Easterners, Do You Ride Western? Why?

[RoughOut]

I grew up in CT land of H/J, some eventing, and Morgans. But I took lessons at a local lesson barn and we rode mostly quarter horses in “english saddles” some were AP some, CC, some Dressage, some were beautiful old crosbys some were wintecs. I learned centered riding and did very well on the 4-H and open show circuit, and we would go to some B rated h/j shows when I was older. But I switched to western (at this same barn) age 12 and just loved it. I love trail and western pleasure, and horsemanship. The aids are just so so refined on well trained western horses.

For those of you who say you “hate” western saddles I gather you rode in one and decided you hated it but do consider that there are many different types of saddles. From very close contact equitation seats, reining saddles, barrel saddles, cutting saddle, pleasure saddles, roping saddles, work saddles. There are many types of fender style and they should be turned out. It would be like me riding in a dressage saddle with big knee and thigh blocks (that are required to sit a big moving dressage horse) and saying wow English saddles are so restrictive!

So I am an “easterner” that chose to ride western. It really has little to do with the tack but I prefer the type of horse and the subtleness of aids. I ride reining now and my reining saddle is a hand tooled piece of art but it’s not why I chose the sport. I also love going to watch morgan shows and my friends compete at h/j shows. I appreciate all disciplines but prefer western.

[ladyj79]

I’ve ridden in a lot of different saddles, from roping saddles to saddle seat saddles, Australian stock to Butet, and the only saddle I found actually painful to ride in was tad coffin. Ymmv

[AltersAreUs]

@eightpondfarm

omgosh! Well i see it every.single.day. online. There are three or four facebook pages where there are lots of these people…(mostly women) who buy a Killpen horse, adopt a Rescue horse, get a BLM Mustang…get a free horse from some neighbor/friend/relative and buy a saddle and voila! they are now a Horse Owner! Every day/all day long…i see it. You live up too high in the horse world to see it i guess.

Buying some random horse from the local amish auction and throwing whatever tack we could scrounge up on it was how myself and most of my friends/cousins learned to ride.

Parents bought my brother & I a pair of completely unknown & unbroke welsh cross ponies and we got bucked off until we learned to stay on. Same with my cousins.

Got contacted a few weeks ago from a high school friend who just bought … something … from that same auction and was asking me how to tell if it was broke to ride.

And yes, all these situations involved western saddles but I think that’s just a side effect of what people could borrow or scrounge up in their grandparents’ barns.

And yes, I am horrified by this whole approach now and often wonder how any of us survived our childhoods.

[Rackonteur]

Haha I wonder how any of us survived our childhoods of riding without helmets (except when jumping), riding with pelhams and double reins, going on trail rides and creek splashes … riding bicycles without helmets, playing outdoors all day long, barefooted, creek-wading, riding our bicycles to the grocery store, the drug store, the pool … alone, without helmets … not having vaccinations for measles or mumps or chicken pox or flu … riding in the backs of station wagons with the tailgate window down and no seatbelts in sight … my aunt even survived diphtheria as a child (although the household was quarantined while she had it) …

[rubygirl1968]

I’d love to find one like you describe. My downfall is a horse with a short back and a rider with fat thighs and booty! lol

I find the swells most uncomfortable but after riding in an Abetta on a different horse I had bruises on my inner thighs that had nothing to do with the swells.

If I get serious about a western saddle I’ll drive somewhere that has a friendlier and more helpful staff.

[paulaedwina]

I grew up English, but my draft cross fit Western saddles easier than English saddles. So we went Western.

[Bluey]

@paulaedwina

I grew up English, but my draft cross fit Western saddles easier than English saddles. So we went Western.

Did you try some wider Stubben models?
When in Europe decades ago, we used those on drafts and draft crosses.
They seemed to fit them over their broader fronts best.

Good that you found western saddles that also fit.
Many old type western horses were part draft and some trees were made to fit them also.

[paulaedwina]

Fella was interesting to fit -Short curvy back, and linebacker shoulders! It’s been a few years now. I’m satisfied to remain Western. He is bitless and neck reins so I ride one handed.

[Bluey]

@paulaedwina

Fella was interesting to fit -Short curvy back, and linebacker shoulders! It’s been a few years now. I’m satisfied to remain Western. He is bitless and neck reins so I ride one handed.

Other than when training, many western ways are fine one handed.
Riders revert to that when two hands on reins are not needed.
Western trained horses tend to like the little to practically no contact also.

[paulaedwina]

It was quite a remarkable revelation. We went bitless on an impusle and I discovered Fella has all these Western buttons. I was trying a sidepull with clip on reins that were a bit short so I was forced to ride the experiment one-handed.

Amazing! I never looked back. You’re right: no contact except for the moment of a cue.

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[Bluey]

@paulaedwina

It was quite a remarkable revelation. We went bitless on an impusle and I discovered Fella has all these Western buttons. I was trying a sidepull with clip on reins that were a bit short so I was forced to ride the experiment one-handed.

Amazing! I never looked back. You’re right: no contact except for the moment of a cue.

If you have the hands and skill for it, whatever you have on a horse’s head will work, even just a halter.
That is because finest connecting and guiding a horse is about concepts understood by both, horse and rider, not a resistance game.
Even the best balanced, carefully handled, lightest signaling bit is, for many horses, when not needed for specific performances, not as relaxing as not using one.

Forever we use what today is called a loping hackamore, that is a preferably grass rope nose type, loose enough a horse can graze or eat treats, that just sits there, your other aids guiding the horse, that just for when you need a bit more emphasis.

For training, to teach a horse about bits, for many performance situations, you need appropriate bits.
For most other, if you don’t, no need to use them, if your horse is fine without them, right?
Sure easier in the winter, not needing to warm those cold bits.

[paulaedwina]

It FINALLY cured Fella’s curling. And I don’t need a bit for Western dressage so it’s all good.

[Bluey]

@paulaedwina

It FINALLY cured Fella’s curling. And I don’t need a bit for Western dressage so it’s all good.

Good to know, may help someone else some day with similar problem, thank you.

I didn’t know you could show in dressage without a bit?
Guess that western dressage made it’s own rules, that makes sense.

[paulaedwina]

I imagine it’s because Western dressage is meant to appeal to Western riders. So their gear is already regulation - with some tweaks. So for instance, Western riders use side pulls, but stiff rope or leather wrapped metal side pulls are not allowed (IIRC).

[Bluey]

@paulaedwina

I imagine it’s because Western dressage is meant to appeal to Western riders. So their gear is already regulation - with some tweaks. So for instance, Western riders use side pulls, but stiff rope or leather wrapped metal side pulls are not allowed (IIRC).

Curious that, guess their game, their rules.

Still wondering what a “leather wrapped metal side pull” may look like, will go check those out.

[paulaedwina]

I just checked. It’s bosals they must have a non metalic core

[Bluey]

@paulaedwina

I just checked. It’s bosals they must have a non metalic core

Oh, that makes sense, some have a cable to make them more stiff.
No one really likes them for bosals, very dead feeling to them, don’t shape to the head like rope, rawhide or leather does.
Some use them for tie downs for speed events or roping.