Western Vs. English

My co-writer Elizabeth just recently wrote an article comparing english and western saddles. I also was like elizabeth, I loved riding in western and greatly opposed english when I was younger. However, I was taught to ride english first, so it wans't that I didnt understand it, but I do believe I was not taught properly, and that is where it all went wrong.

Western saddles are always considered to be much more comfortable to sit in. In comparison however, there is not much of a difference on how you keep your seat. Western may look more appealing, because of how long your stirrups can be. But if you really think about it, if you rode around with long stirrups in an english saddle, your hips would roll forward and you would be sitting in a very akward position. As long as you dont have your stirrups up so high you could pass for Looking at Lucky's rider, you should be just as comfortable in an english saddle.

Another opposition many riders have, including myself at one point in time, is that you have to post while riding english. Now, if your only complaint is that you have to post in an english saddle, I have one word for you. Lazy. Posting is simply done by squeezing with your thighs and lifting yourself up slightly everytime the horse reaches its outside, forward hoof. It makes a trot much nicer for an english rider, because it takes away the bounce that comes along with a trot. Now I will admit your legs can get somewhat tired after posting for awhile, but just think, you can really build up some great leg muscles!

I know I sound like someone trying to push english onto some people, and I am really not that way at all. I was just taught to dislike english when I was younger, and to dislike the technical parts of it. Because of this, I didnt discover my love for english riding until I was much older, and it was harder for me to learn it at an older age. I still love everything about western, weather it be pleasure or rodeo. But my suggestion for anyone out there who is wary of english, go ahead and try it. You may fall in love with it just as I did.