins to guide him

 

[TXhorseman]

I'm considering switching from english to western riding. I know both disciplines have certain differences, what changes should i anticipate? In terms of riding technique, way of thinking, etc. Also is it true it's easier to go from english to western, but it's tougher the other way around?

The answer to your question may be more complicated than it sounds initially. It all depends on what you mean by English and Western riding. If you are simply referring to a difference in saddle, there may be little difference. If you are referring to a specific English "discipline" and a specific Western "discipline"-- especially if showing -- the specific ways of riding expected in each must be taken into consideration.

 

[SketchyHorse]

The only thing I found, I had some trouble with, adding HUS to my western horses, was myself learning to post on the correct diagonal!
Very easy to lengthen stride, add contact, as western horses, trained correctly, certainly understand contact, versus trying to teach a horse to rate speed on a loose rein, and if a senior horse, to also guide one handed, through all maneuvers, versus having two reins to guide him

Around me, HUS is basically ridden the same as WP. I wouldn't expect most riders to have issues switching between those two disciplines. I find it's more an issue if we're talking Dressage to WP or H/J to Reining. Once it gets a bit more "specialized" or "particular."

On the horse end of things - I agree. My WB mare spent a good chunk of her life in professional Dressage training, but we struggled "playing" at WP. I'm sure she could have eventually figured it out with her solid foundation, just not entirely worth it lol. My BO's WP mare on the other hand quickly caught on to moving up in the bridle, handling more contact, & even did some jumping.

 

[Hidalgo13]

Hmm ok I see what some of you mean by it depends on the discipline and what level. When i took english riding lessons, I'd do a bit of jumping, and worked on general flatwork. I never got the opportunity to specialize and start doing dressage or hunter for example.
I'd probably do western pleasure, trail riding, maybe try some barrel racing or reining for fun? I'm not sure yet. But thank you! So less contact generally in western riding vs english (by english i mean english saddle).
In truth I'd love to do low level eventing one day, but the western barns near me charge less for lessons than the english barns. So I figured to get back into the saddle, I'd start with that to rebuild my balance and coordination (and fun have of course ). That is if I wanted to switch after trying western. Perhaps I'll love it and not think twice about changing discipline again.

 

[Smilie]

Around me, HUS is basically ridden the same as WP. I wouldn't expect most riders to have issues switching between those two disciplines. I find it's more an issue if we're talking Dressage to WP or H/J to Reining. Once it gets a bit more "specialized" or "particular."

On the horse end of things - I agree. My WB mare spent a good chunk of her life in professional Dressage training, but we struggled "playing" at WP. I'm sure she could have eventually figured it out with her solid foundation, just not entirely worth it lol. My BO's WP mare on the other hand quickly caught on to moving up in the bridle, handling more contact, & even did some jumping.

I mentioned the posting, far as the rider, and you do post in HUS. Reining has no trotting steps, an extended jog in western pl, still is not a trot.
Yes, at local all breed shows , HUS might be ridden more western pl, oR, more common, western pl is ridden more like English, with contact, moving on, LOL
Point being, whether you show western in reining, western riding (series of flying changes, involving a pattern, trail, ect, a horse 6 and over must be shown one handed in a curb-and that is the BIG difference. Even reining and western riding and trail, are shown on a loose rein
So, of course, more specific western disciplines, require some additional training, like flying changes, roll backs, spins, BUT they all require a horse to quide one handed,
Games would be the least different,, in the fact that you can run them on contact, two handed and in a curb

 

[Smilie]

Hmm ok I see what some of you mean by it depends on the discipline and what level. When i took english riding lessons, I'd do a bit of jumping, and worked on general flatwork. I never got the opportunity to specialize and start doing dressage or hunter for example.
I'd probably do western pleasure, trail riding, maybe try some barrel racing or reining for fun? I'm not sure yet. But thank you! So less contact generally in western riding vs english (by english i mean english saddle).
In truth I'd love to do low level eventing one day, but the western barns near me charge less for lessons than the english barns. So I figured to get back into the saddle, I'd start with that to rebuild my balance and coordination (and fun have of course ). That is if I wanted to switch after trying western. Perhaps I'll love it and not think twice about changing discipline again.

Not really, far as discipline. Whether English or western, there are various disciplines within each, so of course, there are also different training techniques/skills , level of training, within those disciplines, but that has nothing to do with English to western per say, nor visa versa
The biggest difference, is having your horse guide completely one handed, in a curb, and on a loose rein or various degrees, perhaps, but still a loose rein
Try it. Set up a complicated trail course, and ride it first, using two hands, and then completely one handed
When I train at home, I often use two hands, and have to remind myself to spend time also riding some pattern one handed, or you get tot he show pen, where you mUST ride with one hand, and if you have not really gotten that down pat, it will be like a crutch is missing, or you find some big holes, when you can't go to two hands to help your horse at some point in that pattern

 

[Hidalgo13]

THank you all for your responses! I really appreciate you taking the time to transmit some of your knowledge to me!

 

[waresbear]

In general, just for pleasure riding, not competition, English is easier, most of the time, I say this because I have a horse who I compete all around with, he loves the low and slow, light contact Western, more than the energetic, more in the bridle English. But most of the all around horses I have shown, go better English. Biggest difference between the two disciplines, is the saddle, one weighs like maybe 20 lbs, the Western is a heavy sucker, lol. Main reason I choose English as my fav.

 

[tinyliny]

I find that Western riders tend to ride more from the seat, I mean literally, the seat. Becuase the stirrups are longer, and because they spend more time IN the saddle, they use more seat influence. the rider will not be as able to 'feel' the horse through the saddle due to the heavier layers of material between you and the hrose, and the shape of the tree brings the rider a bit higher up off the hrose's back, too. the rider tends to keep their leg more off the sides of the horse, at least in the lower part of the leg, and does not ride with as much pressure from the calf on the belly.

English riders tend to ride a lot more off the leg. the strength of the leg and it's firm , cohesive contact with the horse's body, all the way down to mid calf, provides their 'seat' and their influence on the horse . They will feel more the sense of having the horse between the rein and their leg, Whereas the western rider must work more on just having a good , balanced seat, because they are not useing firm, constant leg contact to keep the horse 'on' the aids.

I love having the horse under my leg, and having the feeling that I have his body under my leg, and his mouth in my hand, and all of him in between. However, when I spend a few years riding Western, it helped me to relax more, drop more onto my seatbones, stop 'gripping' so much and ALLOW more movement of the hrose's head and neck and LET him make more decision on where he wanted to put his head and how he wanted to transition up or down in the gaits, etc.

People say the horn makes them feel more secure, but I find the way my legs hold on to the whole horse's barrel in an English or dressage saddle to be far more secure feeling than in a big Western saddle. Just my personal opinion, though