Amen. My first western trained horse was a complete revelation to me. I had no idea.
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My first time at a hunter barn was a revelation to me. Horses with no ground manners and riders asking the trainer for the simplest of things.
My horses would tie to anything, load in the trailer when told, and I changed bit or bridle if I thought it best. Ooh renegade
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I obviously learned in a different Hunt Seat culture when I started riding seriously 55 years ago.
My just gelded Anglo-Arab gelding, 5 years old with maybe 3 weeks of “formal” training had excellent ground manners (as in he took care not to trample me, did not shove me out of his way, and tied securely) when my parents bought him for me (on July 4, 1970). This was when the Forward Seat was still taught and the expectation I picked up was that horses BEHAVED.
Since I assumed that horses could be taught to behave I had few difficulties when I trained my weanling stud colts before they got gelded, weanling filly, and basically untrained in ground manners 3yr. old Arab filly, plus “reminding” a not-well-broke 12 year old mare that she was expected to BEHAVE. Yes I had some difficulties, but once they got the idea of what good behavior entailed it was pretty easy to train. My horse ended up so that I could get off, run the reins under the stirrup leathers, tell the horse WHOA and I could go off and reset the rails on the jumps, in the middle of a 20+ acre with several TBs around grazing.
The hunt seat horses I was around were EXPECTED to have ground manners. Maybe they were not as quiet as a Western trained horse but they were definitely trained well enough to BEHAVE when handled from the ground and I never heard of my horses giving other people who had to handle them any problems. I had no problems handling the other hunt seat horses I had to handle either. This was back when most of the top hunt seat horses were TBs (some never on the track, others OTTBs.)
I do not know when in the last 55 years the hunt seat culture changed so much that hunt seat horses do not have ground manners now. Even my non-gelded Arabian colts were taught to BEHAVE because that was just expected back then and I would have caught all types of hell from the barn owner/riding instructor if my horses did not BEHAVE when handled from the ground.
Fortunately for me the stable where I now take my hunt seat lessons also expect their horses to BEHAVE, whether lesson horses or privately owned horses.
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The barrel racers 
I get a lot of them on TikTok and man, I can’t stand seeing it. Absolutely RANK animals in the alleys, needing people on the ground to help hold them down because they’re rearing the whole way, and they think it’s just grand. They’re proud of them being uncontrollable and putting everyone around them in danger.
And then they have these same poorly-behaved animals with TODDLERS on them, and very small children, sending them off into the arena like that. With not even a helmet, just rubber-band their feet in and go. And you can’t express anything negative about such things because they’re just ready to stomp all over anyone who suggests this may not be the best of ideas.
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I have ridden since junior high (I am 69 years young(?) now) and have dabbled in a lot of disciplines early until I found dressage. I even journeyed into ‘natural’ horsemanship for a bit. Now…I just ride. I still use dressage and all the exercises as a foundation but I just ride. I have had a lot of physical issues over the last few years and have spent a lot of time just doing groundwork wondering if I would ever be able to ride anymore.
Yesterday I was riding with my English saddle (all I have) and a western curb bit. I enjoy riding with one hand. I can open gates from my horse. I don’t know how many dressage clinics or lessons where someone has rushed over to open the gate…it’s OK. We’ve got it. I seldom lunge with side reins. In fact, my current barn has a little square arena (probably about 25 x 25m) that is splendid for free lunging so I have started doing that once a week. I do all kinds of ‘rogue’ things that many English riders would 
.
It’s Ok. I have a solid citizen that will tie, load, go on the trail, in the arena. As you can tell, I’m not much of a specialist in anything but I sure as heck enjoy my horse. We are both getting a bit long in the tooth so we will continue doing what we do to our comfort. Whatever the tack.
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For sure they need to sidepass, turn on the haunches, and neck rein. I used either some type of snaffle or just the halter and lead ropes when trail riding. My horses were 16.2 up to 17.1, if I don’t have to get off to open a gate, perfect. But if I do, they need to sidle up to whatever I’m standing on and wait until I finagle my bum into the saddle. Once I hit about 45yo there was no mounting from the ground, my left knee was shot!
This is where we are too. Im only 41 but have chronic/degenerative issues that are continuing to evolve. Charlie is only 8, but has some neck stuff going on that limits the riding/driving I can do with him. When we have the times that one or both of us need to dial it back, we have a blast with groundwork, tricks, liberty, or just sitting in his stall or turnout with him, and I’ve found that just as rewarding…if not more than just riding.
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Not sure anything on Tik Tok is representative of typical Western anything. Bad actors are everywhere but fortunately do not represent the majority.
Like a racehorse, Barrel Racers know when they are going to run and like the racetrack, all efforts are made to keep a lid on things but they can get a little full of themselves.
BUT, based on Barrel Racers I personally know, who won a decent amount of money every year plus made up and sold youngsters? Those Barrel Horses were BROKE, led, tied, loaded and turned it off away from the chute.
Not to say they were warm fuzzies, as most high performance horse, they can be a little aloof but always professional and safe.
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Ehhhh, I know there’s all sorts in everything, but western gaming has had that reputation for years before TikTok too.
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Amen.
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One of my client’s parents are involved in one of the fastest growing western sports in my area: ranch roping. it is very functional western riding. I forget all the classes, but one is “trailering” where they start with their horse in a trailer, and have to unload the horse, get on, and then herd a few cattle into the trailer and shut the door. There is also roping, penning and such, but the goal is to NOT stress the cattle (or the horses). Slow, steady and calm is the rule. roping is pretty much at a walk while you try to sneak up on the calf. The people competing are typically people that actually use their horses to doctor their cattle. No fancy outfits. The horses are NICE and can get up in price, but it’s just so chill because you are heavily penalized if the animals get stressed.
The riding skills themselves aren’t “That” different than english, the aids are just used with different priorities. The biggest difference seems to be that the horse is just expected to mind itself and keep doing the thing until told to do something differently. I really like it and wish I had known about it as a sport while I was still riding. the horses and humans just don’t seem as stressed as so many other disciplines.
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THIS! I train and expect every horse to stand ground tied for grooming, clipping, bathing, the farrier, the vet. To be able to “bar up” at the horse trailer (with out a hay net.) To hobble. To high line. And most can be picketed. Arabs, OTTBs, warmbloods, draft cross and Quarter Horses, mares, geldings and stallions. And point and shoot load in the dark.
It’s not rocket science, but it takes time and effort just like all training. But people don’t make the effort or maintain the expectation.
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