i am curious if you or people you know ride western. I was curious if it is trendy over there.
I was taught to ride English, so i am more comfortable in an English saddle. Most of my trail-riding friends ride in a western saddle bc they feel more secure.
I was just curious if Western riding is a big thing over in England or not.
Interesting question!
Can we expand that to include all the European countries?
I read somewhere that western riding had quite a following in Germany, but don’t know how true that is.
I don’t think it’s big in the UK, but I am friends with someone who does ride his mare in a Western saddle, and with a more “Western” approach to contact and relaxation. There are Western-style clinicians over there, and as with all “NH” types, some are better than others.
When I was visiting in the UK, I didn’t see any type western riding.
The Brits LOVE their riding traditions, which are not our western type culture.
Actually, Harrods in London has an equestrian section thats
really pretty cool,
altho STRICTLY English.
I bought a brush for my horse at Harrods and the sale’s woman’s husband was
a trainer at the Royal Mews (they had relocated from Australia).
We actually toured the Mews (Royal Stables) that day, so I got in
a full horsey day.
Awesome fun 
Reining is HUGE in Italy, so some types of Western riding have really taken off in Europe.
No. It isn’t.
In the Reiner magazine they have articles about the Futurities in Europe, especially in Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
They import some of the better stallions also, so I expect they do have a considerable following, to be able to have enough horses at the top.
Some of their riders and juniors do very well when they come participate here in international competitions.
I know of some reining trainers that have taught in Europe, some living there some years.
I think cattle working events may be a little more rare, not that many cattle to work with the horses as we have here.
Yes, western riding is alive and well in Europe. Italy, Germany and Belgium are particularly strong in FEI competition but it is very popular in France and growing in the UK. I once attended the Paris Salon de Cheval http://en.salon-cheval.com/ where there were several western classes and one entire area of the show was a ‘western saloon’ filled with French ‘cowboys’ drinking beer in their hats and spurs… one of life’s more surreal moments. The La Cense Montana ranch http://www.lacensemontana.com/about-ranch belongs to a native-born Frenchman.
One issue in the UK is that there are very few places that have the horses to teach western riding though there are plenty of QH in the country. Quality animals are available e.g.the junior European reining champion at Sovereign QH http://sovereignquarterhorses.com/ but opportunities to ride them are limited.
The Camargue region of France is a huge western riding area. Many years ago Mr. IF and I went on a riding vacation there. We rode Western and even helped with the herding of fighting bulls.
I think cattle working events may be a little more rare, not that many cattle to work with the horses as we have here.
The Spanish tradition of working cattle on horses is the basis of western riding. The early Texas cattlemen depended on Mexican vaqueros (e.g. King Ranch) and Doma Vaquera is now also a popular equestrian sport in Spain http://www.viva-iberica.com/en/mains/main_doma_vaquera.htm
There is a tradition of working cattle in the Maremma region of Italy on very nice horses of the same name - but the Spainish ruled the place for centuries so I suspect both activity and horse have Spanish roots
http://www.anamcavallomaremmano.com/uploads/pics/scirone_di_castelporziano_SIF7519.JPG
The UK tradition was driving cattle and sheep on foot from Wales and Scotland to the markets in England, particularly London. Early ‘cowboys’ in early American eastern settlements moved cattle in the same way. Jesse Chisholm (of cattle trail fame) was of Scottish descent and one wonders if droving was a family tradition.
There is a vacation in France where I can learn to work cattle on QH and using western methods - but I can get there by train and have French food. What could be better?
I know the trainer who started AQHA in Germany!
I thought by western events with cattle we were talking about roping, cutting, team penning, working cowhorse and such, that take many head of cattle suitable for those kinds of competition.
I am sure there are some of those in Europe, but I would think not that many.
I would say that the Camargue region continues their centuries-old traditions that contributed to the development of the concept known as “western”.
Willesdon- do you have a link for the French vacation where you work cattle? That would be my absolute heaven!
One of my good Paint Western Pleasure mares went to Denmark as a broodmare. The paints are big there and my trainer gives a lot of clinics in Europe.
Cutter99 - here is the link http://www.unicorntrails.com/europe/france/westernranch/
Unicorn is a v good company and really easy to work with. It was started by a vet so horse welfare is right at the top and all the staff really know the vacations as they go on them to check everything is up to scratch.
Or here is the French ranches own website http://www.westernranch.co.uk/
Scottish and no, it’s very rare for anyone to ride western in UK. Usually only the peeps who vacationed in a dude ranch, fancied trying western then just ride English in western tack ???
[QUOTE=4THEHORSES;8517641]
Scottish and no, it’s very rare for anyone to ride western in UK. Usually only the peeps who vacationed in a dude ranch, fancied trying western then just ride English in western tack ???[/QUOTE]
Thanks!!
I don’t know much about it for the rest of Germany or competitions overall, but where I’m from, it’s very popular to trail ride with English saddles. I know that’s not the same thing as doing the western disciplines but still. Most of the barns I know there mostly do that if they do a lot of trail riding.
Adding: my barn also imported QHs from France and the US even though they don’t compete as far as I know and only breed about every three years or so.
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