To our friends in England-

[Manni01]

maybe an interesting article about the German Open in Westernriding…
sorry only in German, but there you can see some numbers as well.
http://www.pferde-welt.info/aktuelles/163-18ewu

[js]

http://www.ecqh.org/
https://aqha.com/journal/resources/shows/european-championships/
http://www.ibhf.eu/ (barrel racing)
http://www.europeanreining.com/

Lots of Western in Europe, it is quite popular.

[jvanrens]

A quick google search for Quarter Horse England gets lots of hits for western in the UK.

I know that the Sternberg sisters have been showing QHs for quite a while and have set up a lovely looking operation in England. http://www.sterlingranchuk.com/index.php

One of the sisters shows at FEI level reining. http://www.fei.org/bios/Person/10000291/STERNBERG_Francesca

[Haybert]

Why would anyone with access to a general pool of well put together horses want to ride something bred to look like it was standing with its front legs in a hole???

Let’s not encourage/promote ghastly western pleasure, fake tails, and 60 pounds of useless tack.

I’ve climbed throughthe Rockies on the back of a horse wearing an english saddle: scrambling up and down steep inclines.

Western tack it a bit of a joke: bunch of doodads added for roping or weeks in the saddle that are noe show artifacts. And the bits. I’ve yet to see one that was’t a shank or full of a lot of huckster nonsense.

No one has ever, in the western realm, been able to articulate the relationship between the loose rein and haute ecole, because most western riders need to first get an independent seat and comprehend contact.

Don’t get me started on helmets, rodeo, or 300 pound men twirling in circles and calling it reining. At least put these obese men on something with bone, not something they mistook for a meat animal.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Haybert;8519320]
Why would anyone with access to a general pool of well put together horses want to ride something bred to look like it was standing with its front legs in a hole???

Let’s not encourage/promote ghastly western pleasure, fake tales, and 60 pounds of useless tack.

I’ve climbed throughthe Rockies on the back of a horse wearing an english saddle: scrambling up and down steep inclines.

Western tack it a bit of a joke: bunch of doodads added for roping or weeks in the saddle that are noe show artifacts. And the bits. I’ve yet to see one that was’t a shank or full of a lot of huckster nonsense.

No one has ever, in the western realm, been able to articulate the relationship between the loose rein and haute ecole, because most western riders need to first get an independent seat and comprehend contact.

Don’t get me started on helmets, rodeo, or 300 pound men twirling in circles and calling it reining. At least put these obese men on something with bone, not something they mistook for a meat animal.[/QUOTE]

Then, why would anyone want to climb on any horse’s back to ride anyway, right?

[4THEHORSES]

[QUOTE=Haybert;8519320]
Why would anyone with access to a general pool of well put together horses want to ride something bred to look like it was standing with its front legs in a hole???

Let’s not encourage/promote ghastly western pleasure, fake tales, and 60 pounds of useless tack.

I’ve climbed throughthe Rockies on the back of a horse wearing an english saddle: scrambling up and down steep inclines.

Western tack it a bit of a joke: bunch of doodads added for roping or weeks in the saddle that are noe show artifacts. And the bits. I’ve yet to see one that was’t a shank or full of a lot of huckster nonsense.

No one has ever, in the western realm, been able to articulate the relationship between the loose rein and haute ecole, because most western riders need to first get an independent seat and comprehend contact.

Don’t get me started on helmets, rodeo, or 300 pound men twirling in circles and calling it reining. At least put these obese men on something with bone, not something they mistook for a meat animal.[/QUOTE]

I find this post both ignorant and disrespectful. And that’s coming from someone who grew up in UK with 25 years of English riding before even trying Western.

You do realize there are many types of western saddle that are suited to the various disciplines and not all have a horn.

As to your comment about an independent seat. Boatloads of English riders don’t have an independent seat either. I can attest first hand though that plenty good western riders do have an independent seat and are so secure on the horse that they can do things bareback that most of us would dream of doing in any type of saddle.

There are also plenty of breeders who breed shitty downhill horses for English disciplines.

As to bits, my OTTB far prefers his western bit. I can get him going beautifully in English tack but he’s way more willing in a shank on a loose rein, hence I’m learning to riden western. And no, it’s not as easy as it looks, even for some someone whose ridden some pretty gnarly terrain in a dressage saddle.

[Xanthoria]

[QUOTE=Nezzy;8515867]
I was just curious if Western riding is a big thing over in England or not.[/QUOTE]

Is it only England you want to know about, or Wales, Scotland and N Ireland too?

(just kidding - people who live in the UK detest having it referred to as England. Unless that was what you meant)

Here, this will help. Maybe: http://youtu.be/rNu8XDBSn10

:lol:

[Curly_Feather]

Some Western classes have slowly been making an appearance here in South Africa as well over the last few years. It’s not mainstream yet, as far as I’m aware, but more and more people are getting interested.

[Nezzy]

[QUOTE=Xanthoria;8519990]
Is it only England you want to know about, or Wales, Scotland and N Ireland too?

(just kidding - people who live in the UK detest having it referred to as England. Unless that was what you meant)

Here, this will help. Maybe: http://youtu.be/rNu8XDBSn10

:lol:[/QUOTE]

i only meant England. But i guess i am curious to know about the UK as a whole.

[keepthelegend]

I was looking at horses at a Qh auction (the one Baffert bought Smokey from) and the $55,000 2nd highest price horse went to Sweden. I know not England, but thought that was interesting!

[Haybert]

@4THEHORSES;8519747

I find this post both ignorant and disrespectful. And that’s coming from someone who grew up in UK with 25 years of English riding before even trying Western.

You do realize there are many types of western saddle that are suited to the various disciplines and not all have a horn.
yes, indeedy! I’ve ridden in a couple. I’ve ridden in old cavalry saddles, too. MOST tack is a far cry from a good saddle
As to your comment about an independent seat. Boatloads of English riders don’t have an independent seat either. I can attest first hand though that plenty good western riders do have an independent seat and are so secure on the horse that they can do things bareback that most of us would dream of doing in any type of saddle.
And I have seen enough to make your assertion the exception that proves the rule

There are also plenty of breeders who breed shitty downhill horses for English disciplines.
And none stand taller in that market than the AQHA. Built on the forehand is a conformation flaw in the real world. QH breeders even angle photos to augment it, then compound the atrocity with peanut roller headset. If you are going to call ignorance, at least let’s not pretend QH’s resemble their foundation ancestry.
As to bits, my OTTB far prefers his western bit. I can get him going beautifully in English tack but he’s way more willing in a shank on a loose rein, hence I’m learning to riden western. And no, it’s not as easy as it looks, even for some someone whose ridden some pretty gnarly terrain in a dressage saddle.

Who does gnarly terrain in a dressage saddle? We did in our knee-roll free jumping saddles or old cavelry rigs. Loose rein means you are riding with your seat. I don’t suggest every english rider has approached that competancy, but many (many) western riders are unable to understand the premise.

Sure a few can twirl around with a neck rein, but most are yanking on their horses faces in bits whose construction is design to be BRAKES rather than something you achieve contact with.

I used to live in cowboyland. For every working cowboy who knew his or her way around a horse there were dozens who threw a 40 pound saddle on a horse, two girths, tons of other crap, too, to toddle down a trail for a couple miles. Why not add the seatbelt?

…

[Nezzy]

When i asked the Q, i never considered QH’s as a common breed in England. just curious if anyone rode in the style. I would not expect too many QH in England. But what do i know? i have not been there yet.

[Willesdon]

Curiously enough, there are more QH in the UK than there are Suffolk Punches, Eriskay ponies, mountain-bred Welsh even forest bred New Forest ponies … According to AQHAUK there were over 3000 animals in 2010 and numbers are growing.

I think one difference, though, is that the QH are judged against the experience of other breeds and the extreme confirmation found in specialist sections of the American industry or the extremes of training are usually missing.