# From English riding to Western....easy or hard?



## Kay26 (Sep 28, 2010)

Hello ! 
I've not been on the forum for a few months! Been very busy. I'm going to work at a summer camp in America this summer, teaching horses care, anatomy and riding and I actually can't wait !

My camp does 5 weeks English and the other half we move to another camp and do another 5 weeks Western riding. Now i've always rode English I know what western tack looks like and i'm kinda of aware of differences when riding but i've never ridden Western. 

My camp co-ordination/director who hired me says not to worry Western is easy if you've rode English just a bit different as first and they'll show me during our pre-camp training but I just was wondering if anyone has gone from English to Western and how hard they have found it?

I'm going to have a read up of Western riding before as I will be teaching that aswell but its all basic teaching so I imagine i'll be okay but any advice would be great 

Kayleigh


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

A professional guitar player told me that the guitar is very easy to learn the basics of, but a lifetime isn't enough for mastery. When folks think something is easy, those are good words to remember.

Western riding is easy, by intent. The basics can be taught in minutes. Becoming REALLY good? That takes longer.

Differences:

Bit. Western bits have leverage, so all the contact normally needed is provided by the weight of the reins. If you hold them and seek the same feel as with English, then the horse is screwed. However, you can ride a western horse in a snaffle. Neck reining is easy to learn, but if you are used to using two hands, dropping one feels odd.

Seat: Deep. Think dressage, but with a chair seat. Lots of books say heel-hip-shoulder-ear, but that isn't true to the roots of western riding. Look at the picture below:










_An LS cowpuncher [Zack T. Burkett] and his mount. LS Ranch, Texas._, 1907










_Edwin Sanders, cousin to the photographer Erwin E. Smith, on the Three Circles Ranch in Texas. Three Circles Ranch, Texas._, 1906

Erwin E. Smith Collection Guide | Collection Guide

Notice the straightness of the leg, how deep the saddle is, and the foot rammed home against the tall heel. Old style saddles worked well with this, but modern western riding has been influenced by shows and English riding, so you can find western saddles that are designed to put you heel under your hip. But if you look at pictures of cutting, reining, etc, you'll see lots that look a lot like the photos above. Also note the draping reins.










John Lyons:










There is debate in the western riding sub-forum about western riders posting or not, but it is certainly true that the long stirrups mean posting is a lot more subtle, when done.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Look at Lynn Palm. She does both perfectly fine. :wink: 

I was riding western, switched to english, and tried western saddle again last week for trails and didn't feel comfortable: very hard on my knees.  With that being said I don't see it as a big of deal (and I always been posting in western saddle on my bumpy paint).


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## Reiterin (Mar 28, 2010)

^^ Me too. I always post. I have to! My horse has the gait of a pogo stick on a gravel road. =P

granted, I don't really 'show ride,' I _just_ ride. (hold on and go) - So I can switch back and forth between saddles and feel pretty comfortable. As far as riding "properly" in either,.. what _bsms_ said.


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## Tasia (Aug 17, 2009)

Being one of those VS topics and myself being a die hard western rider , no. You can sit in a western saddle and stay up there easily but you its not going to be quick or easy like anything else at first. Being a summer camp and wether you want to pursue western and become a good rider will determine how dedicated you want to be to western and how hard it will be to get started. 
Good luck!


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

bsms said:


> Bit. Western bits have leverage, so all the contact normally needed is provided by the weight of the reins. If you hold them and seek the same feel as with English, then the horse is screwed. However, you can ride a western horse in a snaffle. Neck reining is easy to learn, but if you are used to using two hands, dropping one feels odd.


I've never ridden English, but have had a number of English riders on our (Western) mares and this has been the biggest adjustment (or problem) for them. Even though we use snaffles on our mares, they are all light in the mouth, used to having their head on a loose rein and responding to neck reining, leg and seat. You can ride them with contact if you have very soft hands, but otherwise you'll spend all day dealing with head tossing (one lady actually got off and called our lead, penning mare a bad horse).


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## Makoda (Jan 17, 2011)

I think its more of how each individual does with it I have rode both and austrailian. They are all different but I have never had any problem with switching. They also all have pros and cons for everybody, which will be different. But I think you will appreciate it once you have done it. I know I have. It gives you a better understanding of horses and riders when its all said and done.


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