# English trail riding?



## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

You can most definitely trail ride in an English saddle. There are even saddle bags and packs available for them. I wouldn't go bring the cows in with an English saddle, or brush trails, because it just doesn't have the tools to be a "working" saddle, but if you're not working, it doesn't matter.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

NorthernMama hit the nail on the head. You won't be roping cattle off an English saddle but there's no reason you can't trail ride in one. I only own one saddle, an English saddle, and I trail ride in it. If you get an English saddle that fits your daughter and her horse properly, it should be quite comfortable for her, and she should be equipped to ride for any amount of time, over any terrain.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

I have ridden literally thousands of miles in an english saddle. As long as the saddle fits the horse and the rider, its all good!


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I've done my fair share of trail riding in an English (dressage) saddle as well. I switched over to a western saddle for trail riding last fall, but primarily because I was worried about damaging my dressage saddle. After longer trail rides I do still wish I was riding English... I feel like I have more freedom of movement with English stirrup leathers than with western fenders!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I work cattle in a polo or jump saddle any time I'm working with a crew I don't want to rope with. 

Gets my point across very well.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

for short or medium lengthe trail rides, it wont' matter. for long rides, it might not be very comfy, or practical.

you'll work it out.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

Trail riding in an English saddle is fine. Many English riders are only pleasure/trail riders and would consider a comfy dressage or all purpose saddle to be the "ultimate" trail saddle. 

Many endurance riders do long distance riding in an English saddle. 

As a kid growing up with pony club and such I did dressage, jumping, trail riding, cross country, barrel racing, basic cattle work, pole bending, mounted games etc in the same english saddle. I've seen basic reining clinics where people rode in english saddles, and I've seen them used in low level campdraft and team penning/sorting competitions. 

In the same way, you could practice dressage in a western saddle if you wanted to. 

Jumping is the only real restriction, because of the length, shape and horn in a western saddle, however low ones are still possible.


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## MaximasMommy (Sep 21, 2013)

Fox hunting, amirite!?


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Been riding trails and doing distance riding for years in English saddles. Get the right saddle for you and the horse, and it's comfortable no matter how many miles you do. 

The Tevis Cup riders use endurance and English saddles. I've never seen any of them ride in Western, so there goes the theory that English saddles are uncomfortable on long, difficult rides.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Wow, thanks so much for all your awesome replies everyone! Well, that settles it. Time for me to learn to ride English! 

If endurance trail riders can ride with English saddles, then surely we can too. Did not know they even made saddle bags for English saddles! We'll definitely need those because we plan on day-long rides and perhaps eventually overnight rides to our camp. 

I'm relieved that we won't have to keep switching back and forth and it will make it a lot easier to buy horses if they only have to be trained one way (although around here, it's pretty common for them to be trained in both). 

This forum is really a great help!


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I have done most of my trail riding for 55 years in an english saddle, including long distances ( up to 85m in two days) and am quite comfortable with the english saddle.

I only use the western saddle if I have a lot of "stuff" to take and I have also done some jumping on the trail in a western saddle. I find that it is much more comfortable for me to ride in an english saddle for distance.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I live in a country where there is no Western riding available at all, and I do lots of trail rides, including long ones over difficult terrain - 4 hours, sometimes more. Obviously, I do it in my English saddle, and I couldn't be happier.


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

I spent MANY of my younger years trail riding all over the place in my comfy dressage saddle. If she has a saddle she likes and is comfortable riding in, go with it.


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## Bondre (Jun 14, 2013)

I've always used all-purpose English saddles for everything, though I do remember getting a bit saddle-sore at the end of long days in the saddle in my teens. (Sadly I don't have the time now to spend a day on horseback). 

It probably comes down to what you're used to. I've tried the Spanish vaquero saddles and I don't like them (not in the least bit like a western saddle btw). They keep your legs away from the horse's side, and it's really weird riding like that. It made me realise just HOW MUCH I use my lower leg to communicate with the horse; take that away and it's like trying to talk with a gag on. 

However, my husband much prefers a vaquero saddle to the nasty slippery things I sit on lol. He says English saddles are for expert riders.... whereon I pointed out that in England all the kids learn in those saddles from the word go. But then again, if DH could strap an armchair to the horse's back he probably would :ROFL:

If your daughter's learning English, probably best to get an English saddle for her, though I don't see why you can't ride western if you prefer.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Just chiming in to say I ride exclusively in a dressage saddle- my typical trail ride is 2-3 miles, and I do that 3-4 times a week.


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

Bondre said:


> I've always used all-purpose English saddles for everything . . .
> It probably comes down to what you're used to.


I've also always ridden trails in an English saddle, and in fact I really dislike western saddles. There are two issues - and one of them _is_ that it's "what [I'm] used to"! 

The "what I'm used to" issue - I'm just accustomed, as I go downhill or duck under a tree branch/fallen tree, to have knee rolls, and their absence in a western saddle really, really bothers me. (I rode old grown-in logging roads in NH's White Mountains, so lots of hills & lots of "low bridges.")

My other issue - now - is that most western saddles are too wide in the twist. I know they must make narrower ones, but when I've ridden one it's always been someone else's so it had the more traditional shape. It used to just be uncomfortable for me, and now it's become downright painful as an SI joint issue gets worse with age.


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

I trail rode in a western saddle yesterday and boy is my butt sore! I wish my English saddle fit the horse I was riding, then I wouldn't have this problem. 

That's my way of saying, yes you can definitely trail ride comfortably in an English saddle. I find my AP saddle much more comfortable for long rides. Unless I've been riding western a lot, it's really hard on my butt and knees.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I think I need to learn to ride English! I can understand everything you're all saying. Riding in a Western saddle ALWAYS makes me sore, but I just chalked that up to not enough riding. I remember when I had a horse in my teens, I rode bareback a lot of the time so I could communicate better with my horse. Makes sense that an English saddle would facilitate that. Also, they're much lighter to put on and off a horse for a shorty like me! 

I told my daughter she could teach me to ride English (I'll also take lessons) and she is very much looking forward to laughing at her mom who is doing it all wrong 

Thanks again everyone!


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## phoenix (Jun 7, 2010)

Go for it! I ride in a dressage saddle in both arena and on trail, find them more comfortable than a western because of how I'm used to sitting, I can also sit the biggest bucks my horse can offer in my English saddle, not sure how it'd go in a western saddle. Be aware of your knees when you ride longer distances, they might get more sore because of how they're bent underneath you instead of more out in front of you. I have jointed stirrups to help, but my horse is too wide for me to be honest so most of my issues come from that.


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## Bombproof (May 20, 2015)

Most of the armies of the world rode in English-type saddles until they quit using horses and they certainly rode long distances over rough terrain. The U.S. McClellan saddle was an exception, but even so, officers typically used an English saddle. Your daughter will probably enjoy trail riding most in a saddle she's already comfortable with.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

A saddle is a saddle is a saddle! 

As long as it fits the horse and you that is all that matters. 

My last horse was difficult to fit a saddle to. My dressage saddle did the job well so, I Fox Hunted him wearing it. Jumped everything with him with no problems. 

I have ridden thousands of miles in all sorts of saddles all of them English, no problems at all.


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## Linked by Mischief (Jun 10, 2015)

I trail ride in my english saddle sometimes. Get a nice english saddle to begin with and when you have the money invest in a western saddle.
Or find someone your daughter can borrow from if you are going on a long trail ride for the day? That's what I used to do before I got my western saddle!


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## GreySorrel (Mar 5, 2012)

Where I work I ride in an english saddle on a horse who is used primarily for fox hunting...we go out trail riding all the time to get him fit and try to keep him fit. This is us on a rather cold day...I am layered up:


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## kapbob8 (Mar 18, 2015)

I prefer western saddles for trail riding, only because it just feels more comfortable. When I go on trails though I don't do short ones and after they start getting lengthy the english saddle just isn't as comfy as a western saddle. I do like the english saddle though since they are typically lighter than a western.


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## N0lika (Mar 16, 2012)

Just remember. When you go uphill you want to lean forward and when you go downhill lean back. I learned english and we went trail riding english. I use a Courbette saddle. It's like the Cadillac of saddles. I know many of you know this but someone may not.


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## Clydesdales (Sep 12, 2013)

I trail ride in both English and a Half Breed.


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## disastercupcake (Nov 24, 2012)

N0lika said:


> Just remember. When you go uphill you want to lean forward and when you go downhill lean back. I learned english and we went trail riding english. I use a Courbette saddle. It's like the Cadillac of saddles. I know many of you know this but someone may not.


That is a common thought, but not quite right!

Lean up when going uphill, always stay perpendicular to your horse while going downhill. 

This is very 'traditional' knowledge that has been lost over the years. I only learned of it from Charles de Kunffy, whom I had the honor of seeing in a seminar. He is one of the 'old world' riders. He's amazing. 

Berkeley Studio Ltd The Correct Way to Ride Down a Slope by Snaffles


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## Clydesdales (Sep 12, 2013)

disastercupcake said:


> That is a common thought, but not quite right!
> 
> Lean up when going uphill, always stay perpendicular to your horse while going downhill.
> 
> ...


I was always taught that ^ as-well.

when I went on a days trail ride at a High Country Trail Riding place, they made everyone ride in the two point position when going up hill.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

disastercupcake said:


> ...This is very 'traditional' knowledge that has been lost over the years. I only learned of it from Charles de Kunffy, whom I had the honor of seeing in a seminar. He is one of the 'old world' riders. He's amazing.
> 
> Berkeley Studio Ltd The Correct Way to Ride Down a Slope by Snaffles












Actually, that is not a very old style of riding. It is how the Italian and US Cavalry taught going down steep hills during the early 1900s when the forward seat was adopted. You can see it being used by the Spanish cavalry here:










This also:










Years later, the Portuguese Cavalry used the traditional approach:










Having no experience with riding my horse off of near cliffs, I cannot guess which is better for maintaining control down a steep hill. Looking at pictures, it looks like the forward approach could easily result in the rider going too far forward, which would be worse for horse & rider than being too far back.

In any case, I hope I never go down a slope like that and find out!


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## disastercupcake (Nov 24, 2012)

bsms said:


> Actually, that is not a very old style of riding. It is how the Italian and US Cavalry taught going down steep hills during the early 1900s when the forward seat was adopted. You can see it being used by the Spanish cavalry here:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


From what I understand, using the seat that stays in the saddle and perpendicular to the horse, keeps the rider's weight more to the rear. While Leaning back actually puts the riders' weight more to the front. While going down-hill, putting more weight on an already forward weighted horse can seriously unbalance the horse and result in flipping or uncontrolled falling.


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## womack29 (Oct 30, 2011)

I have a friend that always trail rides English. I personally have never ridden English but have a Tucker Endurance Trail Saddle that I love


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