What is the difference between English and Western riding?
This is the question I'm asked the most! Before I answer it, I want to assert that Good Riding Is Good Riding, regardless of which style. Also, please keep in mind that this will be coloured by my own opinion and bias!
So here's the long answer: The two styles developed from similar but different needs.
English riding as we know it comes from a tradition of fox hunting. The owners of British estates organized hunts to get rid of pesky varmints preying on their livestock. The horses needed to be fast and long-legged to clear all the stone walls and cedar rail fences. I imagine this was one heck of an exhilarating pursuit, over all those hills and hedges. The saddles were developed to give the rider a forward seat, enabling them to get up off the horse's back to help clear the jump. The riders wore red coats, probably out of necessity to be visible in the green countryside, tall leather boots to protect the lower legs, and snug fitting britches. Eventually fox hunting was less about eradicated dangerous wild animals and became associated with tradition and often wealth and leisure. Having said that, I've been to England, where they refer to English riding as… riding. Many people who live outside major cities have some contact with horses and they don't ride around in red jackets surrounded by hounds. There is definitely a strong sense of tradition and that pride carries over to the way we do things in Canada.
Western riding has its roots in North American, and comes from a tradition of work. Cowboys had to find practical ways to move cattle around on huge ranches, and the horse was the best most efficient way to get the job done. The horses needed to be tough and agreeable, and built to last. They didn't need to be very big, but they had to work all day. They had to have the ability to sprint, stop, and turn with very little encouragement. Horses were trained to work off of very light cues, for example, enabling the cowboys to steer with one hand so they could open a gate or rope a calf at the same time. The saddles used were like work trucks are now: a horn for carrying the rope, saddle strings for fastening an overcoat. Most of all, the Western saddle had to be comfortable for both the horse and rider for long hours of riding. The seat is designed for the rider to sit deep and use their weight effectively to cue the horse. Just as the English estate owners dressed for practicality with the highly visible coats and tall leather boots, cowboys wore long sleeved shirts and wide brimmed hats for sun protection, scarves to keep the dust out, and tough denim pants. Again, tradition plays a strong role in Western riding, so that even those of us who've never worked on a ranch figure out how practical the clothing is, and show riders wear sparkly fancy versions of what started off as workwear.
There are many more differences (which you can learn more about as you keep going in the horse world) but you'll soon see that both styles started from a need to get a job done.
So here's the short answer:
In English, you jump over the fence. In Western, you side pass to the gate, open it with one hand, spin the horse around, and side pass the other way to close the gate. Same amount of patient training hours to get the same result… you and your horse are now on the other side of the fence!
(I guess you could say we horse people are kinda lazy and don't want to get off our horses…!)
Why are there so few Western riding places around here?
Good question! And I have no good answer! Let's face it, this is Ontario, and it's not ranch country. Most stables teach English and obviously there's a demand for it. There is also a very healthy show circuit for English. My guess is that Western has mostly been seen as farm kids with a couple ponies in the backyard (Yep, that's my life!!) and English, stables with instructors. I believe this is slowly changing. When I started teaching I thought I'd either be lonely because nobody was interested, or busy because there aren't as many Western coaches… and I'm keeping busy!
Is Western riding easier?
Nope. You have to use your legs and seat, and you need to have good posture!
But I thought in Western you just sort of sit there and the horse does all the work?
Well, we want it to look that way! Remember, the rider is telling the horse what to do. Ideally we want to fine tune everything so that the horse moves off the lightest cue possible, and most observers can hardly tell how the rider got the horse to do that! Think of it this way: if you were on that horse for six hours in the prairies chasing cattle, would you rather have to strong-arm your horse, or train him to steer off a nice light neck rein?
I've been riding English. Will it be confusing to switch?
I absolutely love teaching English riders because they almost always have excellent posture, a solid seat, and a real sense of self-discipline. This is something hammered into riders because it's a necessity. Western riders can get away with sloppier position, even though it's not the best way to ride (and in my opinion, not the way to ride Western). Most English riders struggle at first with the long stirrup length and looser reins, but once they figure it out, they do very well.
Can I wear my field boots and breeches or do I have to go buy cowboys boots?
You can wear field boots and breeches. Wear what you are comfortable in. As long as you've got boots with a 1/2" - 1" heel, you're good.
What about helmets? Do Western riders wear helmets?
They do now! Legally, anybody under 18 MUST wear a helmet. If you are an adult you may choose not to, but I encourage you to.
Bicycle helmet is okay?
No, they aren't really designed for this purpose. I feel a little better about skateboard helmets. Ultimately I think a bike helmet is better than nothing but if you're going to continue riding, investing in a helmet is a good idea. A very basic riding helmet can be as low priced as $30 so go for it.
My daughter only wears dresses and skirts but wants to ride…
We can make this work. I have riders who wear leggings under skirts and we don't even have to go side saddle. If the skirt is wide enough to go around the seat or over the saddle, it's probably fine.
Do you have set hours?
I can be very flexible. Shift workers and home schoolers can pick a time during the day, and of course I have after school times available.
I don't schedule regular Saturday lessons, but can make exceptions. I don't do Sunday lessons.
Do you do Summer camps?
Not exactly, but I run day camps. Check under "Summer Programs"
Do you do trail rides?
Unfortunately we have no trail access on this property.
Do you take riders to horse shows?
I haven't. My horses aren't show experienced - yet - and I don't own a trailer, so at this point we're not doing any horse shows.
Can I book lessons a month ahead and pay in advance?
You can book them but I only accept payment at the end of each lesson.
Is there an indoor arena?
No, we ride outside, and most of the time we like it that way! But not always!
What if my lesson is booked and it rains or snows?
I always give the option to keep your lesson and move it into the tack room. Rainy days are great for getting a full detailed lesson on the tack we use and why we use it. Anybody who's intensely interested in riding will benefit from this. But sometimes that's not practical and lessons can be cancelled, even short notice. At this point, there is no cancellation fee.
Do you keep going all winter?
I try to! If I've got riders willing to bundle up and suffer the cold, I'll do the same. This has limits though; obviously if it's deathly cold or storming, we're not riding.
Winter riding can be great, actually. No bugs or flies, and there's something wonderful about riding through snow.
I'm shy / I'm nervous about being watched / I'm kinda weird… are there lots of people hanging around at your barn?
Although our farm is a very busy place, my riding lessons business consists of just me and two horses and a pony. It's quite private. And if you're worried about not fitting in anywhere else… trust me, you'll be right at home here.
My kid has a learning disability…
Good. Me too.
If I get on that horse, can I run him around the field at a gallop?
Nope. Sorry. Everybody starts off here on the ground, and you're walking the horse until I feel like you've got a good enough seat and enough confidence to go faster. Nobody gallops. You can work your way up to a lope but my corral isn't large enough to gallop anyways.
As for riding in the field, so far all lessons take place in the corral and likely will stay that way. It's a safe contained area with decent footing and that takes a lot of potential wrecks out of the picture.
I'm pretty big… can I ride?
My biggest horse can carry most adults. You can look under the "HORSES" section for details on weight limits.
I have noticed over the years that heavier riders tend to sit a horse better. I'm still thinking on that. I don't have very large horses and can't accommodate very large people, unfortunately, because I believe riding should be for anybody who wants it. If you are interested in riding but I don't have a horse big enough for you, please feel free to contact me and hopefully we can find a place for you to ride!
Do you part board horses?
I don't. I only have the three and there's not a whole lot of room here, so I can't offer special times for part boarders.
Do you board other people's horses?
No I don't do that either, again because of the space, but also because I want to keep this operation as low maintenance as possible for one small woman to manage!
Will you come to my place and do lessons with my horse?
Yes I will, and if it's close enough, there's no charge for travel time. (Please look under "RATES" for more information.)
How long have you been riding?
I honestly don't remember. I got my first pony at age 5 (Yes I am aware of how lucky I was!) but I know I was sitting on my daddy's horse before that. I will say that I don't consider myself to be "a natural" at it. I've had to put in a lot of work and practice and still don't think I'm a particularly excellent rider. I can get the job done, I think I'm fair to my horses, and I enjoy it, and plan to for the rest of my life!
What are your qualifications?
I am a certified Ontario Equestrian Federation Western Instructor of Beginner.
To achieve that, I spent several years working my way up the Rider Level program, taking Learn To Teach courses, and Mentoring Hours including observing professional coaches and in turn being observed. I also am required to keep my First Aid knowledge updated.
You can check out horse.on.ca for more details about this excellent program.
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