# tips for beginner English riders?



## Maddiehorse10 (Jul 14, 2017)

Hey guys! I'm new here, but this is sorta urgent. I've been riding western in america all my life, but I'm in Italy for the summer and I made a new friend (well, it's been a day so hopefully we become friends haha) who owns 2 horses. She wants me to go riding with her a few times during the week and tomorrow is our first day. I'm a really good western rider, I've galloped, jumped, etc. but I've only ever ridden English once and I was young, so I don't remember much of the lesson. anyways, my friend only has English saddles, which I'm totally fine with, but I want to be comfortable and as good as a rider as I am riding western. So are there any tips for beginner English riders? Any videos I could watch (I only have 1.5GB to use here so it's gotta be good haha). Also, I'm not sure if she'll tack them already or not so how do you tack English? Is it the same as western? Thanks so much!!!


----------



## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

- Lock your thighs into those knee pads. That's the only thing that'll keep you in the saddle if things go sideways (as in, the horse spooking sideways in mid-canter). Keep your legs below the knees loose, though.

- Use two hands for your reins and use direct reining supported by leg pressure. Your Italian horse will not understand neck reining. Keep your hands in a small box in front of you over the horse's withers.

- Post the trot if you can't keep contact with the saddle. Your horse will thank you.

- English horses tend to be used to a bit of rein contact. There will be occasions when you can ride your horse "on the buckle" (when things are very relaxed), but if you have a lot of turns, you bushwhack, or you travel at higher speeds, "feel" the horse's head moving your hands.

- The balls of your feet rest in the (much smaller) stirrups, and they will be directly under your center of gravity. Avoid the leisurely Western "chair pose", or you can be pushed off balance very easily, especially by acceleration, and there is nothing behind you to hold you.

- If you ever rode bareback, pretend you're riding bareback, but with a bit more support. (A lot of trainers start novice students bareback, and others use bareback riding to improve students' seat.)

- If your friend happens to have an endurance saddle, you'll be the most "at home". 

- If you tell her you are accustomed to Western riding, you will not embarrass yourself with asking for help with the tack. I couldn't fix a girth on a Western saddle to save my life... 

- Ask if you can go for two rides: One for an easy stroll, then get off the horse, lick and chew and ask questions, then go for a more interesting ride. Again, there is nothing embarrassing about wanting to acclimatize.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Really, just sit up straight. I've seen western riders in English saddles get all buffaloed by the smallness of it, and they curl forward. you want to sit up about as straight as you do in western, though when you get really moving, you may lean forward more than you might in a western saddle.

put more pressure downward through your leg than you are perhaps used to, so it might feel as if you are pressing rather hard on the stirrups. you will ride more by leg contact and strength than you are used to . English riders have strong legs!

Avanti!!!


----------



## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

Let your friend either tack the horse or tell you how she wants you to do it. 

My best advice when beginning your ride is: relaxation and balance. Think of balancing your head over your spine rather than holding it rigidly in place. Then, your muscles will be free to make subtle changes to keep you balanced as the horse moves. Let gravity settle your seat deeply into the saddle, wrap your legs snugly around the sides of the horse without muscular effort, hold the balls of your feet to the stirrups, and gently draw your unsupported heels a bit lower. Then, let your body move freely to match the movements of the horse.

Let your upper arms hang down the sides of your body. Think of your lower arms, wrists, and reins forming a line to the horse’s mouth. Imagine that, if you forearms were long enough, you could hold the bit with your fingers and do without reins. The reins should enter the bottom of your hands and go out the top. Think of holding the reins lightly with your thumbs while your fingers wrap gently around the reins so you are free to present signals by simply tightening your fingers. Think of keeping your muscles relaxed so the joints of your shoulders and elbows are free to move when the horse moves its head and neck as it travels. Allow your hands to be drawn forward if the horse’s head extends and your elbows to be drawn back beneath your shoulders by gravity when the horse retracts its head and neck.

Allow gravity to hold your feet beneath your center of gravity as your relaxed hips flow with the motion of the horse’s back. Allow your body the freedom to adjust so your center of gravity remains above your horse’s center of gravity.


----------



## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

I never found much of an adjustment, however I went from western to english dressage, which ride with long stirrups the way western does. I took a few jumping lessons way back and the short stirrups they wanted absolutely killed my legs.

Ride with the stirrup long enough to be comfortable, but also short enough to stabilize you. If you are already used to riding using balance and not relying on a saddle and horn to hold you in, you will do fine. In fact, you will probably like it better!

Do find out if your friend has any dressage type saddles. They are super comfortable, made to sit in, the way western saddles are supposed to be (though I never found western saddles comfortable). Dressage saddles have a similar secure feeling IMO.


----------



## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

If you are a good rider in western, you will most probably not have too much trouble riding English. Follow the advice above but don't try to do too much at the same time. If you are struggling with contact (the horse is trying to evade your hands) ask your friend if you can ride without contact. Most horses I rode were fine without contact. Start turning with your head, seat and legs and only then give a little direction with direct contact. A well trained English horse can turn without reins. If you are trail riding, let your friend go first, the horse will turn on its own. Also, if you are trail riding, no one expects any fancy work out on trails, especially if you told them you ride Western.

Just to give you a bit of confidence, I'm a not very talented English novice. The first time I got into a Western saddle, I forgot I was riding in one after about 10 minutes. And I trotted and cantered on my first ride as well. I'm sure I didn't look too pretty but it isn't that different. A good rider is a good rider.

Even though I know how to tack up, I always ask them to tack up first time around and observe. Everyone has their own little ways and I try to respect that.


----------



## Maddiehorse10 (Jul 14, 2017)

We went riding. It's not so bad! English is pretty easy. I mean, the horse she gave me is only a year or 2 old so she's very stubborn but she listened to the reins and it was all good. Thanks for the tips everybody!


----------

